Passport renewal and change of name

The mrs has got an appointment start of next month
She has just found out that to change her name to her new last name that we had to tell the embassy of philippines in london first in advance... Is this true?
Thanks

We booked a new passport appointment and turned up with relevant information.

No telling embassey in advance.

Think just need to make sure that you have all the info.

Assume you have already registered the marriage with the Embassy as they will require the registration of marriage document and if more than 12 months ago the PSA copy of the registration of marriage.

If you haven't registered the marriage then need to do that first and may get away with an appointment for registry services in morning and passport appointment in the afternoon.

For daughters passport we made a registry appointment in the morning to get the report of birth for the afternoon appointment for passport. When we did the morning appointment we needed to tell them about the afternoon passport appointment.

Registry appointment are relatively easy to get so should be possible to still do

No... We never told the embassy... Only just found out we need to... She has a passport renewal on the 5th april

If you were married in the UK my understanding is, you need to register the marriage with the Philippines authorities before you can change the name - assuming she is renewing a Philippines passport?
Be aware, if you didn't register the marriage within the specified time period - I think it's 12 months - there may also be a fine to pay.

Check out the 'Our Services' section at -

https://londonpe.dfa.gov.ph/consular-matters/passport

(Not sure when @Br28016 had their experience, but since the pandemic appointments have become very difficult to secure!)

One option is to try for an extension of the existing passport - details at the link above. That would give you time to get marriage registered etc.

No penalties or fine to pay if your marriage has not been reported or registered ASAP at the Philippines consulate! I used my single name in the past for 14 years before coming here in the UK and only used my marriage name when I applied for my British passport.

If you intend to renew her Philippines passport just bring the marriage certificate along with any other documents proving she is using her spouse surname so they can update the surname she is using in her new passport application this is what my cousin did as she has dual passport.

we never reported our marriage--2016--to the Philippine embassy--but my wife hasnt changed her surname. She renewed her Phili passport in-2019 ( i think).

Our next step is citizenship--then UK passport, but--no hurry, she wants to go home for a holiday fairly soon, so will still use her phili passport.

If you travel with your Filipino spouse during your holiday, you will get a BalikBayan stamp good for 1 year.

Good to know @Mystica - I was going by old information given by a friend who did this some years ago (& got a fine!), but as we all know procedures change over time!

As it stood at the 29fh of April 2021 a marriage should be reported within one year (12 months) failure to do this and at the point you do you have to complete a late registration form and pay a fee some may call it a fine of £23.

How long does it take and whats best way to go about this? Heard it is like smacking your heas on a wall trying to sort things out through the embassy

And also is it right they need 4 copies of alot of things and need be notorised by a solicitor?

All the details are at the link I posted above, at 11:44am, under 'Our Services'>Civil Registry>Report of Marriage.

I've found that the embassey is ok so long as you remain patient and are polite.

They do have their own processes to run through and that may be what is frustrating.

Likewise you need to used to the idea of queuing although my experience after the start of covid was that the queue situation improved.

Getting an appointment for a passport at the Embassey is a nightmare and normally get one with a wait of months after spending a long time checking for free appointments. If you have the appointment for the passport then things should be good.

You will need two appointments one for the passport which you already have and one for the civil registry which in my experience us relatively easy to get as they are normally available the only question is how long you have to wait - think it was a few weeks when we were going to register our daughter. We got passport appointments and then booked registry appointment for the morning. You need the registry appointment to register your marriage. The embassey have all the requirements and yes you need 4 copies of everything. I would plan on having PSA birth certificate and potentially 8 copies as whilst I don't think it is a listed requirement sure we needed it at some stage.

Also need two royal mail tracked delivery envelopes to return the registration of marriage and passport when it comes back from the Philippines after a wait if about two months.

There is a post office on regents street if need photocopies or envelopes and lots of Filipinos visit there after finding don't have everything or enough copies at the Embassey. Been there many times and directions are signposted at the Embassey

Will need the forms to:
A. Register marriage
B. Affadavit of late registration
C. Application for new passport.

I suggest bringing some extra blank copies of the forms in case of errors.

The cost that is normally referred to as a fine is the affadavit of late registration which is required for registering after 12 months.

I think the forms you need are for passport renewal as opposed to new passport although I would fill out both with copies and they can select the one they want.

Technically a couple of the forms are supposed to be signed at the Embassey and for the registration of marriage they will want your wife to sign.

If turning up at the Embassey then don't need it signed by a notary public. If doing the registration by post then think it requires signature by notary public and not sure how hard over they are on that. Lot of notary publics are solicitors but most solicitors are not notary publics.

Thanks for that
Missed that earlier... Mrs was grumpy and stressed while i was at work lol

https://londonpe.dfa.gov.ph/consular-matters/civil-registry-certification/report-of-marriage

Just checked and earliest appointment for report of marriage appointment is 14 March

Sorry! There must be a lot of changes then!

2021??? This is the year I got divorced!

I got married in 1995 then I did not need to report anything at all, only at the British consulate in Oman because we were married in HongKong still under British law by that time, then I never changed my name until I had to apply for my British passport in 2012.

Thank you for all of this work much appreciated

Why???