Do you have to change surname? Here's how it's done in America and other countries.
Steps
Step 1. Inform your employer that you will change your surname and, if you can, also tell him the date on which the change will take place
If you regularly receive checks from someone (such as a renter), let them know as well.
Step 2. Request a new health card (valid for the United States only) because you will need a new one to be able to change the name on your driver's license, insurance, bank account and so on
- In the United States, this applies to all changes of surname due to marriage, divorce, naturalization or court order (for example in the case of the adoption of a minor or identity protection).
- Download and fill out the form to change the name on the health card from the appropriate SS-5 form website.
- Obtain the form from the Social Security administrative office in your city. You will also need your birth certificate, driver's license, health card and a host of other documents such as your marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, etc.
- You will receive your new health card by post. It should arrive within 10 business days of completing the application.
Step 3. Change your driver's license or identity card
Go to the Civil Motorization office in your city to obtain a new driving license.
- Bring with you your old driving license, your new health card and all those documents you used previously to start the process of changing your surname.
- Some states will allow you to keep your old driver's license after you drill a hole in it. By doing so, your driving license will no longer be valid as the main identification document, but your photo and old name will still be visible. With your old identity card, you can continue the procedures started while waiting for a new card. Check that it is possible at the Civil Motorization.
Step 4. Change the bank account header, credit card, insurance, license, passport, investment, tax return and all other official documents containing your old surname
Once you have obtained the new health card and driving license, you can change the name on all other documents.
- Make a list of everything that bears your legal name and therefore needs to be changed.
- If possible, take the time to make all the changes at the same time so you don't forget anything.
- Go to your company's human resources department as soon as possible to have your new name put on the salaries and taxes they send you.
Step 5. If you have a professional license, you will need to change your name at the register or association organization you belong to
You will be asked for official proof of the name change.
Method 1 of 2: Extra help with changing surname after marriage
Step 1. Book your trips with your maiden name
If you plan to leave for your honeymoon immediately after the wedding or if your departure is imminent and won't give you time to legally change your name, book the trip with your maiden name. At the airport, the name on the passport or license must match that on the ticket.
Step 2. Learn how to cash or deposit a check if, for your wedding, friends or family had made the check payable, but by writing your future bridal surname
Here's what you need to do:
- If on the check there are the names of the couple or it says Mr. and Mrs. X, remember that it will be necessary to sign both on the back of the check to ensure a quick deposit.
- If you and your spouse would like to add each other's name on your personal accounts to joint them or would like to open a new one in the name of both, you will have to go to the bank together.
- Bring your marriage certificate and identity card with you; they will be used by the bank to update their records.
Method 2 of 2: Change the Last Name in other Countries
- Advice for changing your name in England or Wales
- Tips on changing your name in Canada
- Changing your name in Ireland
- Information on changing your name in Scotland
Advice
- To avoid complications, try to change the name on all your documents in the same period. For example, if you had to change the name on your driver's license, but not on your credit card, in the event of a check by a shopkeeper, your identity could not be verified; you cannot therefore prove that you are the owner of the card.
- Your marriage or civil partnership certificate should arrive in the mail a few weeks after the ceremony.
- Medical prescriptions bearing your maiden name must be rewritten if your married surname is on your health insurance.
- There are many companies that, for a fee, guide you through the name change process. There is also a list of things to do for the change practice to be successful.
Warnings
- If you move to another state soon after your wedding, make sure you change the name on your health card as soon as possible so you can apply for a new driver's license. Some states require you to be in possession of a new driving license within 10 days of moving.
- Beware of identity theft! It is well known that there are people, anything but kind, ready to take over your old name. Your old surname still appears on your marriage or civil union certificate, which therefore, by not disappearing completely, allows you to associate yourself with your old identity. Make sure you tear or destroy all unnecessary documents that still contain your old surname.
- Only government agencies such as the Civil Motorization or the Social Security Institute can ask you for a fee for making the name change. This fee will cover the costs of issuing new documents. On the other hand, you have to pay attention to all those organizations that unfairly ask you to pay to change your name.
- Keep your marriage or civil partnership certificate safe, especially while the paperwork is still pending. Replacement could cost you dearly.
