nikkikl

Hoping I've posted this in the right place but I am very confused!

Three years after getting married and one baby later, I got around to applying to change my name in my passport to my married name. I figured that may cause less confusion when I apply for my new baby's UK passport (possibly a mistake) SO.. applied online, all went well until I got an email from Durham today saying...

Unfortunately your marriage certificate is not suitable because it does not show your current name after marriage. You will have to obtain a different certificate from from the State/County Clerk.

Ummm. What? What marriage certificate shows a new name AFTER marriage? Like all marriage certificates (that I know of) it shows my maiden/current name (which is the same as the current passport) and my husband's name. Like most places, including the UK, it is my decision at some point after I got married whether to take my husband's name. It's not like, CERTIFIED anywhere on the marriage certificate/licence/anywhere!

So I called Durham and spoke to a guy who clearly did not know what he was talking about. After I pointed out that not even UK marriage certificates state that the woman is taking the man's name, he got flustered and I gave up. Am I missing something here?

Pulaski

No.

nikkikl

I just called them again to see if the next person said something different and the guy I spoke to (who informed me he had been married three times so knew what the UK certificates say) insisted that all marriage certificates show that the woman then wants to be know as Mrs 'New Name'. Pretty sure that's not the case and the certificate shows the mans name and the woman's maiden name, that's all. Nightmare.

robin1234

Odd, he should be an expert, having been married several times!

I believe you are right though. There is no such field as "Mrs New-Name" on the marriage certificate.

nikkikl

Thank you! So glad I'm not going mad here. I'm going to complain. Asking me for something I can't provide and then insisting I could if I were married in the UK, is ridiculous.

Sally Redux

Mr Lover-Lover.

Don't they just see the man's name on the marriage certificate and see that you're changing to that?

Pulaski

And even if the format has changed since you got married, you can't get an "updated" marriage certificate. It is was it is, it says what it says, and there is no way to update it, short of divorcing and remarrying.

I wonder if the problem might be that you've waited three years as I was reading just yesterday that some agencies have guidelines that a woman should change her name, if she is going to, within x months of marriage and that it becomes much more complicated if she waits several years.

nikkikl

Plus, I checked the Supporting Documents section on the gov.uk passport website for overseas people and it says nothing of the sort - just a Marriage Certificate, which they have.

yellowroom

yes, you're right, I've just double checked mine. The guys in Durham are talking out of their backsides.

nikkikl

HA! Sally - that's exactly what I said to the last guy. He said but then how does anyone know what the new married name for the woman would be? Duh.

Pulaski

Idiots! ...... Ask to speak to a supervisor, then a manager, and keep on going until you get some satisfaction.

Just out of curiosity, is it a British or US marriage certificate?

Sally Redux

I left it for a while as well. There's no compulsion to change it immediately, if ever, so why would it be shown on the certificate?

nikkikl

@yellowroom - thanks for checking. These guys are crazy!

Sally Redux

Yeah - I married John Smith but now want to be called Mrs Luxury-Yacht.

Chapmandan

Hello, I got married 2 months ago so my certificate is pretty up to date i would say. There is no such field as Mrs xxx on it.

It makes sense as you don't have to take the name but you just have the right to.



Hope that helps and good luck.