Passport Name Change

[andy222]

Ok guys I need a answer please. My wifes passport expires 2016. Assuming she can come here to live would you advise her to change the name in her passport to her married name? Thanks

[hawk]

theres nothing to say she has to change name on passport it can be done at a latter time unless she needs it for id my ex uk wife never changed her,s we were married 10 yr so it would be up to you it only says you need reg it with phil embassy if you want to change when she in uk

[Arthur Little]

Ok guys I need a answer please. My wifes passport expires 2016. Assuming she can come here to live would you advise her to change the name in her passport to her married name? Thanks

Well, Andy ... :anerikke: it's entirely up to your wife and how SHE herself, feels about it. It still has more than 4 years' validity left on it ... and t'would seem to me to be an unnecessary additional expense :rolleyes: - at a time when you're already shelling out a [not so] small fortune for her Spousal Visa - especially when any such alteration definitely ISN'T a prerequisite! :nono-1-1: My own wife's passport, for instance, is still in HER maiden surname - and she has ILR.

[gWaPito]

That was the first thing my wife did, Changing her name in her passport.

We were about to start the form filling for spouse visa so, rather than delay the inevitable (unless your wife's got other plans up her sleeve for a later date) she thought just as well get it done.

It also shows commitment which could help if her visa application was border line.

Strangely hawk mentioned his ex wife never changed her surname...neither did mine....strange that:rolleyes:

Btw...I also registered our marriage in the UK...its not a requirement, it just adds fuel for your wife's application.

It cost around 45 quid, that was 2 years ago last June..

That will be especially helpful when applying for her ILR.

[andy222]

Thanks lads. That was what i was thinking it would give us a better chance of getting a visa as it shows commitment. I just dont know what this government is going to throw at us. And if she wants Ni number or wants to work here she would have to have the correct ID.

[Arthur Little]

That will be helpful when applying for her ILR.

:NoNo: ... not NECESSARILY ... like I already, said: "My wife didn't change hers" - why on earth WOULD she? She'd just got her [1st and only] passport about 3 months before our wedding at the end of 2008 - it was valid for five years (until September 2013) - and she'd no problems in getting ILR.

[gWaPito]

Although its additional expense, you will be saving money doing it there rather than here.

Jane took the required documents, had an 30min interview ( the time it took me to consume a big mac meal, while waiting ) then collected new passport the following day.

The cost was minimal otherwise I would of remembered :)

[andy222]

How long ago was that Arthur? Cheers mate.

[andy222]

Although its additional expense, you will be saving money doing it there rather than here.

Jane took the required documents, had an 30min interview ( the time it took me to consume a big mac meal, while waiting ) then collected new passport the following day.

The cost was minimal otherwise I would of remembered :)

How long did it take to change the name on the passport mate?

[gWaPito]

:NoNo: ... not NECESSARILY ... like I already, said: "My wife didn't change hers" - why on earth WOULD she? She'd just got her [1st and only] passport about 3 months before our wedding at the end of 2008 - it was valid for five years (until September 2013) - and she'd no problems in getting ILR.

Im not a skin flint Arthur.

Jane wanted her new surname in her passport. Unlike like in the uk, passports there are cheap so, why not.

And im only echoing what the PEO officer said to us....' The more documentation, the easier it makes our job'....not from simple truck driver like me but, from the horses mouth.

We are all different Arthur...end of the day, both our ways worked :):xxgrinning--00xx3:

[gWaPito]

How long did it take to change the name on the passport mate?

As soon as jane got her marriage certificate she then had registered it at NSO which consumed the whole day.

Like I said, the passport change process was like this...visit passport office to make an appointment for name change...jane managed to get appointment for the following day.

That appointment lasted 30min...she needed new picture, marriage certificate and nso certificate.

Then collected new passport the following day....very quick ...unlike in uk.

[andy222]

Cheers mate very quick. I will have some of that. She hopes to get the marriage certificate next week so I will pass the info on. Cheers mate. I was thinking 8 to 10 weeks.

[Arthur Little]

Mind you, as it happens ... we'd just finished lunch today - when Myrna suddenly announced that she's particularly keen to finally see her MARRIED surname on the Certificate one receives on attaining British Citizenship . She's eligible to apply early next year ... which means we'll need to look into how that's done very shortly. :D

Once it's all "done and dusted", so to speak ... the [hopefully] last steps on the long and tortuous Immigration "Trail" :rolleyes: will be for her to apply immediately for a British Passport - rather than wait until 2013 - and also seek Dual Citizenship.

Loads to think about ...!!! :doh

[Arthur Little]

How long ago was that Arthur? Cheers mate.

:D ... guess our respective posts overlapped, Andy ... :anerikke: ... never mind.

How long ago? Well ... here was OUR train of events:

Application for Myrna's 1st - and current - passport ... mid-September 2008

Date of Marriage ... 8 December 2008

Application for Spousal Visa lodged ... 20 January 2009

Date Spousal Visa Approved ... 23 February 2009

*N.B. Back then, the average waiting time was calculated by VFS as being 3 months for 'Settlement Categories'. :) But these were the "bad old days". Things have moved on dramatically since. Nowadays processing is normally carried out within 2/3 weeks at most - unless there are unforeseen problems.

Good luck with yours. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[andy222]

Long and torturous immigration trail? You can say that again Arthur.:omg::omg::omg:

[gWaPito]

Thanks lads. That was what i was thinking it would give us a better chance of getting a visa as it shows commitment. I just dont know what this government is going to throw at us. And if she wants Ni number or wants to work here she would have to have the correct ID.

You're right about the National Insurance number....when she found a job here she had to show both passport and her NI Card...both needed to tally.....the employer at the time had recently got burnt by employing people who shouldn't be here...different surnames would of mean't no job. It would of been too much bother to check...jane had a queue of Poles behind her going for the same number.

This is not the case everywhere here. :)

[lastlid]

We left it in her maiden name. Many on here advised to do that. To avoid :censored: ups in Phils. We will replace her passport here in UK.

We just carry copies of her MC and use when necessary. Done this with bank account and lease agreement and GP. Works well. And dont have to deal with DFA in Phils.

[andy222]

Ok mate thanks.

[lastlid]

Also, in the interest of getting my wife to the UK asap we felt it was quicker to not change her passport in Phils, but obviously in your case Andy, you have some time available so that wont matter so much.

Looking back, I (we) had developed a paranoia about a lot of the processes required to get my good wife to the UK and so we took what appeared to be the easy route by skipping out a visit to the DFA. As in get the Mrs over here and worry about the passport later. I had come across some folk who had problems when they submitted their passport to the DFA for a name change and so we went for the alternative approach. In truth, it may be just as potentially tricky (or easy) either way.

If you do opt to go for not renewing the passport in Phils, once over here, in our case my wife takes my surname with her maiden name as her second name (if you see what I mean), which seems to work really well when she presents her passport and MC as ID here, as those that need to know can see both my surname and her maiden name together.

[johncar54]

As I have said many times there is NO LAW in UK that a woman must change her name on marriage. In fact, there NO LAW, which says, she CAN or even should. It is merely convention / practice and smacks of the idea that a wife belongs to her husband!

There is no reason why a woman upon marriage should not keep her name and have everything issued in that name.

If I were a woman, I would not change my name, on marriage

My wife wanted to change her name but we compromised so now she had a hyphenated surname, her maiden name and my surname.

All we did was go to the Philippine in Madrid and they made a manuscript alteration. I cannot remember the cost but it was insignificant. She has since renewed her passport in Manila using the hyphenated surname.

I also repeat, that anyone can change their name in the UK under Common Law just by saying they are doing so. Deed Pole is often mistaken, people believing that it empowers one to make the change. That is not so. It is just a registration that one HAS CHANGED their name.

This means that a man can easily change his name to that of his wife if he chooses to do so.

In talking about changing one's name. Just for the record I did it in UK about 25 years ago, my passport, NI number, bank accounts, credit cards, D/L everything (except birth cert which cannot be changed) No problems.

[philuk]

when we got married in the phils, the wife had her passport altered to show her new married name instead of renewing her passport,

caused a few problems here in the UK mainly at the banks,One instance was with TSB, trying to include her on my account to make it a joint account, they could not understand why her middle name had dissapeared and been replaced by her surname, they had to contact the phil embassy in london to verify that it was the normal thing to do.
the other instance was at HSBC, although they opened an account here in the UK for her they would not open an account for in the phils as her signature was different to the one in her passport, "of course it was different her name had changed,
They wanted her to go to london to with a piece of paper and sign it in front of a consular and to get them to countersign it, what a ball ache,
Your choice but my advice would be to replace the passport to save any confusion in the future

[Arthur Little]

Im not a skin flint Arthur.

Neither am I :rolleyes: ... EXCEPT, perhaps, where I'm being asked to fork out money for things that AREN'T required!

[Arthur Little]

Your choice ...

... PRECISELY ... :rolleyes:


... to save any confusion in the future

:rolleyes: ... but it NEEDN'T be confusing :nono-1-1: ... there's NO "right or wrong" way in this context ...:anerikke: ... so we can ALL agree to differ! :doh

[Arthur Little]

from the horses mouth ...

... :icon_lol: ... rather than [straight] from the "horse's" > :butthead: ...> :kngt: ? <--- "pass a doble" along with the passport, eh!

[andy222]

Thanks for the comments guys much appreciated as always.:xxgrinning--00xx3:.

[lykayu01]

I guess its just a matter of choice if u want to change surname to married name or not... If your in a hurry on processing documents it maybe not ok to change it into married name, but if not in a hurry you can do it... Well i changed my passport into my husbands surname even if my old passport is still valid until aug of 2014 ..Now just waiting for it to be released sometime between dec13-18 now... ;) goodluck to your choice ;):Hellooo::Hellooo::Hellooo:

[philuk]

... PRECISELY ... :rolleyes:



:rolleyes: ... but it NEEDN'T be confusing :nono-1-1: ... there's NO "right or wrong" way in this context ...:anerikke: ... so we can ALL agree to differ! :doh

I agree there should be "no" confusion, but a lot of times there is but only by those that should know but do not,
IE, them not knowing the tradition of the wife loosing her middle name and using her surname as her middle name, perfectly natural in the phils, but at TSB here in Shrewsbury the guy just could not get his head round it,

Why take the chance for the sake of a couple of Peso you can remove any chance of misunderstanding.

[andy222]

Its just like a double barrel name to me. Maybe Im wrong. By the way nice place shrewsbury spent some great times round that area. :xxgrinning--00xx3:.

[philuk]

thanks andy, we got some great countryside here, and lots of history,

[andy222]

No problem mate your very fortunate to live in such a nice area. Like I said I have been to shrewsbury on a number of occasions and the surrounding areas. Lovley part of england. :xxgrinning--00xx3:. I know its a few miles away from the town but I used to spend a lot of time fishing up there. And in shrewsbury itself. I could name the places but it would take ages. Good luck mate and thanks for the imput.:xxgrinning--00xx3:.

[lastlid]

Its just like a double barrel name to me. :xxgrinning--00xx3:.


Yep. Thats what I thought.....

[andy222]

Also, in the interest of getting my wife to the UK asap we felt it was quicker to not change her passport in Phils, but obviously in your case Andy, you have some time available so that wont matter so much.

Looking back, I (we) had developed a paranoia about a lot of the processes required to get my good wife to the UK and so we took what appeared to be the easy route by skipping out a visit to the DFA. As in get the Mrs over here and worry about the passport later. I had come across some folk who had problems when they submitted their passport to the DFA for a name change and so we went for the alternative approach. In truth, it may be just as potentially tricky (or easy) either way.

If you do opt to go for not renewing the passport in Phils, once over here, in our case my wife takes my surname with her maiden name as her second name (if you see what I mean), which seems to work really well when she presents her passport and MC as ID here, as those that need to know can see both my surname and her maiden name together.


Ah I see what you mean lastlid. What a game!. Shes worth it though, :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[gWaPito]

As I have said many times there is NO LAW in UK that a woman must change her name on marriage. In fact, there NO LAW, which says, she CAN or even should. It is merely convention / practice and smacks of the idea that a wife belongs to her husband!

There is no reason why a woman upon marriage should not keep her name and have everything issued in that name.

If I were a woman, I would not change my name, on marriage

My wife wanted to change her name but we compromised so now she had a hyphenated surname, her maiden name and my surname.

All we did was go to the Philippine in Madrid and they made a manuscript alteration. I cannot remember the cost but it was insignificant. She has since renewed her passport in Manila using the hyphenated surname.

I also repeat, that anyone can change their name in the UK under Common Law just by saying they are doing so. Deed Pole is often mistaken, people believing that it empowers one to make the change. That is not so. It is just a registration that one HAS CHANGED their name.

This means that a man can easily change his name to that of his wife if he chooses to do so.

In talking about changing one's name. Just for the record I did it in UK about 25 years ago, my passport, NI number, bank accounts, credit cards, D/L everything (except birth cert which cannot be changed) No problems.
Call me old fashioned but, if my fiancee told me she didn't want my to use my surname id have deep reservations about marrying her.

what on earth would you call the children..double barrel I guess...I wonder who wil decide who name will go last...at a guess the woman will make that choice :NoNo:

Welcome to liberalised Britain at its best:NoNo:

[johncar54]

Call me old fashioned but, if my fiancee told me she didn't want my to use my surname id have deep reservations about marrying her.

what on earth would you call the children..double barrel I guess...I wonder who wil decide who name will go last...at a guess the woman will make that choice :NoNo:

Welcome to liberalised Britain at its best:NoNo:

In Spain no one changes their name on marriage, the men don't seem to feel any less confident in their 'manliness.' Children take the first surname of both parents.

If I expected my intended to subjugate herself to 'prove her love' I would hope she would see the writing on the wall and go and find a real man, instead of one who wanted to 'own' her !

[gWaPito]

In Spain no one changes their name on marriage, the men don't seem to feel any less confident in their 'manliness.' Children take the first surname of both parents.

If I expected my intended to subjugate herself to 'prove her love' I would hope she would see the writing on the wall and go and find a real man, instead of one who wanted to 'own' her !

What's this 'manliness' and 'confidence' stuff about?:cwm3:...you lost me there John.

What I was meaning was, taking the husbands surname is traditional in most countries....even in The Philippines.....in my case, nothing to do with ego :xxgrinning--00xx3:

My wife was so proud changing her name in her passport to ie; Christian name, father's name and my surname. I was equally proud to have my name attached to my wife's previous surname....everybody happy :)

[johncar54]

What's this 'manliness' and 'confidence' stuff about?:cwm3:...you lost me there John.



I was referring to your comment "Call me old fashioned but, if my fiancee told me she didn't want my to use my surname id have deep reservations about marrying her."

That seemed to imply insecurity to me.

[gWaPito]

I was referring to your comment "Call me old fashioned but, if my fiancee told me she didn't want my to use my surname id have deep reservations about marrying her."

That seemed to imply insecurity to me.

Family and friends who know me personally, would beg to differ.

I, like most are traditionalists, whether we like it or not.

Certainly nothing to do with insecurity...I apologise for the unintentional implication. :xxgrinning--00xx3: