Frequently Asked Questions about Changing your Name

The sooner the better! You should also try to contact all of the people needed around the same time to change your name to avoid any unnecessary problems. In other words, you don’t want your name to be changed in one place and not the other and have this cause you problems because of this discrepancy.

If you plan to honeymoon in a foreign country make sure the airline tickets are reserved in your maiden (or pre-married) name and not in your new married name. This is because the name on your airline ticket must match the name on your passport. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to wait until you have returned to change your name. If you are waiting a significant amount of time to go on your honeymoon, then you might be able to change your name, but take into consideration the fact that it takes a good six weeks to send off for you passport or make any name changes to it. Just be careful and make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to make the name change legal and official. It is definitely not worth losing reservations or even not being able to fly or get into a country because of this minor inconsistency when it can wait until after you have returned.

There are a number of “name changing” kits out there on the internet, but these typically cost a good amount of money and probably only give the same basic information. Ask your friends who have gone through this change or even contact your local officials to get more information to your questions.