Update your personal details

View personal details

You can view your personal details:

• title 
• disability status (you should also request study support) 
• preferred name 
• legal name 
• legal sex 
• ethnicity
• student number 
• username 
• fee status. 

If relevant, you can also see your: 

• UCAS personal ID
• student loans company support number
• alternative exam arrangements 
• disabled students’ allowance
• term-time email address
• programme of study and UCard end date
• dual nationality
• previous surname.

Update personal details

You must update your personal details if they change. 

Change preferred name

You can update your preferred name in your student record. This does not mean you have formally changed your name. Your original name is still visible to staff, but they can see that you prefer to use a different name. 

To update your preferred name on the SU website, log into your account. Then select ‘My details’ and ‘My data is incorrect’.

Change legal name

If your legal name has changed, contact your faculty office.

You must include your: 

• student number
• date of birth
• first line of address
• postcode.

You must also provide one identity document that includes your legal name: 

• passport or national identity card
• driving licence
• birth certificate
• deed poll
• evidence of a title change, such as a PhD certificate
• statutory declaration
• marriage certificate
• divorce decree absolute
• police report.

Tell other organisations

If you receive a loan or fund, you should tell the funding provider. This includes the Student Loans Company.  

If your University and funding records are not the same, your access to funding could be impacted.

Student visa holders' names

If you have a student visa, you must also report your name change to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Your name on University records must match the one stored by UKVI. For support, contact student-visas@bristol.ac.uk.

To update your name on your passport or in your home country, follow your country’s process. Your Embassy or High Commission could help. 

Students employed by the University

If you have worked for the University, you need to change your preferred or legal name in your staff record too. This affects your name in Outlook and Office 365.

To change your name in the staff record, contact HR.

For legal name changes, you need to provide a document listed in the change your legal name section.

Change gender identity

You can tell us if your gender identity is different to your sex assigned at birth. We ask you a yes/no question when you register at the start of each academic year. You cannot describe your gender in your student record.

To update or remove this from your student record, email your Faculty Office.

Change legal sex

If your legal sex has changed, contact your faculty office. 

You must include either your: 

• passport  
• national identity card 
• birth certificate. 

The document should show your updated legal sex. 

You do not need to provide any medical records or a gender recognition certificate. 

We do not hold data on your gender identity as separate from legal sex. It is not possible to record this distinction in your student record. 

Student Visa holders' sex

If you have a student visa and your legal sex is changing, contact student-visa-advice@bristol.ac.uk. 

Get a new UCard

After you update your personal details, your UCard may be inaccurate. You should get a replacement UCard.  

You will not be charged if you get a new card because your personal details have changed.