If you are a Cypriot citizen, you change your name by applying to the Civil Registry with a sworn affidavit and an €80 fee. That is the whole legal mechanism, set out in article 43 of the Civil Registry Law, Law 141(I)/2002, and it covers taking a spouse's surname, reverting after divorce and changing a first name for any other reason. If you are not Cypriot, the Cyprus registry has no birth entry of yours to amend, so the change happens under your own country's law and you then update your Cyprus documents to match. Most of the work, in both cases, is the follow-up paperwork.
What the Civil Registry Law allows
Article 40 of Law 141(I)/2002 lets any entry in the Population Archive be corrected or amended on a written application to the Director of the Civil Registry and Migration Department, and it lists a change of name or surname as one of those amendments. Article 43 then sets the rules. On a written application, payment of €80 and evidence the Director accepts as satisfactory, the Director can:
- register a name or surname for a child who was registered without one;
- add an extra first name or surname;
- record a change of first name or surname.
There is a hard cap. The total cannot exceed three first names and two surnames, and the count includes your original name and surname. A woman born Maria Georgiou who marries Andreas Christou can become Maria Georgiou Christou, but she cannot add a third surname later without dropping one.
The law does not list acceptable reasons. In practice the registry asks for a short letter explaining why you want the change, and it needs to be satisfied there is no criminal purpose behind it. A change for personal or family reasons, plainly explained, is routine.
How to apply
If you were born in Cyprus, you apply through the District Administration Office, which acts as the district registrar. If you were born abroad and hold Cypriot citizenship, the application goes to the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia, and you should expect to produce your citizenship certificate or consular birth registration.
- 1Swear an affidavit in the prescribed form, in Cyprus, setting out your current name and the name you want.
- 2Write a brief covering letter giving the reason for the change.
- 3Attach supporting documents: your ID card or passport, and the marriage certificate or divorce decree if the change follows either.
- 4Pay the €80 fee under article 43.
- 5Once approved, the change is recorded against your entry in the Population Archive, and you can order a new birth certificate.
Under article 40(2), nothing in the register is erased. Your original entry stays on file with the change noted against it, which is why an amended birth certificate will still trace back to the name you were registered with.
Taking a spouse's surname
Marrying in Cyprus does not automatically change anyone's surname in the Population Archive. If you want your spouse's surname, or want to add it to your own, you apply under article 43 like anyone else and attach the marriage certificate. Because of the two-surname cap, a double-barrelled name only works if neither of you already has two.
Many couples never bother. Nothing in the Civil Registry Law requires either spouse to take the other's name, so keeping your own surname needs no application at all. If you married on the island and are taking the certificate home, read our guide to getting married in Cyprus for the apostille step, which you will need before a UK or other foreign authority will accept the certificate as proof of the new name.
Going back to your old name after divorce
A divorce decree does not restore your previous surname either. The registry treats a reversion as a fresh change, so you swear a new affidavit, attach the final divorce decree and pay the fee again. Article 43 sets no time limit, so you can revert the week after the decree or twenty years later. Our article on divorce in Cyprus covers how long the decree itself takes to obtain.
Children's names
Article 8(2) of the same law lets parents give a child up to three first names. The surname, which must be the same for all children of the family, can be the family surname, the father's or the mother's surname, or a combination of both, with a maximum of two. That choice is made at birth registration, which must happen within 15 days of the birth.
Changing a minor's name later needs an affidavit signed by both parents. Where a court has given one parent sole parental responsibility, that parent can sign alone but must file the court order. A disagreement between parents is a matter for the Family Court, and an application to rename a child without the other parent's consent is the kind of case where a family lawyer earns their fee.
If you are British or another foreign national
The Cyprus registry only holds entries for births registered here and for its own citizens, so a foreign resident cannot use article 43. You change your name under your home country's rules, get a new passport, and then bring your Cyprus records into line.
British residents should check one rule before starting. The UK government's deed poll guidance says that if you are a permanent resident overseas, you cannot change your name by deed poll. Marriage is different: the same guidance says you do not need a deed poll to take a spouse's or civil partner's surname, and a marriage certificate plus decree absolute or final order may be enough to revert after divorce. For any other change, a Brit settled in Cyprus will need to ask HM Passport Office what evidence it will accept from someone living abroad before swearing anything locally. For residents still living in England and Wales, an enrolled deed poll costs £53.05 as of October 2026.
Once you hold the new passport, take it to the Civil Registry and Migration Department so your residence document matches. EU citizens hold a registration certificate (the yellow slip); third-country nationals hold a residence permit card. Our explainer on the pink slip and yellow slip sets out which document you have. Ask the department about any reissue fee when you book.
Updating everything else
The registry change is the start. Article 70 of Law 141(I)/2002 allows a Cypriot passport to be replaced before expiry when the holder's personal details change, and it names a change of surname as an example. As of 2026 the adult fees are reported at €30 for an ID card and €70 for a passport; check the current figure on gov.cy when you apply.
Property is the one most people forget. The Department of Lands and Surveys has a specific application for a change of name of a natural person in the Land Information System. You send the form, a copy of both sides of your ID card (or passport and residence card if you are a foreigner) and your contact details to the District Lands Office by email. The published fees are €10 to accept the application, €5 per title deed and €15 for time spent, which varies by property. If a representative files it under a general power of attorney, there is an extra €50 to deposit the power of attorney. A title held in your old name will cause delays at the worst moment, usually when you come to sell or mortgage. Our guide to Cyprus title deeds explains what the Land Registry holds against your name.
After that, work through the rest: your bank, the Tax Department (so your tax identification record matches), GHS registration, social insurance, your driving licence, your employer, and any company where you are a director or shareholder. Each will ask for the registry certificate or new passport. Keep several certified copies.
Changing your name because of a marriage, divorce or custody dispute? Browse family and divorce lawyers or search the lawyer directory for an advocate who can prepare the affidavit and confirm the current procedure for your situation.