Marriage certificate

[Aquarelka 1]

Hello guys!

I took my husband's last name after we got married and changed all my documents to a new last name but my foreign passport. I can't change my last name in my passport while in the USA, I need to do it back in Russia, and I plan to change it when I go there. But for now I go under two different last names in my documents. It is confusing, but I know many ladies do the same.

For me to prove that I am the same I carry my marriage certificate. Not all the time But when I need to show my passport, for example. I am married for a year only and already now my marriage certificate looks awful. I know I am not allowed to laminate it. I try to keep it as neat as possible, but it is just a regular printer paper and from being used a lot it does not look good.

How do you keep your certificates? Can I order another one on a thicker paper?

For my AOS process I ordered a "certified marriage certificate" for $5. It looks different from my original marriage certificate. Can I use it for the same purpose? when I am required to show an original marriage certificate? Or is it considered just a copy of the original? If it can be used as an original, I can order 10 of them and not not worry if the original is lost or dirty.

[km24 0]

Hello guys!

I took my husband's last name after we got married and changed all my documents to a new last name but my foreign passport. I can't change my last name in my passport while in the USA, I need to do it back in Russia, and I plan to change it when I go there. But for now I go under two different last names in my documents. It is confusing, but I know many ladies do the same.

For me to prove that I am the same I carry my marriage certificate. Not all the time But when I need to show my passport, for example. I am married for a year only and already now my marriage certificate looks awful. I know I am not allowed to laminate it. I try to keep it as neat as possible, but it is just a regular printer paper and from being used a lot it does not look good.

How do you keep your certificates? Can I order another one on a thicker paper?

For my AOS process I ordered a "certified marriage certificate" for $5. It looks different from my original marriage certificate. Can I use it for the same purpose? when I am required to show an original marriage certificate? Or is it considered just a copy of the original? If it can be used as an original, I can order 10 of them and not not worry if the original is lost or dirty.

You can always use a certified marriage certificate. You don't need to carry the original certificate with you all the time. *But make another copy of your marriage certificate for your own personal record. I also went to kinkos fedex to make a copies (photocopies)

Edited October 24, 2009 by km24

[Neonred 3,564]

Why don't you send your passport to the Russian embassy and get the notation in your passport about your matrimonial name? That's what we did and you won't have to carry the marriage certificate around. If you still want to carry your marriage certificate you can just make a photo copy and carry that.

Good luck changing your name in your internal passport in Russia. We tried that a few years ago and it was... just not worth the headache. We thought we had everything correct with translations and apostille but still had problems. We decided to just live with it and go with the notation in the international passport. We have done a lot of international traveling since and we never carry the marriage certificate.

[Aquarelka 1]

Why don't you send your passport to the Russian embassy and get the notation in your passport about your matrimonial name? That's what we did and you won't have to carry the marriage certificate around. If you still want to carry your marriage certificate you can just make a photo copy and carry that.

Good luck changing your name in your internal passport in Russia. We tried that a few years ago and it was... just not worth the headache. We thought we had everything correct with translations and apostille but still had problems. We decided to just live with it and go with the notation in the international passport. We have done a lot of international traveling since and we never carry the marriage certificate.

I did it! And I do not carry an original MC with me all the time. I keep it at home. I have a copy of it with me just in case.

But there are some situations when they want to see the original MC. In this case I bring the original to them and it becomes folded, bent, etc. My question was if I can use a certified copy of MC in situations when I am required to show the original MC?

[Neonred 3,564]

Why don't you send your passport to the Russian embassy and get the notation in your passport about your matrimonial name? That's what we did and you won't have to carry the marriage certificate around. If you still want to carry your marriage certificate you can just make a photo copy and carry that.

Good luck changing your name in your internal passport in Russia. We tried that a few years ago and it was... just not worth the headache. We thought we had everything correct with translations and apostille but still had problems. We decided to just live with it and go with the notation in the international passport. We have done a lot of international traveling since and we never carry the marriage certificate.

I did it! And I do not carry an original MC with me all the time. I keep it at home. I have a copy of it with me just in case.

But there are some situations when they want to see the original MC. In this case I bring the original to them and it becomes folded, bent, etc. My question was if I can use a certified copy of MC in situations when I am required to show the original MC?

Then you don't need to carry the marriage certificate, period. You have your green card, right? The ONLY time we needed to show an original marriage certificate was at our AOS interview.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Neonred

[Aquarelka 1]

Neonred,

thanks for your response