problem with childs passport due to name change

shaynemawer

Hi all, my sister is having trouble getting a passport for her daughter. She had her surname change a few months back as my sister split from her partner and was using his surname previously.( she got the name changed without his help as she no longer knows where he is )
Anyway today the passport office have told my sister that her daugther can only have a passport in previous surname even though she has sent all documents off to them, or she can go to court to resolve this. But the problem is we have already booked flights with Norwegian air and British airways for August in her new surname.
Can anyone offer any advice ?
Going ring airlines up this afternoon to see what they say.

Thanks

agrinnall

The airlines will probably allow you to do a name change, although they're likely to charge a fee, but the bigger problem is likely to be immigration controls if the daughter is travelling with a different name to her mother, especially if it's not possible to get permission for travel from her father.

steve1500

I'm afraid you cannot just change a child's surname.


You either need the consent of both parents, assuming the father has parental rights or is allowed by the courts.


If you cannot find the father you have to prove that you have made attempts to find the father

shaynemawer

surname was offically changed by deed poll.

shaynemawer

suppose if she gets the passport in her original surname then will it be best to also take the birth certificate with her as well when we travel.

peachyprice

There is no such thing as an 'official' deed poll, anyone can write out a letter, sign it and call it a deed poll. I hope your sister didn't pay for it.

Seems like the easiest thing for your sister to do will be to get the name changed on the flights and get a passport in her daughters real name.

peachyprice

A parent travelling with a different surname to child rarely causes problems, not once in 19 years have I ever been stopped.

If she takes the child's birth certificate and of her marriage certificate/decree absolute she should be fine IF she gets stopped, and that's a big IF.

Mojisola

shaynemawer wrote: »

surname was offically changed by deed poll.

http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/loc019-eng.pdf

A minor needs to have the permission of everyone who has parental responsibility for him/her.

shaynemawer

but she cant find her previous partner, she has tried every possible way as it would have made life easier.
just spoke to ba and they`ve done a name change for free. now for norwegian airways

maman

shaynemawer wrote: »

Hi all, my sister is having trouble getting a passport for her daughter. She had her surname change a few months back as my sister split from her partner and was using his surname previously.( she got the name changed without his help as she no longer knows where he is )
Anyway today the passport office have told my sister that her daugther can only have a passport in previous surname even though she has sent all documents off to them, or she can go to court to resolve this. But the problem is we have already booked flights with Norwegian air and British airways for August in her new surname.
Can anyone offer any advice ?
Going ring airlines up this afternoon to see what they say.

Thanks

I'm curious whether the child's 'new' surname is the same as her birth certificate or another name completely. Is it the mother's maiden name? Is the ex-partner the child's father? I couldn't work it out from your post.


I hope you sort it out for the coming trip but it does sound very messy.

shaynemawer

Birth certificate is in her original surname (fathers surname)
Hopefully everything is sorted, passport coming in her original surname, both Norwegian and British airways have changed her surname back to original to match passport.