Previously, a wife always took her husband’s surname; this was considered a mandatory condition for marriage and the question of whether it was possible to refuse such a decision was not even considered. According to statistics, about eighty percent of brides take the surname of their future spouse. Now more and more girls are thinking about the advisability of this bureaucratic procedure. Our article will help you learn about all the intricacies and consider all the pros and cons.
Change of surname after marriage
In most cases, if a woman decides to take her husband’s surname after the wedding, then this information is immediately entered into the civil status acts at the registry office.
At the same time, immediately after the marriage registration procedure, the woman’s old passport becomes invalid.
In a year or several years
In some situations, the change of surname does not occur immediately after the wedding, but after a certain time of marriage.
In such a situation, the procedure for changing a surname becomes a little more complicated, since you need to submit an official application to the registry office and then wait for its consideration.
Changing bank cards and accounts when changing your last name
Replacement of these personal financial documents is mandatory. To do this, you need to come to your bank branch with the necessary documents:
- application for a replacement card;
- original and copy of passport with new personal data;
- marriage certificate or other document confirming the change of surname and its copy;
- exchangeable bank card.
If the card is a salary card, you should contact the employer and find out from him who exactly will submit documents for a replacement.
Where to contact?
To change your surname after marriage, if this did not happen during the marriage registration procedure, you need to contact the registry office.
To change other documents, you should contact narrow-profile government agencies, as well as structures specializing in providing diverse administrative services to the population.
Public services
You can submit documents to change your last name after marriage via the Internet on the State Services website. Only registered users can use the services of this site.
The registration procedure on the site will not cause difficulties, but it is very important to provide only reliable information, since the registration data of each user is checked for authenticity, and in case of errors, application processing may be refused.
When and how to change your passport after marriage?
A few words should be said about why the period for replacing a passport after marriage is strictly limited. The fact is that after thirty days it becomes invalid. And if the girl continues to use it as an identification document, this will be a violation of one of the laws of the Russian Federation. It is punishable by a fine of three to five thousand rubles. It is worth knowing that an invalid passport is actually equivalent to a forged document. So no need to hesitate, it’s better to start replacing it right away.
Procedure
A change of surname after marriage can occur during the marriage registration process. If a woman decides to change her last name later, then she needs to submit an application and a number of documents to the registry office.
You can also submit documents through the MFC or the State Services website. In order to make changes to civil status acts, it is necessary to replace a number of documents, but first of all you need to change your passport.
Required documents
To change your last name after marriage you will need:
- passport;
- an application filled out in a special form;
- Marriage certificate.
Statement
A change of surname after marriage is carried out on the basis of an application.
This statement states:
- Full name of the citizen (old last name);
- place of residence;
- a request to amend the civil status act, indicating the reason for making these changes (in our case, the reason is marriage).
A sample application for a name change is here,
An example of filling out an application for a name change is here.
SNILS
The insurance certificate of compulsory pension insurance will also have to be replaced. However, only the data in it (full name) is updated, the number itself remains the same. An application for a new SNILS must be submitted within two weeks from the date the new passport is ready.
Where
With the help of your employer, the HR department will do everything for you. If you are not employed, you need to come to the Pension Fund.
Documentation
- Marriage certificate
- New passport
- Old SNILS card
- Application in the prescribed form (if you change the document yourself at the Pension Fund)
What is the price
For free
Production time
7 days
What documents need to be changed?
After changing your surname after marriage, documents in 2021 need to be changed within a certain time frame. At the same time, step-by-step instructions for changing each document may vary greatly.
Next, we will consider which documents must be changed after marriage, as well as which documents can be left unchanged.
Read what is needed to change a man’s last name. Where can I change my compulsory medical insurance policy when changing my last name? See here.
Passport
Immediately after the official registration of the change of surname, the old passport becomes invalid. The legislation recommends starting the procedure for changing your passport within thirty days.
If you submit documents later than 50 days, then for using an invalid passport an administrative fine of up to 5,000 thousand rubles is provided, depending on the period of use of the expired document.
international passport
A foreign passport is also subject to mandatory replacement after a last name change, however, there are no requirements for the period for replacing this document.
The only condition is that after changing her last name, the woman will no longer be able to obtain visas under her old last name.
When obtaining visas for a honeymoon, it is better to issue all documents in your maiden name, and it is better to change your civil passport, along with a passport for foreign trips, after the honeymoon.
PTS
After changing the surname, you must also make changes to the passport of the vehicle that the person owns. It is advisable to make changes within thirty days.
You need to contact the traffic police. The cost of making changes is 350 rubles.
Rights
A driver's license is also subject to mandatory replacement after a name change at the traffic police.
Medical policy
Replacing your health insurance certificate is mandatory, but there are no strict deadlines.
It is advisable to apply for a new certificate within 50 days.
SNILS
SNILS is included in the list of documents that must be replaced when changing your last name after marriage. However, there are no penalties for failure to comply with the deadline for replacing this document.
A person’s insurance account number does not change, it is unique and is assigned to the person for life, but the sample certificate must be replaced with a change.
TIN
The TIN is not subject to mandatory replacement when changing your last name after marriage. However, a woman can change this document on a voluntary basis, which will help avoid incidents due to a mismatch of last name in the TIN and other documents.
Bank cards and accounts
Information about a change of surname must be transferred to the bank where the person has any accounts or cards. You also need to submit information about new passport data to the bank.
In this case, the account can be either changed or left unchanged by updating information about the client in the bank’s database.
Failure to provide information to the bank if there are inactive accounts will not entail liability, but if a person has issued loans, then untimely notification of the bank about a change of name may be considered by the organization as fraud.
Also, if information is not provided to the bank in a timely manner, problems may arise with receiving a deposit.
Changing your driver's license when changing your last name is mandatory. What documents are needed to change your last name? Full list here.
What is the state fee for replacing a passport when changing your last name? Details in this article.
Other
Documents such as a person’s work record book, documents confirming graduation from educational institutions, as well as documents confirming ownership rights are not subject to mandatory replacement, but can be replaced voluntarily.
Vehicle registration certificate
Many people focus on changing their license, forgetting to change the vehicle registration certificate and making a mistake. A certificate with an old surname is invalid. Driving with him is equivalent to driving a car without a license and entails a corresponding administrative fine. The certificate must be replaced within 10 days after receiving a new passport. Usually, the replacement of the license and the vehicle registration certificate takes place on the same day.
Where
traffic police
Documentation
- New Russian passport
- New rights
- Old vehicle registration certificate
- Vehicle Passport (PTS)
- Receipt for payment of state duty
What is the price
850 rubles
Production time
On the day of treatment
Replacement of passport and documents after marriage in 2021
- The simplest and most common option is to contact the Federal Migration Service at your place of registration. And if you are on a business trip or on vacation, then you can contact the migration service department in this city. But as we said above, in this case the passport can be issued for 2 months. Calculate for yourself whether you will have time to get it before you leave this city. Take with you all the documents that we wrote about at the beginning of the article and give them along with the application to the FMS employee. If everything is filled out correctly, you will be told the date to come for a new passport.
- The second option is to contact the MFC. You also need to take all the documents with you, but they will help you fill out the application on the spot. In general, it is much more pleasant to receive any documents at the MFC, since there is an electronic queue and you can sit on the couch and watch TV until you are called. In addition, paperwork is completed here much faster, since this is the main responsibility of the employees and they are not distracted by anything else. Another advantage is that through the MFC the passport is reissued very quickly, literally in 5-10 days.
- The newest and fastest option is to fill out everything through the government services website. You don't even have to leave your home to fill out the application.
We recommend reading: How to make an entry in the work book about voluntary dismissal
Who can choose a new one?
In the Russian Federation, gender equality has been established, therefore, after marriage, not only a woman can take her husband’s surname, but also a man can take his wife’s surname. This is stated in Article 32 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation. Although this doesn't happen that often.
The reasons may be the following:
- The man likes the sound of his wife’s surname better than his own and refuses it.
- The wife's surname is more famous, which makes the husband strive to get her.
- The property that belongs to the wife is much larger, so it is more difficult for her to change her maiden name than for him to change his.
Is it necessary to change?
Russian legislation gives an unambiguous answer to this question. Changing a surname is a voluntary step and the law does not obligate a person to do so.
A funny statistic: in the group of women who got married in adulthood, there are few who take their spouse’s surname; in the group of younger women this percentage is several times higher.
One of the reasons is the reluctance to deal with paperwork and go through authorities, since for young girls it is often enough to make changes to their passport and medical policy, while for older women, documents for replacement accumulate several times more.
Whose should be first if you take a double?
The tradition of double surnames comes from the distant past. This was once considered a special privilege given to the upper class for special merits, but nowadays it is just a tribute to fashion. The same article 32 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation speaks about this. Future spouses voice their desire to double their surname when submitting a marriage application. One of the spouses can do this too.
When writing a double surname, no spaces are used, only a hyphen. Both surnames are indicated in the nominative case and singular, with the husband’s surname coming first. It is prohibited to change them.
Attention! If you want to be known as an original and take not a double, but a triple surname, we hasten to warn you: this will not work. Triple surnames are not provided for in Russian legislation (paragraph 1 of paragraph 1 of Article 32 of the RF IC).
One more nuance: if your family names are very long, in the future there may be inconvenience when filling out forms and questionnaires . A number of accounting programs also have restrictions on the number of characters, this should also be taken into account.
Is desire the reason?
Changing your last name in your passport is not prohibited by law. Every citizen can virtually at any time contact the authorized services for the appropriate service. A passport is issued from the age of 14, but until adulthood, the consent of his legal representatives is required to correct a person’s personal data. There is only one exception - when a teenager receives emancipation. A person’s simple desire to have a different surname or first name is not a basis for replacing a personal identifier, as well as other documents. To achieve the desired result, you must first explain to the employees of the authorized bodies the motive for your behavior.
Certificates for the registry office
Are you planning to change your last name in your passport? What documents may be useful to achieve the relevant goal? There is no exact answer; it all depends on the specific life situation. Moreover, you will have to generate a package of certificates several times: when visiting the registry office and when directly applying for a new personal identifier.
In the first case, a person may need the following documents:
application (required, the form can be picked up at the information stand in the registry office); a receipt confirming payment of the fee for the upcoming service; birth certificate; photograph “for documents” (in color, 4.5 * 3.5 centimeters); certificates confirming the validity of the citizen’s actions (if divorce or marriage are not “guilty” of changing the surname).
The latter include:
court decision to change the surname; adoption certificates; evidence that the mother/father or other relative had a different surname that you now want to take (for example, a birth certificate); birth certificates of your own children. All listed documents must be submitted in originals. Their copies will also be useful, but without the originals they will not have any legal force.
Minor children will have to enlist the support of their parents (take their written consent to correct the data) or provide a court order indicating permission for further actions with the surname.
