How your case moves from enquiry to your Gazette in hand — and what affects the timing.
Last updated: July 2026
A typical case moves through: consultation and document review; document preparation and drafting; your review and approval of the draft; notarisation and, where required, newspaper advertisement; filing with the Government Press; publication; and delivery of your Gazette, after which you update your records.
We control the preparation, drafting and filing stages, and the Express package prioritises these. Publication itself follows the Government Press's own schedule, which we do not control. Any subsequent record updates run on each authority's own timeline.
Processing may be delayed if documents are incomplete, information is incorrect, payment or draft approval is delayed, or a query goes unanswered. Providing accurate information promptly and approving your draft quickly are the biggest things within your control to keep the timeline on track.
Once your Gazette is published, we provide your documentation and guide you on obtaining and storing copies. We recommend keeping both a clear digital copy and the physical copy, together with the affidavit and newspaper page. See our guide on digital and e-Gazette copies.
Where physical delivery by courier is involved, delivery depends on the courier company. We are not liable for delays caused by courier services, natural events, strikes, transport disruptions or other circumstances beyond our control.
We keep you updated at each stage rather than leaving you guessing. If a stage is taking longer because of a government or third-party delay, we will tell you and explain the position honestly.
A Gazette is proof of your name change; it does not automatically update your other records. We guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN, passport, bank and other records in a sensible order. See updating documents after a Gazette.