Question:
I have a valid passport, but my
name listed on it is not my married
name. (I got married 5 years ago,
and never changed the passport.)
I wanted to get it changed through
the passport office, but could not
due to time limitations. Should
I get my flight tickets in my married
name (the name on all my other ID's?)
Or should I get my tickets under
the old name in my passport?
Answer:
You should be able to get a new
passport in a week or so. What were
you told? I would really pursue
this because you could have problems.
Do you have a marriage license?
Why not just use your passport with
you maiden name in conjunction with
your marriage license? That's what
you'd have to do if you were going
on a honeymoon - brides do it all
the time. Yes they can choose to
keep their name, use the mans, hyphenate
it, whatever.
The problem
is if the tickets are issued in
the new name but the ID's have not
yet been changed and they don't
match. We can't get a marriage license
where I live until the person performing
the ceremony turns in their paperwork
and it's recorded with the city,
which will be after we have left
for the honeymoon. Without the license
you can't get your driver's license
or passport name changed, so it's
best to keep everything in one matching
name, airline tickets, cruise tickets,
and all your ID's until you can
get it all taken care of later.
Carrying the marriage license doesn't
always work, even if they do have
it handy.
I'd suggest
that given the time frame, book
the tickets in the name which matches
the passport. That's the only ID
you'll need to show at the airport
when checking in, boarding, when
you arrive, etc. The other IDs are
irrelevant, and having the marriage
license with the passport doesn't
always guarantee it'll pass - it
should, but if you happen to be
flying at an airport that's had
an incident recently, or get a clerk
who's new and doesn't realise that
the marriage license will suffice,
or any other thing that isn't right
on par, it'll be a hassle at the
worst possible time.
Get tickets
in the name which matches the passport.
30 or so years ago when I married,
one could not in the US take out
a >passport in your own name if
you married -- it was the position
of the US >govt that a woman's name
was her husband's period. [the best
they would >do is let >you list
an 'alias' on your passport e.g.
Jane Doe alias Smith. If you were
indeed told this, I'd suspect it
was due to a clueless clerk. You
can't get a passport in any name
but your own, and, even 30 years
ago,it was not US law that a woman
take her husband's name upon marriage.
I know plenty of people married
30+ years ago, with the woman keeping
her name (had been more common in
academe than in the general public
then), and they had passports.
They could
not have gotten a passport using
any other name but their own, and,
as they hadn't taken their husband's
name, would not have been able to
get a passport in that name. FWIW
- there are still plenty of clueless
clerks around telling unsuspecting
brides and grooms that they can
only do certain things with their
names or not do other things. Most
travel agents suggest that when
a couple goes on their honeymoon,
the bride's tickets should be issued
in her maiden name. In some jurisdictions,
the newlyweds will not receive a
marriage certificate or have any
other documentation that officially
indicates that a name change until
several weeks after the wedding
has taken place. I walked into the
passport office here in Honolulu,
told them I needed a new passport
as soon as possible. They said $35
and an itinerary. Didn't know my
itinerary so I literally wrote that
I was leaving in 5 days to Japan
and then back 5 days later ON THE
BACK OF AN ENVELOPE, it was the
only paper I had. My passport left
Hawaii that day for Seattle and
I picked it up the next day at noon
back in Hawaii. The whole thing
took 20 hours, so I don't think
the "We need your itinerary" is
a big deal, just make something
up and give it to them, I did not
have to show any tickets or anything
like that. Hehehehe...this was a
nightmare. I'll fill you in on the
gory details.
First of all,
my passport was needed for the Swedish
Counsulate to process my visa. They
(The counsulate) were already being
nice enough to rush our case since
I'm pregnant, and I needed to file
ASAP. Filing with them ment sending
my passport right away to New York.
I went down to the Passport agency
(local) down here, and they gave
me some paperwork for the name change.
I asked if I could have it expedited,
and they said, "Sure, it'll cost
you $35.00, but they'll get it to
you right away." After I filled
out the info, and got certified
copies of my marriage certificate
to send them, I tried to call the
Houston Passport Agency (where the
change is made). I got an answering
machine. I wanted to know how to
make the payment, and if I needed
to supply extra postage. After not
being able to contact them, I called
another Texas branch to get the
information. the call went something
like this: Passport people: Passport
agency. Me: Yes, I am sending for
a name change on my passport. I
need it quickly, I know I have to
send $35.00 for the expedite, how
should I send this? Passport people:
You can just enclose it with a notation
on the form that you are paying
for expedite.
Also, you
need to enclose a copy of your itenerary.
Me: Itenerary?? Nobody mentioned
that before. Passport people: It's
manditory. Me: See, this is why
I am having a problem. I'm planning
to move to Sweden, and until my
visa is approved, I am forbidden
to travel until they approve me.
I can't purchase tickets until that
date. But I also need to get my
passport to them. Passport people:
Well, without that, it'll take about
7 weeks. It's prime season right
now. Me: I don't have 7 weeks! This
is a rush deal. That's why I wanted
to pay a $35.00 fee to get it back
in a hurry!
Isn't there
a number in Houston where I can
talk to someone? Passport people:
The Houston office will not accept
phone calls. Me: Well look, here's
the situation. I'm pregnant. I'm
waiting on a visa. I am 4 months
pregnant as we speak. I have to
get the visa thing approved so I
can leave. I don't have much time,
because I'm planning to have the
baby over there. Also, airlines
have restrictions about how far
along you are when it comes to international
flights. I need my passport changed
so I can send it to the counsulate,
who will need it for a while before
I can even think about going. Is
there any way I can get this done
without waiting 7 weeks??
Passport
people: No. Not without tickets.
Me: I can't do that. Passport people:
You should have thought about that
before you got pregnant, huh? (Bitchiest
tone applied) Me: You're right.
I didn't take the laziness of our
government employees into account.
I should have counted on it. *CLICK*
...and that's that. Seems until
I get tickets, they can't help me.
And I can't get tickets until the
counsulate lets me. It wasn't too
much problem with Sweden though....I
called them up and told them I couldn't
change my passport and they said
no problem, send it as it is...we'll
get you approved and out of here
in about 2 weeks after we get it.
They told me to change it later.
