steve99

Has anyone changed their name on there UK passport since settling in Oz?

We are going back to the UK in March and my wifes UK passport is still in her maiden name, I havent dug the passport out yet but im pretty sure it is valid until early 2010.
I've looked on the website below and its not clear on whether by changing the name on the passport whether they will issue a new 10year passport in the new name or just change the name on the old one and send it back with just over a year left before we'd have to pay out again to get a new one.

There's no email contact details on the website and they want $2.50min to speak to someone...

Anyone any advice?

http://ukinaustralia.fco.gov.uk/en/p...-name-existing

moneypenny20

If she goes by her married name and you are booking the tickets in her married name I believe she will need a passport in that name. If you book the tickets using her maiden name she can travel with the old passport.

However much time is left on the old passport, when amending the name the old one is cancelled and a new 10 year one issued but they would also add a maximum of 9 months (memory bit hazy) to include some of what's left on the old one. That's what happened with mine but that was a few years ago now.

These may help. http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-amending.asp
http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-renewing-when.asp
http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-amending-name.asp

So it looks like it's not changed.

ABCDiamond

Does she actually need to change the name ?

I feel that she could still use that passport, although I am not 100% sure.

You could try writing to them at:

Locked Bag 5011
Passport Section
Piccadilly House
39 Brindabella Circuit
Canberra Airport
ACT 2609

JAJ

It is not compulsory for women to change name on marriage.

moneypenny20

But judging by Steve's OP his wife has so it's kind of irrelevant in this situation.

JAJ

Unless she decides to change it back.

I see no reason why she couldn't maintain her passport in her maiden name, as long as she was willing for her other civil documentation to remain that way, even if she wished to use her married name socially.

hereshoping

They will issue a new passport for 10 years. Plus you get an extra month for eavery year of validity still left on your old passport.

She can also travel with tickets in her maried name and passport in maiden name- but you will need to bring the marriage certificate with you to explain the discrepancy and some airlines are fussy so you need to check with the individual airline if it is ok and get their answer in writing to show the check-in lady.

I got married fairly recently so I'm pretty confident of this info.

steve99

Thanks everyone, i think in your own way you've all answered my question.

The tickets are already booked in her new name and she also holds an Australian passport which is in the new name.

So the plan was leave Perth on our Australian passports, enter Munich and then London on our UK passports depart london on UK ones and re-enter Perth on Australian ones.

I guess she could not renew the uk one and just travel on the Aus one but we figured it would be easier and probably quicker to both be using the same nationality passport at each location.

So based on what i've read we'll renew her UK one here in Aus and even though it has about 12months left on it they will still issue a new one with at least 10years valididty.

Thanks again.

Pollyana

Most people with both seem to travel through AUs Immigration with the Aussie one, then the UK with the UK one. Doesn't really matter which one you use in the UK though, using different ones each end won't slow you up.
I had 18 months left one my UK passport when I applied for the change of name (while in Aus) - I was given a new one with 10 years on it.

steve99

Thanks, I guess I was just trying to avoid one of us heading down one queue and the other another one and the risk in something going wrong for one of us without the other being there.

got 3mths so we'll go down the renewal front as planned I think.

Cheers

Katherined0

when I changed my name on my passport in 2002 I got reissued with a passport with just the remaining time on the old one. Not sure whether the rules have changed since.

IvanM

My wife got back a passport with the same expiry date as the old one. That was in 2003.