How to change Religion in India? Religion Change Gazette

How to Change Religion in India? Practicing religion of your choice is allowed in India, as per the constitutional rights. In fact, the Article 15 of the Indian Constitution allows every Indian to adopt a new religion and forsake their existing one.

India is a country with multiple religions are practiced in different regions and conversion is based on one’s self-belief.

How to change Religion in India?

Being a general right in India, religion conversion is all about renouncing your original conviction and practicing another way or worship. As India is a democratic country, practicing the religion of your choice cannot be questioned legally.

If anyone wants to change their existing religion, they can do so by giving notification in public through gazette. The reason is that change of religion requires you to go through a legal process, necessitating Gazette of India notification.

Religion Change Gazette

To change your religion in India, you will have to undergo a legal process that requires notification through gazette. The purpose of doing so is to maintain transparency and validity of the transformations.

How to legally change your religion in India?

This entire process initiates with filing affidavit, notice in newspaper, and official publication in Gazette of India. By going through the legal process, you will be able to change your new identity in other important documents.

Documents Required for Religion Change Gazette Notification

In fact, gazette notification requires preparing certain documents for the purpose of verifying your details. Since you will be transitioning from the old religion to a new one, there is a need to prepare a file with proper documentation. Let us understand about the required paperwork that needs to be prepared.

2 Photo IDs bearing details of old religion and name
Religion conversion certificate from religious institute
Photocopies of the Aadhar Card or PAN Card of 2 witnesses
2 Passport size photographs against white background
Documents and photocopies attested by the First Magistrate
Advertisement of religion change in a local newspaper

Religion Change Process to Undergo:

Firstly, you are required to prepare two Identity proofs bearing your old name and religion. These could be any two from Aadhar, PAN Card, Voter Card, Driving License, Passport, Marksheet, Ration Card, or even Birth Certificate.

Secondly, a Conversion Certificate is required to be obtained from the religious institute. It is the same place where your religion conversion ceremony would take place, which could be an Arya Samaj temple, a Mosque, or a Church.

Depending on the new religion you opt to practice, you will have to take an approval certificate of religion change after the necessary ceremony, which will act as a proof that you no longer practice your old religion.

Religion conversion affidavit format

I, YOUR NAME S/o FATHER NAME, R/o H. No. 1065, 02^nd Floor, Sector 51, City name, South City-2, PO: Gurgaon South City 2, Dist: Gurgaon, Haryana-PIN Code, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under:

That I am the citizen of India.

That I have attained the age of majority, my date of birth is 01/10/1992.

That I am MUSLIM as by birth.

That I love and believe in HINDUISM by my heart feelings.

That I want to convert my religion from ISLAM to HINDUISM with my own will choice and without any force or pressure from outside.

That, Now I have converted my religion and become HINDU.

That I have embraced HINDUISM and renounced ISLAM with effect from 05.12.2023.

That I have changed my name from OLD NAME to NEW NAME for all purposes.

That in future I shall be known as NEW NAME.

That is my true and correct statement.

DEPONENT

VERIFICATION:

Verified at ___________ on this ___________2026 that the contents of above affidavit are true to my knowledge and nothing has been concealed thereof.

DEPONENT

Religion Conversion to Hinduism

How to change religion muslim to hindu?

If you wish to convert from another religion to Hinduism, the ceremonial practice is done in an Arya Samaj Mandir. You will have to undergo a purification process called Shuddhi Karann.
The conversion is typically facilitated through an Arya Samaj temple. After this, the temple authorities or trust, will issue religion conversion certificate.

Religion Change from Hindu to Islam

In the wake of converting to Islam, you will have to visit a local mosque or any nearby Islamic Centre. There, it is necessary for you to recite Shahada, which indicates you declaring your old faith and accepting Islam.
This ritual is done in front of a Maulvi and a couple of witnesses. After completing the process, they will hand over a Shada Certificate that recognizes change of religion.

Religion Conversion to Christianity

For the people willing to embrace Christianity, they have to undergo a baptism ceremony at a recognized church. Thereafter, the parish priest or church’s authority tends to register the conversion and issues a Baptism Certificate.
This certificate authenticates that you have annulled your old religion and accepted Christianity.

After receiving the religious institute for conversion, you will have to arrange two witnesses, who guarantees your change of religion. It is necessary for them to present two self-attested copies of their photo IDs.

These identity proofs may include their voter ID, Aadhar Card, or PAN Card, which has to be presented as a part of Gazette Notification.

Once you’re having Conversion certificate of Religion change just follow the below given steps to get your work complete and get Religion change Gazette published by Govt. of India;

Along with the religion conversion application, conversion certificate, and witness IDs, you have to give two latest passport size photographs. Make sure that the photographs are clicked against a white background.
Approaching 1st Class Magistrate is the other step after getting the copies of the witness’s photo IDs. The First-Class magistrate is the highest authority that attests your documents and application related to Religion Change, before submitting at the Gazette Notification of India.
When the First-Class magistrate approves your application and documents, it is important to give an advertisement in the local newspaper. You have to ensure that the newspaper bearing your religion change details should have circulation in your district. The purpose of doing so is to ensure that people should be aware of your new religion, and no legal problems may occur.
In fact, the further step requires you to prepare a gazette file that carries all the necessary documents, along with the original copy of the newspaper page bearing the advertisement. This file will be submitted at the Department of Publication, Government of India.
You have to pay a government fee of 1700 with an additional 1100. The reason for paying INR 2800 is that there will be 2 Gazette notification, one is for changing your religion and the other one for name change. If you just change your religion and not the name, then the applicant has to pay the fee of INR 1950.
Finally, the gazette file, bearing all the necessary documents, is submitted at the Publication department. Followed by the submission, it takes about 60 business days for the gazette to be published.

After the gazette is published and you receive the original copy, it can work as a proof of your new religion. By using this document, you can change the name in other public identity proofs such as Aadhar Card, PAN Cards, Voter ID Card, and even Passport.