Open ProvincesDocuments and ID in Nunavut: birth certificate and change of name
Who issues birth certificates in Nunavut, how to order one, how a legal change of name works and what to update afterwards.
Who issues your documents
Birth, marriage and death certificates and legal changes of name in Nunavut are handled by Nunavut Vital Statistics (Department of Health). It can only issue documents for events registered in Nunavut: for a birth, marriage or death elsewhere, order from the province or territory where it happened.
Order a birth certificate
A birth must be registered before a certificate can be requested; local health centres can help with the forms. A legal change of name is made by application to the Clerk of the Nunavut Court of Justice under the Change of Name Act (adult and child forms are on the court's site); the order is then registered by Vital Statistics in the Department of Health. Use the identification and certificates page for the other documents.
- Ask for the long form (it shows your parents) if the certificate is for a passport, immigration or citizenship file: the short form is often not enough.
- Order well before you travel or apply: processing times vary and can be long. Rush options exist in some provinces.
- Have the person's full name, date and place of birth, and their parents' names ready, exactly as they were registered.
- You will need to prove who you are; only certain people can apply (the person, a parent, a guardian or an authorized representative).
Official page: birth certificates ↗ (our automatic checker could not open this site)
Change your name
- Marriage or divorce: in most provinces you can start using your spouse's surname, or go back to your birth surname, without a legal change of name: you show the marriage certificate or divorce papers. Check your province's page.
- Any other change is a legal change of name made through the province's vital statistics office. Many provinces now require a criminal record check, often with fingerprints, and some publish the change in a government gazette.
- Residency rules, minimum ages, consent for children and fees are set by each province: use the official page and plan for several weeks or months.
Official page: change of name ↗ (our automatic checker could not open this site)
After a name change: update the rest
- Social insurance number record, then the CRA and Service Canada (see our SIN guide).
- Passport (see our passport guide), health card and driver's licence.
- Bank, employer, insurers, landlord and online accounts (see government online accounts).
Moving to Nunavut from another province? See our moving checklist and the moving page for Nunavut.
Procedures only: fees, forms and waiting times change, so each official page above is the authority. Quebec has its own rules: see AtlasQuébec.
Guides for this province
- Renting in Nunavut: rights, rent increases and average rents
- Working in Nunavut: minimum wage, standards and wages
- Moving to Nunavut: health card, driver's licence and taxes
- Cost of living in Nunavut: prices, rent, wages and taxes
- Buying a home in Nunavut: land transfer tax, rebates and first-time buyer help
- Health care in Nunavut: health card, drug plans and dental help
- Studying in Nunavut: tuition, student aid and grants
- Seniors in Nunavut: pensions, supplements and programs
- Taxes in Nunavut: income tax rates, sales tax and take-home pay (2026)
- Families in Nunavut: child benefits and family programs
- Documents and ID in Nunavut: birth certificate and change of name
- Starting a business in Nunavut: register a name, GST/HST and licences
- Problems and disputes in Nunavut: consumer complaints, small claims, workplace injury and legal aid
- Driving and vehicles in Nunavut: switching your licence and what is required
- Photo ID card in Nunavut without a driver's licence: who can apply, documents and fee
- Getting married in Nunavut: marriage licence, fees and documents
- Health card in Nunavut: who qualifies, waiting period and how to register
- When someone dies in Nunavut: death certificate, estate and probate
- Registering a child for school in Nunavut: age, documents and where to sign up
- Child care in Nunavut: fees, finding a space and subsidies
- Immigrating to Nunavut: nominee program, steps and processing times
- Accessible parking permit in Nunavut: how to apply
- Alcohol rules in Nunavut: legal age and where to buy
- Car insurance in Nunavut: what is compulsory and where to buy it
- Cannabis rules in Nunavut: legal age, where to buy and where to use
- Disability income and supports in Nunavut: how to apply
- Prescription drug coverage in Nunavut: public plans and how to enrol
- Emergency preparedness in Nunavut: alerts, evacuation and your 72-hour kit
- Separation, parenting and child support in Nunavut: free help and enforcement
- Help for family violence and victims of crime in Nunavut
- Fishing and hunting licences in Nunavut: where to buy and what you need
- Health advice line (811) in Nunavut: speak to a nurse any time
- Indigenous relations and services in Nunavut: who does what
- Marriage licence fee in Nunavut
- New drivers in Nunavut: graduated licensing stages and minimum ages
- Provincial parks and camping reservations in Nunavut
- Probate fees in Nunavut: what an estate pays
- Social assistance in Nunavut: how to apply for income support
- Social housing and rent help in Nunavut: how to apply
- Student loans and grants in Nunavut: where to apply
- Voting in Nunavut: register, check your status and find your election office
- Wills, powers of attorney and health care directives in Nunavut