Updating student details
Important information is kept on your student record, and it is essential that you keep it up to date.
On this page you will find information on:
Please keep your details up to date
It is your responsibility to ensure your personal details, such as your name and address, held on the UCL central record during your studies at UCL are correct.
Please keep details (phone number, addresses) for you and your trusted contact up to date at all times. We may need to get in contact in a variety of situations, so please check your details regularly.
Updating your name
Current students
If you wish to change or correct your preferred forename and title, you can do so yourself on Portico. There is currently no option to have a preferred surname.
If you need to change or correct your legal name on your student record, please notify us via askUCL. You will need to attach a copy of an official document:
- Passport
- UK driving licence
- Enrolled deed poll
- Unenrolled deed poll
- Marriage/civil partner certificate
- Marriage/civil partner certificate and decree absolute
- Court order (international students)
The document must be in English. For non-English documents, a translation of the document into English must be included from a certified translation service. Trans students may be able to apply for funds from the Students’ Union Gender Expression Fund for the cost of a document translation.
If you have changed your legal name, your passport must be updated to the new legal name if you wish to travel internationally, but there is no requirement to do so beforehand. Information about this can be found from the UK Deed Poll Office.
Once you have changed either your legal name or your preferred forename this will automatically update most UCL systems. However, there is currently no preferred forename field on either askUCL or RegisterUCL, and so your legal forename will continue to be shown on these systems. We recommend that you also notify your department about any name changes, as they may not automatically update on all departmental systems.
Student visa holders
Students who are visa holders are required to report a legal name change to the UKVI. Please contact our Immigration Advice team so that they can advise you on the implications of any changes. You should upload any new passport / visa documents to Portico using the ‘Visa Document’ upload container.
Student visa holders living in the UK can obtain a deed poll and use it to update records held by UK institutions (including UCL and the UKVI). To update records held in your country of origin, such as passports, you must follow your own country’s procedures. Your Embassy or High Commission may be able to provide advice on this.
Report a change of circumstance if you have a visa
Students who are also staff
Please follow the procedures outlined above to change your legal or preferred names on the student records systems.
You will also need to update the UCL HR systems with your new name.
To update your preferred name, use the My details section of InsideUCL.
If you have changed your legal name, please raise a ticket on MyServices attaching a copy of one of the official documents listed above. This copy should be signed by your line manager or someone else in your department. Please note that your legal name on the HR system must match the name on your bank account, otherwise payments will not go through.
If your employment contract is via Unitemps, you can change your preferred name in the My Profile section of their website. For a legal name change, you should contact your branch and will need to send them evidence of your new name.
ID cards
You can collect a new ID card free of charge following a legal or preferred name change and can also request that a new photo is taken for the card.
To collect a new card, simply make an appointment online and collect your card from the Andrew Huxley building for Bloomsbury campus. For the UCL East campus, ID cards are issued from reception at the Marshgate building seven days a week - no appointment is needed.
Students’ Union
If you have changed your legal or preferred name at UCL, this will be exported to the central Students’ Union system automatically. However, you can change your name at any time on their system without any evidence by following the guide on changing your name on the Union website.
If you are a member of a club or society, you should also notify the relevant Secretary of your name change. The gym membership system is not connected to any UCL or Students’ Unions systems. You will need to speak to the front desk at the gym to update your legal or preferred name. No evidence is required, though it is best for you to bring your new UCL ID card with you.
Trans students
Please see our Guidance for students transitioning gender.
Former students
UCL Student and Registry cannot make changes to your name on your record once your degree award is conferred or your enrolment is permanently closed for another reason (eg a Withdrawal of Study). The name on your record can only be changed in the following circumstances:
- An error has been made by UCL
- You have undergone gender reassignment
- You have experienced or are fleeing abuse or violence
If any of these apply, please refer to our Award Certificate guidance.
Updating your postal addresses
Current Students
It is a legal requirement that you provide us with current contact details for the duration of your programme of study.
You must keep your home, term-time and contact address up to date at all times. You can check that this information is up to date and amend it if necessary via Portico.
If you are having difficulties accessing Portico, please contact Information Services (ISD).
Former students
If you need to update your home address for the delivery of your degree certificate and can no longer access Portico, please contact UCL Student Records.
Updating your email address
Current Students
When you register with Information Systems Division (ISD) you will be issued with a UCL email address. This will usually take the form of firstname.surname@ucl.ac.uk (most students will also have their year of enrolment in their address). The firstname will usually be your legal first name or your preferred first name if you registered one during enrolment. If you subsequently change either your legal name or your preferred name and wish to also change your email address, you should contact ISD by raising a ticket on MyServices to request this.
Find out more about UCL email accounts
Former students
Correcting your date of birth, ethnicity or nationality
If your date of birth, ethnicity or nationality is incorrect on our records, please notify us via askUCL. You will need to attach a copy of an official document which confirms this (e.g. your passport) to your request.
Updating your trusted contact
A trusted contact is like your next of kin. They are the person we would contact if there was a serious concern about your welfare. Examples of this could be:
- Reports that you are missing
- Serious physical illness or injury
- Your mental health is deteriorating, or you are experiencing a mental health crisis
- Admittance to hospital
- Reports of risky and unwanted behaviours that can cause serious harm
- That you are not engaging with your course or with professional support
You can update your trusted contact in Portico.
Contact us via askUCL
askUCL is a 24/7 self-help hub giving current UCL students and recent graduates access to information and support services in one place.
Access askUCL
