travelling in married name

sweetilemon

Okay, I know not directly moneysaving but if I get this wrong could be costly. I would like to travel on our honeymoon in my new married name, 2 days after the wedding. I know you can apply for a passport 12weeks before the wedding but is it as easy as that? Book the holiday in my married name and done? I just wondered how it worked because I asked the travel agent and she didn't seem to know and said but you won't have your marriage certificate yet, does that matter? And is 12weeks plenty of time? I would hate to not be able to travel (very costly!) if my passport didn't come though on time. If anyone has been there done that please could you give me some advice! Thanks! X

Spendless

The advice I was given by the passport advice when I married was that my travel documents, tickets, insurance etc had to match my passport with surname. A quick google suggests it's still the same.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/Applyingforyourfirstadultpassport/DG_174104

MaggieBaking

Yes, from searching you can apply for your passport in advance for one with your married name. You get documents from the registrar that I've forgotten what they are - but it has all the relevant information on about where and when you're getting married etc. It's this form that you need to send off for a passport with a name you don't legally have yet. You're not allowed to use your passport till the day you get married.

As above, everything to do with your holiday needs to use your married name.

RainbowDrops

Yep, I did this (my passport expired the weeke before our wedding).
Got the registrar to fill in a form, then my passport arrived in plenty of time.

I also had to apply for an ESTA as we were travelling via the USA. You can only apply for this once your passport is valid, and it can take upto 72hrs (i think) to go through.

wanchai_2

I think I'll just go on honeymoon in my own name and then change everything when I get back! I'm not bothered about it at all, and it's just one more thing to organise before the wedding lol!!!! I'd rather the honeymoon went smoothly than worry about anything going wrong.

A few of my friends haven't even changed their names on any official documents yet, up to 2 years after getting married!

sweetilemon

Do you get something on your wedding day to prove your name then? As I assume the marriage certificate would take a while? Because otherwise how do they know I actually got married? Surely there would be nothing to stop someone booking a wedding date, changing their name on the passport vaid for after their wedding, not getting married and going abroad with a fake name? Lol possibly reading too much into this! I will get my passport changed 12weeks before and book in my married name I think thanks for all they replies! X

Idiophreak

sweetilemon wrote: »

Do you get something on your wedding day to prove your name then? As I assume the marriage certificate would take a while? Because otherwise how do they know I actually got married? Surely there would be nothing to stop someone booking a wedding date, changing their name on the passport vaid for after their wedding, not getting married and going abroad with a fake name? Lol possibly reading too much into this! I will get my passport changed 12weeks before and book in my married name I think thanks for all they replies! X

Don't know what they'd do in that situation - maybe the vicar's obligated to inform them that you pulled out?

Anyway, we did the same thing - just applied for a passport, booked everything in the new name. The only potential **** up was the ESTA, as RainbowDrops mentioned - we travelled 36 hours after the wedding and the ESTA *could* have taken 72.

My wife just got up first thing on the day and put it through and it was done in seconds - so it wasn't a problem, but it was certainly a risk, if only a small one.

mrs_B_5

I had a church wedding and my passport ran out the month before All we had to do was book the honeymoon in the name I was intending to travel under (which was my married name) and have form completed by the vicar so I could order my new passport in my married name, which we were able to do up to 3 months before the wedding. When you sign the form, the vicar agrees that he will notify the passport office if you do not get married and you sign to agree to return your passport in the event of not getting married. It really is that simple I didn't believe it could be either but having done it, it really is! HTH

sweetilemon

Phew, thanks. is the ESTA only for america? We were looking at a med cruise.
My bank cards would all still be in my maiden name, I wouldn't imagine this would be too much of a problem. It would. Just be nice to be greeted on holiday as mr + mrs hehe thanks everyone, was just worried I'd missed something!

Idiophreak

sweetilemon wrote: »

Phew, thanks. is the ESTA only for america? We were looking at a med cruise.
My bank cards would all still be in my maiden name, I wouldn't imagine this would be too much of a problem. It would. Just be nice to be greeted on holiday as mr + mrs hehe thanks everyone, was just worried I'd missed something!

Yeah, ESTA's just for the states...

That's something to check on...whether everything will match. Depending on where you're staying, they sometimes require ID to use a card etc - and if they have different names you could get into difficulty...and little things like if you book a car, your licence will still be in your old name...

sharpee

Ok can someone help me as I'm a little confused!:(

We have booked out Honeymoon with my married name so I now need to change my passport. I've printed off and filled in the PD2 Form.

Now do I send this to the Registrar and they fill it in then send it back to me? Then I send it off with my new passport form?