How to Change a Name on a SIN Card
All Canadian citizens are required to have a Social Insurance Number, or SIN, before they are allowed to work and access government programs. Like a Social Security Number in the United States, your SIN is printed on a card along with your name. If you ever need to change the name on your SIN card, you will need to apply for a new SIN card. This application can be done through the mail or at a Service Canada Centre. This process is free to all Canadian citizens.
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Instructions
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Obtain one "primary document" needed to change the name on your SIN card. These primary documents include a birth certificate, certificate of Canadian citizenship, work permit or permanent resident card. Check the links on this page for more examples of primary documents.
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Download and print out the SIN application form. Fill out the form with your name, date of birth, address and current SIN.
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Send your application along with the original primary document to the Social Insurance Registration Office. You will receive your amended card along with your primary document within 20 business days.
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If you do not wish to apply by mail, take your application and primary document to a Service Canada Centre. For a list of Service Canada Centres, visit the Service Canada website. You will receive your new SIN card with the name change 10 days after you apply in person.
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Tips & Warnings
New Brunswick citizens can apply for a name change by phone if they were born in New Brunswick after 1915 and have a birth certificate proving this.
There is a C$10 fee for replacing a lost card.
Do not send copies of primary documents.
