Changing my Name After Marriage

Hi,

I am about to get married in Bath, UK this Wednesday and will be changing my last name. I am a U.S. Citizen currently on a Marriage settlement visa and will be switching to a FLR(M) visa. My last name will change to partners last name and will be different from whats on my passport. Will this be an issue when I apply for the FLR(M) and my application name is different from my passport? Will I have to get a new passport before applying for the FLR(M) Thank you.

Your visa can only be issued in the name on your passport - so if you don't change your passport before you apply for FLR(M) you will have to use your old name on your application and your visa will be in your old name.

If you would like your visa to be in your married name you will need to renew your passport in your new name before you apply for FLR(M).

If you think you would want to change your name on your passport in the next 2.5 years, I would do it before applying for FLR(M) as it's expensive and a big hassle to do it after you get the visa - you will only have 3 months from changing the passport to change the name on your visa, or you can be fined £1,000 and potentially have your visa curtailed. It costs about £220 to do it and can take up to a few months, during which time you will be without your passport and visa.


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My fiance visa will expire on April 20th 2017. Do you think there will be enough time to apply for a new passport after changing my name tomorrow. The turn around time for a new passport is 4 weeks.

Yeah, you have plenty of time to change it.  The embassy is really good at keeping accurate renewal times on the website.  It'll take about a month, but then it'll be done and you can apply for FLR(M) after that.

My passport expired last year while I was living in Dublin and I got my renewal in 5 days! If you explain the situation at the embassy they are wonderful and got it back to you fast. I was allowed to keep my old passport until my new one arrived and they I picked it up in personal and they invalidated my old one! 

Just make the first morning appointment so you aren't waiting all day!!!