applying for passport--do name change first?

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ateganda29

Registered Users (C)
hello everyone! i recently became a USC but have not applied for a passport just yet. i don't have any immediate out-of-the-country plans. i'll be getting married soon and will change my name because of that. should i apply for a US passport now, while still single, with my legal/maiden name (that's written on my naturalization certificate) and just apply for an updated one after i get married and changed my name? or should i wait until i get married and change my name, and then apply for a US passport with supporting documents of naturalization certificate and marriage certificate for proof of name change? i know both options are feasible. but i would just like some input from you guys, maybe even personal experiences on which route to take that will encounter less hassles. thanks in advance!
 
ateganda29 said:
hello everyone! i recently became a USC but have not applied for a passport just yet. i don't have any immediate out-of-the-country plans. i'll be getting married soon and will change my name because of that. should i apply for a US passport now, while still single, with my legal/maiden name (that's written on my naturalization certificate) and just apply for an updated one after i get married and changed my name? or should i wait until i get married and change my name, and then apply for a US passport with supporting documents of naturalization certificate and marriage certificate for proof of name change? i know both options are feasible. but i would just like some input from you guys, maybe even personal experiences on which route to take that will encounter less hassles. thanks in advance!
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if you apply your passport now and change the name later after you married, won't you need to pay the fee for updating info on your passport?

if i were you, i would do it later. however, if you plan to go to a honeymoon in oversea, you might want to get one now, enjoy your trip, and update the passport info after you returned.
 
ocworker, i know...that's what i was thinking too. that i will have to pay the fee twice regardless. so let's say i decided to apply for a passport now while still single. then after i get married, i don't update/renew my passport right away. when i go out of the country, will my US passport (with maiden name) and a marriage license (showing name change) suffice for entering US. or my US passport should have the most recent information, thus needing to be updated/renewed prior to leaving the US?

hwpd, yes. it only took 3.5 months for me and a couple of other members of this forum that had Baltimore as their DO.
 
ateganda29 said:
ocworker, i know...that's what i was thinking too. that i will have to pay the fee twice regardless. so let's say i decided to apply for a passport now while still single. then after i get married, i don't update/renew my passport right away. when i go out of the country, will my US passport (with maiden name) and a marriage license (showing name change) suffice for entering US. or my US passport should have the most recent information, thus needing to be updated/renewed prior to leaving the US?

hwpd, yes. it only took 3.5 months for me and a couple of other members of this forum that had Baltimore as their DO.
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Your US Passport alone will suffice for entering US (not sure why you need the marriage certificate). You can change your last name in the passport after marriage, if you would like to within one year of getting the passport with no additional charge. Look at this state department link for more information http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/ChangeName/ChangeName_851.html Good luck.
 
fitness99 said:
Your US Passport alone will suffice for entering US (not sure why you need the marriage certificate). You can change your last name in the passport after marriage, if you would like to within one year of getting the passport with no additional charge. Look at this state department link for more information http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/ChangeName/ChangeName_851.html Good luck.
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thanks for the info, fitness99. the reason i was talking about marriage certificate for entry to US is for identification purposes. because if i did a name change on my driver's license (married name) and used my married name to purchase the ticket and be listed in the airline's flight manifest but have not updated the info on my US passport (maiden name), then the two names won't match. that's why i thought of needing the marriage certificate in that situation. thanks again for the link Ü
 
ateganda29 said:
thanks for the info, fitness99. the reason i was talking about marriage certificate for entry to US is for identification purposes. because if i did a name change on my driver's license (married name) and used my married name to purchase the ticket and be listed in the airline's flight manifest but have not updated the info on my US passport (maiden name), then the two names won't match. that's why i thought of needing the marriage certificate in that situation. thanks again for the link Ü
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Oh...You can take a copy of your marriage certificate with you for your peace of mind. However, they will believe you when you tell them you are married and your new married name is xxxxx :)
 
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