US Citizen changing my last name (surname) from the UK

Hello Everyone!

I have been looking online for specifics on how to go forward with changing my last name after marrying my British husband.

Am I supposed to do it through my Passport? by submitting it the US Embassy here in London? Then I checked another website and they said I need to notify S.S? But thought perhaps that is only if I'm living in the US.

Can anyone help with this process?

Do I need to submit the request through my Passport and submitting it through the US Embassy in London?

THANKS!
Chudney

I did this!

In order to change your name on your passport, you have to prove there has been a change of name. You can do this in a few ways: through your marriage certificate or via deed poll (that's what I did because I also changed my middle name).

So, apply for a new passport using this form:
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/services/correction.html
Submit evidence of your name change.

 Then apply for a new BRP as soon as the passport has been returned to you. You must do this within 3 months of getting your passport back, otherwise you can have your leave revoked and/or be fined up to £1000.

Use the TOC form if you have limited leave to remain or use the NTL form if you have ILR.
Link: https://www.gov.uk/transfer-visa

It does cost a fair old wack of change to do all of this... but nothing comes cheap anymore!

I haven't bothered to change my name in the US on things like SS and my old bank account... but will do next time I visit my parents and will take my name deed poll to change it there. (Have lived here so long that all of that feels very alien and I don't really know how to navigate the US system).

I think changing your name for SS is more important if you are paying into it or if you are receiving it here. Others might have different opinions...

Physicskate, how did you go about doing the deed poll? There seem to be a few websites that offer a service, but it's not clear if it works for naturalised citizens as well as native Brits, if that makes sense. I'm now dual UK/US and want to make sure I have something vaguely official for the various layers of bureaucracy.

Physicskate, how did you go about doing the deed poll? There seem to be a few websites that offer a service, but it's not clear if it works for naturalised citizens as well as native Brits, if that makes sense. I'm now dual UK/US and want to make sure I have something vaguely official for the various layers of bureaucracy.

Changing your name by deed poll in the UK doesn't require proof of citizenship.  It's really just a way of obtaining a notarized document showing that you intend to use (your new name) exclusively in the future.  So you can send copies of it to everyone who needs to know.  I used http://www.deedpoll.org.uk in 2006, and never had occasion to mention that I was naturalised and dual US/UK.  It just didn't arise.

Edit.  Looking through that website I see that they do now ask about nationality, and have an info page that mentions dual nationality (http://www.deedpoll.org.uk/WhoCanApply.html).  I don't think this was there at the time I changed my name, but it could be I just put British and didn't read the info page.

Hello Everyone!

I have been looking online for specifics on how to go forward with changing my last name after marrying my British husband.

Am I supposed to do it through my Passport? by submitting it the US Embassy here in London? Then I checked another website and they said I need to notify S.S? But thought perhaps that is only if I'm living in the US.

The London Embassy FBU says:

6.  I have married or divorced and need to change my name on my Social Security records, how do I do that?

To change your name on your Social Security records the following steps are required;

Complete an Application for a Social Security Card, Form SS-5-FS - (click HERE to download a PDF of SS-5-FS - PDF, 56kb) - all questions must be answered and legible.
Provide the following original documents - photocopies are not acceptable. The completed application and documents should be mailed to us (see: How do I contact the London Federal Benefits Unit?)
Proof of the name change
Original marriage or divorce decree
If the marriage or divorce certificate is over 2 years old or does not contain biographical data such as a date of birth or age, you must also submit proof of identity in your OLD name. If you have no identification in your old name, you must write a statement as to why you do not have such proof of identity and submit proof of identity in your NEW name.
Proof of identity in Old Name, as required
Original current or expired U.S. or UK passport, must be signed
Original driving license
Original current or expired U.S. military identification
Proof of identity in New Name, as required
Original current U.S. or UK passport, must be signed
Original driving license
Original current U.S. military identification

http://london.usembassy.gov/mobile/cons_new/faqs/faq_fbu_ssn.html

I went to a local solicitor's and they gave me three original docs and 5 copies of the deed poll. I basically signed a statement saying I wouldn't be known as my previous name. After getting the deed poll through the solicitor, I sent the form and proof of deed poll to the US embassy to get my passport in my new name.

I haven't changed my name on everything in the US, like my driver's license or SS.... etc... I am sure that bit will come when I can be bothered (and more probably when I visit my family in the states at some point next year)! Once my US passport changed, I had to change my BRP.

Most people are able to change their last name on the marriage certificate alone, but I had a more complex name change...

edit: if I remember rightly, the solicitor charged something like £80 plus vat.

Thanks physicskate--I've had one quote from a local solicitor for £100-£150 plus VAT.  I'll probably keep shopping around to see if it can be done for under £100.

iota that SSN form will be useful, so thanks for that link too!

Thanks physicskate--I've had one quote from a local solicitor for £100-£150 plus VAT.  I'll probably keep shopping around to see if it can be done for under £100.

iota that SSN form will be useful, so thanks for that link too!

I had a trainee solicitor and it was £80 plus VAT... I live in York.

Thanks physicskate--I've had one quote from a local solicitor for £100-£150 plus VAT.  I'll probably keep shopping around to see if it can be done for under £100.

iota that SSN form will be useful, so thanks for that link too!

You're welcome.

According to the UK Govt website, you can do it yourself for free if you want to.

https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

Or if you want it publicly registered (I would), you can download the official forms and pay £36 to get it in "The Gazette"

News to me.  I would have done that if I'd known about it at the time.  Didn't even know there was a register.

This is a good question, I've been wanting to do this too. My question is how do I register for a new BRP card in England? Or will a solicitor sort that out for me?

This is a good question, I've been wanting to do this too. My question is how do I register for a new BRP card in England? Or will a solicitor sort that out for me?

That's up to you to sort out.

Once you have changed your name on your passport, you have 3 months within which to apply for a new BRP card, or you can be fined £1,000.

It costs £183 by post and you have to send off your passport and current BRP (it can take a couple of months to be processed), or you can pay £583 to do it in person.

See here:
https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp/youre-in-the-uk-and-have-a-brp

and here:
https://www.gov.uk/transfer-visa

Quite a few people here on the forum just haven't bothered changing their name in their passport and so have kept their passport and BRP in their maiden name, while using their married name for everything else.

It's up to you which you'd prefer to do, but it is a bit of a hassle to change your name on the BRP. It can be easier to change your name on your passport in the US before you apply for the first spousal visa, rather than doing it after you have arrived in the UK.

I'm in a similar situation, this is all very useful information - thanks! Rather than creating a whole new topic I thought I might piggyback here, if cmatta86 doesn't mind.

My question:

Quite a few people here on the forum just haven't bothered changing their name in their passport and so have kept their passport and BRP in their maiden name, while using their married name for everything else.

I'm on ILR in the UK, and am eligible for citizenship. I'd like to change my name and apply for my UK citizenship & passport, but I'm not sure of the best order in which to do these things.

If I do the name change first, I'd imagine that I would have to have my ILR re-issued in the new name. That would then be a waste of time and money, because it would be redundant the moment that I got my UK citizenship.

On the other hand, getting my UK citizenship first and then immediately changing my name seems like it would need a lot of remedial form-filling as well.

Not to mention the US situation. If it's possible to just keep my original name in the US I wouldn't mind a bit, but I'm not sure whether or not that's possible.

Finally, I'm not sure if it matters, but my name change is not going to be marriage-related.

Any thoughts or advice gratefully received!

Finally, I'm not sure if it matters, but my name change is not going to be marriage-related.

Well, this is slightly inaccurate. I'll be taking my partner's surname, but we've already been married for 3+ years (we both kept our names at the time of the wedding).