Eb90

Hiya!
So this sounds pretty straight forward, and from the information I can find on the .GOV website it seems pretty simple, however I recently got married to a British Citizen (in the U.K.) and I'm wanting to change my last name legally on my passport.
My visa expires in August this year, I've got 5 years left on my passport. My question is, if I send off for a new passport with my new married name, do I need to change the details of my UK Ancestry Visa and have these transferred to the new passport before applying for ILR? Or can I just apply and get my new details put into my new passport on a new visa?

Sorry, I hope this makes sense! Thanks in advance.

BritInParis

Which nationality do you currently hold?

Eb90

Sorry, I'm an Australian citizen.

BritInParis

If you were born in Australia but married outside Australia you will first need to apply to have your change of name registered with the births, deaths and marriages registry in the state or territory in which you were born. Once you have your revised birth certificate or change of name certificate you can then change the name on your passport for free. Your new passport will have the same expiry date as your current one.

If you wish to change your passport now then your old passport with your visa in will be returned to you. If your application for ILR is successful you'll be given a separate Biometric Resident Permit, which resembles a driving licence, so you won't need to have a new vignette placed in your passport. For the time being, if you leave the UK, then you should carry both passports with you.

Once you are granted ILR, as you are married to a British citizen, you can apply to naturalise immediately. This would be worth considering as the fee is likely to continue to rise significantly every April for the foreseeable future.

Eb90

Thank you! That makes much more sense.