Just married and passports

[Thickey]

Hi there,

I am getting married in June this year after proposing at WDW in October 2013

We are going to have our "proper" honeymoon again in WDW in October and will have passports sorted out by then etc.. (question not directly disney related but I know someone here will know).

We were looking to go to London for three or four days but then I got thinking.. perhaps a little break to NYC would be a good adventure and still almost affordable.

So my question is, what's the deal with changing names and traveling. My wife to be will take my last name and I guess that change over happens once we sign the registry on the big day. If we travel the next day how many hoops would she have to jump through.. is it worth doing.. could she just present her current passport (and existing ESTA). I VERY much doubt that the paperwork would have been processed that quickly for it to be an issue.

Any help/advice would be most welcome!

 

[Elise79]

She can travel in her passport in her maiden name as long as the tickets are booked in her maiden name ie passport has to match name on ticket.

She can if she wants apply for a passport in her new name before the wedding allowing her to travel straight away using her new name - details can be found Here

Some people carry on travelling in their maiden names until their passport expires to save paying for a new one whereas I changed mine when I did everything else straight after the wedding - personal choice

 

[Thickey]

I assumed that the passport would technically become invalid due to the name change. But in my mind if the photo matches the real person and the passport is valid then I can't see anyone having an issue with it.. thanks for the info!

 

[wilma-bride]

She can if she wants apply for a passport in her new name before the wedding allowing her to travel straight away using her new name - details can be found Here

The problem with applying for a passport in your new (married) name is that it does not become valid - and therefore cannot be used to apply for ESTA - until the date of the marriage.

My best friend has fallen foul of this. She has already changed her passport to her married name and has booked the honeymoon in her married name, however, she flies out to New York two days after the wedding so can't actually now apply for the ESTA until the morning of the wedding (guess who has got the job of doing this for her, as Matron of Honour ).

My advice is, if you plan to fly to the States less than a week after your wedding, book everything in, and travel under, your maiden name as the headache of having to apply for ESTA at such short notice is not one you need on top of the stress of a wedding.

 

[wilma-bride]

If we travel the next day how many hoops would she have to jump through.. is it worth doing.. could she just present her current passport (and existing ESTA). I VERY much doubt that the paperwork would have been processed that quickly for it to be an issue.

Any help/advice would be most welcome!

The trouble is, she absolutely could not do that as the ESTA would not be valid if she had a new passport - see my post above.

 

[BudgieMama]

I've been married for 3 years and am still using my passport in my maiden name. (I had 5 years left on it). My ESTA is in my maiden name too, to match my passport. Legally, I can use my married name and NY maiden name if I choose- you don't have to change your name at marriage, or stop using your maiden name if you do change your name when you get married.

 

[Kath2003]

Just leave it and change it when you have plenty of time - there's no benefit to changing it immediately following the wedding, so do it when it's convenient for you. Keep in mind that you have to renew your passport so any remaining time in your passport is lost (which is around £8 per valid year). Her name doesn't change for travel until she changes her passport - many women don't change their name for years or even decades after the wedding; she can decide at any time to do so.

 

[Thickey]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I have now booked flights this morning under her current passport name. The flights we have for WDW in October are under her married name, but that gives us plenty of time to sort passport and an ESTA out

 

[wilma-bride]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I have now booked flights this morning under her current passport name. The flights we have for WDW in October are under her married name, but that gives us plenty of time to sort passport and an ESTA out

Good idea