Changing Your Name After Marriage: A General Checklist

Do you have to change your name after marriage?

No. Changing your name is a personal choice for either partner, and many people keep their name. There are several options, and some couples take time to decide. In some places, certain options, such as creating a brand new combined name, may involve a different legal process from a standard marriage name change, so check what applies before you settle on one.

• Keep your current name
• Take your partner’s last name
• Both take a hyphenated or double-barreled name
• Combine your names into a new one
• Move your current last name to a middle name
• Use one name professionally and another legally

What you’ll need before you start

The document you sign on the wedding day is not always your official marriage certificate. In many places the record is registered afterwards, and certified copies arrive later or must be ordered. Most organizations ask for a certified copy rather than a photocopy, and some keep it for a while, so having a few copies lets you work on several updates at once.

• Certified copies of your marriage certificate
• Your current photo ID
• Proof of address, if asked
• The official forms for each update
• Money for any fees, which vary
• A simple tracker for what’s done and pending

The general order for changing your name

Many organizations ask to see an updated document from another before they’ll change their own records. Working roughly in the order below avoids rejected applications and repeat visits. The exact sequence varies by location, so treat this as a general guide and confirm the steps with the official authority where you live.

Your primary government record is whichever central record other agencies check your identity against, such as a national identity, population or social insurance register. Not every country has one, and in some places the order of ID updates is different. Once your core records and photo ID match, most banks and companies can update your name quickly.

1. Get certified copies of your marriage certificate
2. Update your primary government identity record, where one exists
3. Update photo ID, such as a national ID card or driver’s license
4. Update your passport, when it suits your travel plans
5. Update banks, cards, loans, tax and pension records
6. Tell your employer and update payroll
7. Update everything else, from utilities to social accounts

Places to update: the full checklist

Once your core documents are done, most remaining updates are quick. Work through the list a few at a time, starting with anything linked to money, health or travel.

A shared note or spreadsheet with three columns, place, date requested and date confirmed, keeps it manageable. Many couples spread the updates over a few months, and that is completely fine. Keep old statements and documents until everything matches, in case an organization asks you to prove the link between your old and new names.

• Government records, tax authority and voter registration
• Passport, national ID and driver’s license
• Vehicle registration and insurance
• Banks, credit cards, loans and mortgage
• Employer, payroll and pension or retirement accounts
• Health insurance, doctor, dentist and pharmacy
• Life, home and travel insurance policies
• Landlord, lease or property records
• Utilities, phone and internet providers
• Professional licenses and memberships
• School, university or alumni records
• Loyalty programs and frequent-flyer accounts
• Email, social media and online shopping accounts
• Your will, beneficiaries and emergency contacts

Passports, travel and your honeymoon

Travel bookings usually need to match the name on the passport you’ll travel with. If your honeymoon is soon after the wedding, many people book in their current name and update their passport afterwards. Some passport authorities offer other options, but the rules vary, so check with yours before booking. If you’re traveling abroad, allow for processing times, and avoid sending your passport away close to a trip.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most name change delays come from doing steps out of order or relying on unofficial advice. A little planning, and a realistic pace, avoids nearly all of them. Expect some updates to take longer than others, and keep your old and new documents together until everything is complete.

• Booking travel in a name that doesn’t match your passport
• Ordering only one certified certificate copy
• Updating accounts before your primary ID
• Forgetting pension, insurance and beneficiary records
• Paying third-party sites for forms available free from official sources
• Not keeping a list of what’s been updated

Where to find official guidance

Start with the government office that registered your marriage, which can tell you how to order certified copies. Then check the official websites of your national identity or social records agency, passport office, driving license authority and tax authority. If you married abroad, or live outside the country that issues your passport, your embassy or consulate can explain what applies to you.