Changed your name after marriage? How to update IRCC, your PR card and your citizenship application

First: a name change is your choice

IRCC does not require you to change your name after marriage. Many people keep their birth name. If you do change it, keep your documents consistent. Your passport, marriage certificate and IRCC records should be easy to link to each other.

Guidance: a simple order that works for many people is below. This order is our suggestion, not an IRCC rule.

1. Decide which name you will use, and get your passport in that name.
2. If you have an open IRCC application, send the new passport and marriage certificate (with a translation if needed) through the web form.
3. After you land, apply for a new PR card if your COPR shows your old name.
4. When you apply for citizenship, list both names.

If you have an application in progress

IRCC’s update your application page says you “must tell us when a change in your life affects the information in your application”. Changes to report include marriage, separation or divorce, a new passport and a legal name change. IRCC says to “include proof of any change when you report it”.

Report it with the IRCC web form. Under “Tell us about your request”, select “No, I want to add the document(s) to support or complete my application”. Explain what you are submitting and upload the proof. IRCC says these updates will not show in your account.

IRCC’s Help Centre answer says to use the web form “even if you applied online”. If you get a new passport, “you must submit a scanned copy of your new passport”. It also says: “Don’t send us changes for your contact or application information by mail. If you do, we won’t acknowledge your request or update your application.”

The IRCC web form has an entry point called “Update your application (for example, submit documents)”. If you do not have a number yet, IRCC’s form lists placeholder values: application number 0000000 and UCI 1111111111.

PR card: apply for a new card

IRCC’s Help Centre answer says: “You need to apply for a new PR card to change the name on your card. Make sure you include documents that support the change.”

The PR card guide (5445) sets out the proof. If your name is different from your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR, IMM 5292 or 5688), you submit:

• legal proof of the name change
• identity documents
• provincial ID in the requested name (with name, date of birth, photo and signature), unless you provide a provincial legal name change document
• a copy of your IMM 1000 or COPR

Accepted provincial civil-authority documents include a legal change of name document, a court order, an adoption order, or a marriage certificate, divorce decree, registration, declaration of union, or revocation or annulment showing the new name. The marriage certificate route does not apply if you married in Quebec on or after April 2, 1981 and now live in Quebec.

If your name changed outside Canada, submit a foreign passport or other national authoritative document showing the new name, plus an official document that links the old and new names.

PR card timing, fee and translations

• If your card is valid for more than 9 months (270 days), IRCC says not to apply to renew it “unless your legal name or gender has changed”.
• The fee is $50 (CAD).
• When the new card is issued, the old one stops being valid 60 days later.
• If IRCC made a mistake on your COPR, IRCC says to fix it with form IMM 5218 before you apply. This is for administrative errors only.
• Translations: if the translator is not a Canadian certified translator, include the translation plus an affidavit. You and your family cannot translate or certify copies.

Citizenship: list all names you have used

IRCC’s Help Centre answer says: “To change the name on an application in progress, contact us using the web form.” To change the name on an existing citizenship certificate, apply to replace it on paper and send documents that show the legal name change. IRCC also says citizenship cards are no longer issued, so you apply for a certificate.

On the citizenship application form (CIT 0002), give your name as it appears on your Record of Landing, COPR or last PR card. If you changed it after becoming a PR, answer yes and provide the Appendix A documents. List all other names you have used, such as your name at birth, your name before marriage and your married name.

IRCC’s adult citizenship documents page lists the proof:

• Name changed in Canada because of marriage: a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or civil-union document.
• Name changed outside Canada: an updated passport or national ID, a foreign document that links the names (such as a marriage certificate), and a provincial document showing the new name.

After IRCC starts processing your application (after it sends the acknowledgement of receipt), you can ask for a name change only if IRCC made an error or you legally changed your name. Documents not in English or French need a certified translation.

What this means for you

• You have an open application: use the web form with your new passport and marriage certificate. Do not mail it.
• You are a PR and your COPR shows your old name: you need to apply for a new PR card with proof of the change.
• You are preparing for citizenship: list every name you have used, including your birth name and married name.
• Your passport shows your maiden name and your marriage certificate shows your spouse’s surname: include a document that links the two names. This is common for spouses from India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and the Philippines.
• You married in Quebec: check the Quebec limit on the marriage certificate route above.

What to do next

1. Decide which name you will use and check that your passport matches.
2. Collect your marriage certificate, COPR or Record of Landing, and any provincial ID in the new name.
3. Get translations for any document not in English or French.
4. If you have an open application, submit the proof with the IRCC web form.
5. Use our document checklist generator and our settlement checklist. Also read our guide on translating documents.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to change my name after marriage?

No. IRCC does not require it. It is your choice.

How do I tell IRCC about my marriage or new name?

If you have an application in progress, use the IRCC web form and include proof, such as your new passport and marriage certificate.

Can I mail the change to IRCC?

No. IRCC says that if you mail changes to your application information, it will not acknowledge your request or update your application.

How do I change the name on my PR card?

Apply for a new PR card and include documents that support the change. The fee is $50 (CAD).

What names do I list on a citizenship application?

List all names you have used, such as your name at birth, your name before marriage and your married name.

Sources

• IRCC: Update your application
• IRCC Help Centre: reporting changes
• IRCC: Web form
• IRCC Help Centre: PR card name change
• IRCC: Guide 5445, applying for a PR card
• IRCC Help Centre: citizenship name change
• IRCC: Adult citizenship documents
• IRCC: Guide CIT 0002

Facts as provided in our research brief dated October 10, 2026.