Ok I'm about to change my name. (As soon as the paperwork is sent here. *shakes fist at Australia Post*)

I know I am unable to get that wonderful 'F' on the birth certificate until surgery. Medicare all I need is my doctor's letter same with a passport. So what else can we change and do you need a letter or is it something you can do over the counter.

I'm talking bank cards, drivers licenses, ATO, photo cards

I know drivers licence is a letter from a psych
That's all I know though

So this is how I did it, in this order...

• Birth certificate - face to face with Births, Death Marriages (could've done it by post but quicker).
• Drivers licence - only needed my old licence and the new birth certificate, face-to-face
• Bank - needed birth cert and new drivers licence (you need some form of photo ID), face-to-face
• Medicare - birth cert and old Medicare card, plus name change form and photo ID, face-to-face
• Private Health Insurance - birth certificate, face-to-face
• Tax File Number - birth cert and photo ID plus form, face-to-face but could have done it by mail
• Australian Electoral Office - online (easiest by far, although they rang to confirm)
• Super fund - sent JP certified copy of birth certificate and form

Anything you do by mail will need a JP certified copy of your change of name birth certificate.

JP easiest way to find one is to go down to your nearest police station. (Just ask at the counter that you need a JP to sign as it's one of the senior officer's duties)

Drivers license how would that work? Wouldn't you receive correspondence as Mr Grace surname, not Ms Grace surname. Birthss Deaths & Marriages informed me that I'm not entitled to gender titles until after the operation

You need a letter from your therapist that you are affirmed female and Medicare, driving licence etc are just changed upon application. Birth certificate varies from state to state, but if married it is forced divorce. WeI have a bill before NSW, SA, Tasmania to have this thrown out. In NSW if you have problems Andrew Greenwhich will help you.

The driving licence, passport etc are enshrined in Federal Law, ATO need to give a new Tax File number. But again it is Fed Law. Many start with the legal name change then driving licence or passport as they are legal proof of gender identity. You can find all the documents by Googling them, if you have a problem I can guide you or the gender centre will help.

More information on documents:

https://www.susans.org/wiki/Category:Documentation_changes

Gypsy, I have no problem with titles, everything is Ms including licence, bank account, etc. Didn't need a letter. I guess a lot of it depends on who you get on the day.

Cindy, don't know about you, but my Tax File Number stayed the same.

Quote from: Ms Grace on January 25, 2015, 02:30:45 PM
Gypsy, I have no problem with titles, everything is Ms including licence, bank account, etc. Didn't need a letter. I guess a lot of it depends on who you get on the day.

Cindy, don't know about you, but my Tax File Number stayed the same.

I found quite a few places, Medicare included, changed the gender when I changed my name - it wasn't something I asked for, it was something offered. CommBank were a small issue, but that's been sorted.. TFN hasn't changed, just the details associated with it - from my days working at the ATO, new TFN's for existing holders were almost unheard of..

My birth cert still has an M on it.. And I have no interest making any moves to change it until Australia has marriage equality..

I think I can get most things changed, once the certificate arrives in the next 1-8 weeks (very open-minded of them!)

UK birth certificate and passport - that's another battle all by itself.

Quote from: Cindy on January 25, 2015, 06:36:39 AM
You need a letter from your therapist that you are affirmed female and Medicare, driving licence etc are just changed upon application. Birth certificate varies from state to state, but if married it is forced divorce. WeI have a bill before NSW, SA, Tasmania to have this thrown out. In NSW if you have problems Andrew Greenwhich will help you.

The driving licence, passport etc are enshrined in Federal Law, ATO need to give a new Tax File number. But again it is Fed Law. Many start with the legal name change then driving licence or passport as they are legal proof of gender identity. You can find all the documents by Googling them, if you have a problem I can guide you or the gender centre will help.

Wow! I've never heard of that happening here. That was what my wife keeps saying will happen when I change my documents to F but I keep telling her not only is same sex marriage legal in our state (NJ) but you don't automatically get divorced because of a gender marker change.

Yes, currently no same sex marriage anywhere in Australia despite some valiant efforts to change that. Maybe one day soon...