Education Identification

You will require legal documentation of your name change provided to the school who can then update the Ministry of Education. This will mean that your new legal name will be on any official NCEA certificates that you might achieve, and any official Ministry of Education or NZQA media such as login portals. 

However, your school should also have an option to have a “preferred name” if you are unable or do not want to change your legal name yet. Your school will have to notify NZQA of the “preferred name” so this can be added to your record, but any NCEA certificates will be in your current legal name, not your preferred name. 

It is important to note that your NSN number will remain unchanged, but the name will change.

The history of name changes is heavily restricted, so not any employee of NZQA or the Ministry of Education who may access your records will see that your name has changed. However your previous name will remain on record. 

You can also contact NZQA or the Ministry of Education yourself and request that your name be updated, either as a legal name change or a preferred name. They will ask you to provide documentation if you are requesting that your legal name be updated.

You will require legal documentation of your name change provided to your tertiary education provider who can then update the Ministry of Education.

However your tertiary education provider may have an option for an ‘alternative name’  which is then updated with the Ministry of Education and NZQA.

However you can also contact NZQA or the Ministry of Education directly and ask that they update your ‘alternative name’ which does not require documentation, and will show on all official media except official documentation. If you ask them directly to change your legal name, which will change your name on official documentation, they will ask for supporting documentation of a legal change.

You can contact the Ministry of Education directly. They will ask for documentation that proves your name has been changed, then you will be able to re-order any certificates in your new name. 

It is important to note that your gender will not be displayed anywhere, on educational certificates or on any official media from NZQA, and this information is restricted.

However, if you would like to have this changed, their system currently only offers M or F, but does not offer X currently, though hopefully this will change in future. 

You will need to contact NZQA or the Ministry of Education directly  and request that your gender marker be changed and provide evidence that this has been legally changed.

At AUT, you can provide supporting evidence that your legal name has been changed, and they will replace your Student ID for free.

If you haven’t done a legal name change, you can make an affidavit stating what your preferred name is (attached to a certified copy of ID with your old name), and they will also update your student ID for free.

At Waikato University there does not seem to be a process for using your preferred name on any official documentation. You will need to present supporting documentation of your legal name change and then you will be able to have a new Student ID issued in that name.

You can contact one of the Rainbow Advisors who will help you through the process. You do not need to have changed your name legally to have a new Student ID issued in your preferred name.

You can speak to a Student Advisor or the Diversity and Inclusion Advisor about updating your details. You will be charged $20 for a new student ID. 

At Massey, you are able to have a preferred name listed everywhere, but you will not be able to have it on official documentation unless you provide supporting evidence.

At University of Auckland, you can request a new student ID in your preferred name, even if your legal name hasn’t changed, and they will replace it for free (although if you haven’t changed your legal name, they will still print your legal name on the back). 

It is important to note that if you are a student at the University of Auckland, you can request funding for a legal name change.