A “one and the same person” affidavit is a sworn statement that two or more versions of a name belong to a single person. It is the standard fix when your school certificate says K. Ramesh Kumar, your passport says Ramesh Kumar Kondapalli, and your PAN card says something slightly different again. What it cannot do is legally change your name, and that distinction decides whether an affidavit alone will work.
Indian passport offices follow the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) guidelines on change of name, first issued in an Office Memorandum dated 29 May 2020. Under those rules, a full change of name or the addition of a surname needs clippings from two newspapers or a Gazette notification, plus at least two public documents in the new name. On 15 April 2026 the MEA amended that rule so the Gazette of India (Central Government) is accepted alongside a State Government gazette, after an order of the Delhi High Court.
U.S. agencies are stricter in a different way. The current Form I-485 instructions (edition 09/18/26) tell applicants to submit primary evidence such as a birth or marriage certificate first, then secondary evidence such as school or church records, and only if neither exists, two or more affidavits from people who are not parties to the case and who have direct personal knowledge of the facts. A statement you write about yourself sits at the bottom of that ladder.
Free toolREAL ID Requirements Checker toolThat is why this guide splits the problem in two. First, figure out which kind of mismatch you have, because a spelling variation, a missing surname and a real name change are handled very differently. Second, figure out who will read the document, because an Indian Passport Seva Kendra, an Indian consulate in the U.S., USCIS and a U.S. consular officer each want different things.
The guide covers the decision table, what the affidavit must say, how to execute it in India and in the U.S., three sample formats, and the mistakes that most often trigger a Request for Evidence or a passport office query.
One warning up front: the samples below are illustrations of structure. Do not copy them word for word. Officers at USCIS, U.S. consulates and Indian missions read thousands of these, and recycled template language invites closer scrutiny.
Identify Which Kind of Name Mismatch You Have
The MEA’s change-of-name rules sort cases into categories, and each category carries its own proof requirement. The Consulate General of India in Dubai publishes the full matrix on its passport reissue page, and it is the clearest public version of the rules every Indian passport office applies. The table below combines that matrix with what U.S. agencies expect for the same situation.
| Situation | Indian passport office wants | Where an affidavit helps |
|---|---|---|
| Minor spelling correction (Sanjeev to Sanjiv, D’Souza to De Souza) | No documents required | Linking old certificates, bank and PAN records, U.S. filings |
| Initials on certificates (K. Ramesh Kumar) | Passport must show the expanded name, no initials | Main use case: ties the initialed records to the full name |
| Splitting a name into given name and surname (surname field was blank) | At least two public documents in the desired name | Supporting document only |
| Reordering words of the name | At least two public documents in the desired name | Supporting document only |
| Adding a surname to the given name | Treated as a name change: two newspaper clippings or a Gazette notification, plus two public documents | Not enough on its own |
| Maiden name to married surname | Marriage certificate or the Annexure J joint declaration by both spouses | Linking maiden-name records for banks and U.S. files |
| Married woman going back to maiden name | Two newspaper clippings or a Gazette notification, plus two public documents | Not enough on its own |
| Completely different name | Two newspaper clippings or a State or Central Gazette notification, plus two public documents | Not enough on its own |
| USCIS legal name change | Not applicable | Supplemental only: USCIS wants a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order |
Two details in the MEA matrix matter for Indians living abroad. For applicants on long-term residence or work permits, two documents issued by the local government of the country where you live can count as the two public documents. And the Dubai consulate states plainly that adding a surname to a given name “will also be treated as name change,” which surprises many applicants who assumed it was a simple correction.
Annexure lettering on the Passport Seva site has been revised more than once. Older embassy pages still describe a name-change affidavit as “Annexure E,” which no longer matches the current list. Download the annexure from the official Passport Seva portal or your mission’s site on the day you apply.
Decide Who Will Read the Affidavit
The same name problem can be routine for one agency and a blocker for another. Write the affidavit for its actual reader.
Indian passport office or Indian consulate. Use it to connect records when the change falls into a category that does not require newspaper ads or a gazette. For a true name change, the affidavit travels with the newspaper clippings or gazette, not instead of them. Missions abroad usually ask for one advertisement in a newspaper near your permanent address in India and one where you currently live. The Istanbul consulate, for example, asks applicants to wait 30 days after the advertisement before applying.
Indian consulates in the U.S. (OCI, renunciation, passport reissue). These services run through VFS Global. The Consulate General of India in Chicago moved affidavits and document attestation to VFS Global effective 1 August 2025. Applicants whose Indian and U.S. passports show different name formats report being asked for a notarized affidavit for small variations, such as a dropped or added middle name, and a marriage certificate or court order for anything larger. Check the current VFS Global checklist for your jurisdiction, since requirements differ between consulates.
USCIS. USCIS wants the civil document that created the name change: a marriage certificate, a divorce decree that restores a name, an adoption decree or a court order. An affidavit explains discrepancies but does not establish a new legal name. Where a birth certificate is missing or incomplete, the I-485 instructions allow two or more affidavits from non-parties only after you explain why primary and secondary evidence are unavailable, as required by 8 CFR 103.2(b)(2).
U.S. visa applications. On the DS-160, enter your name exactly as printed in your passport and list every other spelling under “other names used.” Applicants whose passports carry only one name commonly see “FNU” (first name unknown) printed as the given name on the visa. That reflects how State Department systems handle a single-name passport, so check the DS-160 help text and your consulate’s guidance before you try to correct it.
For the full DS-160 walkthrough, see our step-by-step DS-160 guide. If you are mid green card case and your name has changed, read how name changes work during the green card process.
Draft the Affidavit: What It Must Contain
A strong affidavit is specific and boring. It names every variation exactly as it appears, says which document carries which version, and explains why the variation exists. Vague language such as “my name is sometimes written differently” is what draws a follow-up request.
- Full current name exactly as in your passport, with passport number, date and place of issue
- Date and place of birth, and parents’ names as they appear on your records
- Every variation of the name, spelled exactly, each tied to the document that shows it (certificate, Aadhaar, PAN, bank, U.S. record)
- The reason for each variation: initials, transliteration, surname convention, clerical error, marriage
- A clear statement that all versions refer to one and the same person
- The purpose, such as passport reissue, OCI, or a USCIS filing
- Current address and the place and date of signing
- Verification clause (India) or the 28 U.S.C. 1746 penalty-of-perjury clause (U.S.)
- Copies of each document showing each variation, attached and referenced
Keep it to one or two pages. If a parent or older relative is giving the statement about your birth or name, the affidavit should also say how the person knows you and how they know the facts, because that personal knowledge is what gives it weight with USCIS.
Execute It Correctly in India or the U.S.
In India. Affidavits are printed on non-judicial stamp paper or on an e-stamp certificate, then signed before a Notary Public, an Executive Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate. The MEA has accepted passport affidavits attested by an Executive Magistrate as well as by a notary. The stamp duty value depends on your state’s stamp law, so ask the notary or check your state’s e-stamping service rather than guessing. Many notaries also ask for two witnesses.
In the U.S., for Indian authorities. A U.S. notary can notarize the affidavit, but whether an Indian office will accept it as-is, or wants it attested through the consulate’s VFS Global center, depends on the use. For anything going to an Indian passport office or consulate, check the VFS Global checklist for your jurisdiction before you sign.
In the U.S., for USCIS or a U.S. consulate. Federal law lets you use an unsworn declaration instead of a notarized affidavit. Under 28 U.S.C. 1746, a written statement “subscribed as true under penalty of perjury” and dated carries the same force. Inside the U.S. the clause reads: “I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.” A declarant signing outside the U.S. must add “under the laws of the United States of America.”
| Indian affidavit | U.S. declaration (28 U.S.C. 1746) | |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Non-judicial stamp paper or e-stamp | Plain paper |
| Signed before | Notary, Executive Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate | No notary needed |
| Key clause | Verification paragraph | “I declare under penalty of perjury…” |
| Best for | Passport office, consulate, Indian banks and courts | USCIS, NVC, U.S. consular filings |
| Cost | Stamp duty plus notary fee, set locally | $0 |
Indian-language documents filed with USCIS need a full English translation with the translator’s signed certification that it is complete and accurate. Translate the supporting certificates you attach, not just the affidavit.
File It With the Right Supporting Documents
An affidavit never travels alone. Attach a copy of every document it mentions, in the order it mentions them, and label each one. A reviewer should be able to read paragraph 3 of the affidavit and immediately find the school certificate it refers to.
For an Indian passport reissue, add the category-specific proof from the Step 1 table: newspaper clippings or gazette for a name change, the marriage certificate or Annexure J for a married name, and at least two public documents in the new name for splitting or reordering. For a USCIS filing, lead with the civil document and use the declaration to explain the gaps.
Our explainer on which documents prove your legal name covers what each agency treats as primary evidence.
Sample One and the Same Person Affidavit Formats
These three samples show structure for the three most common situations. Names, numbers and places are invented. Write your own facts in your own words, and have a lawyer or the receiving office confirm the format when the stakes are high.
[On non-judicial stamp paper / e-stamp certificate of appropriate value]
AFFIDAVIT
I, Ramesh Kumar Kondapalli, son of Kondapalli Venkata Rao, aged 34 years, residing at 12-4-118, Ramnagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500020, holder of Indian Passport No. X1234567 issued at Hyderabad on 14 March 2019, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under:
1. That my full name is RAMESH KUMAR KONDAPALLI, as recorded in my passport and Aadhaar card.
2. That in my Secondary School Certificate issued by the Board of Secondary Education, Andhra Pradesh, in 2006, my name is recorded as “K. RAMESH KUMAR,” where “K.” is the initial of my family name, Kondapalli.
3. That in my PAN card my name is recorded as “RAMESH KUMAR K.”
4. That the names RAMESH KUMAR KONDAPALLI, K. RAMESH KUMAR and RAMESH KUMAR K. refer to one and the same person, namely myself.
5. That this affidavit is made for submission to [authority] in support of [purpose].
VERIFICATION: Verified at Hyderabad on this [date] that the contents of the above affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and nothing material has been concealed therefrom.
DEPONENT [signature]
[Notary seal and registration number, witness names and signatures if required][On non-judicial stamp paper / e-stamp certificate of appropriate value]
AFFIDAVIT
I, Anjali Mehra, wife of Rohit Mehra, aged 31 years, residing at Flat 304, Shanti Apartments, Baner, Pune, Maharashtra 411045, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under:
1. That before my marriage my name was ANJALI DESHPANDE, and my educational certificates, bank account at [bank, branch] and PAN card are in that name.
2. That I married Rohit Mehra on 9 December 2022 at Pune, and the marriage was registered with the Marriage Registrar, Pune, under certificate no. [number], a copy of which is attached.
3. That after marriage I adopted the surname of my husband and am now known as ANJALI MEHRA.
4. That ANJALI DESHPANDE and ANJALI MEHRA are one and the same person, namely myself.
5. That this affidavit is made for updating my records with [bank / institution] and for no other purpose.
VERIFICATION: Verified at Pune on this [date] that the contents of this affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
[Note: for an Indian passport in the married name, the passport office wants the marriage certificate or the Annexure J joint declaration itself. This affidavit links the other records.]DECLARATION OF LAKSHMI SRINIVASAN
1. My name is Lakshmi Srinivasan. I was born on 2 June 1964 in Chennai, India, and I live at 45, 3rd Cross Street, Besant Nagar, Chennai 600090. I am the mother of Priya Srinivasan, born on 18 August 1992 at [hospital], Madras (now Chennai).
2. I have personal knowledge of the facts below because I gave birth to Priya and raised her in our home until 2014.
3. Priya’s birth was registered with the municipal corporation shortly after her birth, before we had chosen her name. The birth certificate therefore shows the child’s name as blank and records only the date, place, sex and parents’ names.
4. Her school records from [school] show her name as “S. PRIYA,” following the South Indian convention of placing the father’s name initial first. Her Indian passport shows “PRIYA SRINIVASAN.”
5. The child listed on birth certificate no. [number], “S. PRIYA” and “PRIYA SRINIVASAN” are one and the same person, my daughter.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on [date] at Chennai, India.
[Signature] Lakshmi Srinivasan
[Attach a copy of the declarant’s ID, the birth certificate, school record and passport bio page. A second declaration from another relative with personal knowledge strengthens the file.]These samples are illustrative. USCIS, U.S. consulates and Indian missions see identical template wording constantly, and copied phrasing can prompt extra questions about the whole file. Use your own facts, in your own words.
Common Mistakes That Get Affidavits Rejected
Adding a surname, reverting to a maiden name while married, or adopting a new name all count as a change of name under the MEA rules. Without the newspaper clippings or gazette notification and two public documents, the passport office will not process it.
An affidavit by the applicant about their own birth carries little weight. USCIS asks for statements from people who are not parties to the case and who have direct personal knowledge, and only after you explain why the civil and secondary records are unavailable.
If your affidavit lists three spellings and the reviewer finds a fourth on an attached document, the affidavit now raises a question instead of answering one. Pull every record before drafting.
Annexure letters on Passport Seva have been revised, and old embassy downloads still circulate. Always take the format from the official portal or your mission’s current page.
On a visa application, the name must match the passport exactly. Put other spellings in the “other names used” section rather than “fixing” the main name fields.
After You File: Keep Your Records Consistent
Once a passport is reissued in a corrected name, the passport number changes, so update every record that cites the old number. Our guide on the passport number change during Indian passport renewal explains what to update, and OCI holders should also read about the 3-month passport-update deadline for OCI cards.
If you will travel soon after a name change, carry the old passport, the new passport and the change document together. Our guide to traveling with a passport after a name change covers airline tickets and visas issued in the old name.
Keep a signed copy of every affidavit and declaration you file. Future applications, from a green card renewal to naturalization, will ask about “other names used,” and your answers need to match what you filed before.
