Old passport, unexpired visa

[menina 50]

I am the US citizen and am in the process of changing my name to my husband's last name. Part of the process involves changing my name on my passport. I have a visa for Brazil that is valid for 4 more years in my current passport. Is there a way to have this visa transferred to my new passport, or will I have to apply for a new visa?

Thank-you for your advice!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I know how things work with Indian visas in American passports. The Indian visa can be 'transferred' from an expired US visa to a current one for a small fee. Also, the Indian consulate advises that this procedure doesn't have to be done as a valid visa inside an expired passport is still valid. The transfer procedure is there in case you don't wish to travel with multiple passports.

This information may or may not apply to Brazilian visas.

[natty bumppo 297]

I am the US citizen and am in the process of changing my name to my husband's last name. Part of the process involves changing my name on my passport. I have a visa for Brazil that is valid for 4 more years in my current passport. Is there a way to have this visa transferred to my new passport, or will I have to apply for a new visa?

Thank-you for your advice!

send an e-mail to your local brazil consulate. per your id ... this should be Brazil - San Fran

Ask your questions and be patient. It will take a few days for them to answer (our experience is they do answer e-mails).

note ... just cause i can ...:

I know there is a procedure for name change on a passport for a brazilian citizen. it's a small fee and supporting documentation is required. the fee was less to do this at a local consulate than in brazil (houston consulate is close to us ..).

there is probably a procedure to recognize the name change for a visa as well. let us know what you discover ....

Edited January 19, 2010 by Natty Bumppo

[mrs. wife! 3]

I am the US citizen and am in the process of changing my name to my husband's last name. Part of the process involves changing my name on my passport. I have a visa for Brazil that is valid for 4 more years in my current passport. Is there a way to have this visa transferred to my new passport, or will I have to apply for a new visa?

Thank-you for your advice!

In Brazil they ask if you have a valid visa when you apply for a new passport. Maybe they do the same in America.

[menina 50]

In Brazil they ask if you have a valid visa when you apply for a new passport. Maybe they do the same in America.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will email the local Brazilian consulate and let you know what I find. When I got my visa last year, we went through a company that offered rush service because we needed to travel last minute. I believe they had some kind of visa transfer service listed on their brochure, so I might check with them. I am hoping to just work with the consulate this time since we won't be traveling until we receive AP. Thanks!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Interesting.

Many moons ago I learned the the B1/B2 visa I had in my old German passport is transferable. With transferable they meant that I take my new German passport plus my my old, expired passport with me and the visa in the old one (assuming the visa is still valid) would be sufficient to enter the US. I know it sounds crazy, and I don't know if they still handle it this way, but for me it worked like a charm, twice.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

A simple solution is to hold on to the expired passport (which contains the visa) and take it along with the new one when you visit the country for which it is issued. I actually did this in May 2005 to visit India; 10-year visa issued in 1999 on passport which expired 2002, new one (which would expire in 2007) "clean". (note: being at that time newly naturalised to US, I also needed to carry my new US passport to re-enter US).

[Ladylethal 12]

The usual solution is to travel with both passports, the one with the valid visa and the new one.

[natty bumppo 297]

The usual solution is to travel with both passports, the one with the valid visa and the new one.

this may work ... but ....

the name changed and the US Passport name changed. There needs to be a link ...

Her husband (the Brasil Citizen) can also do some research (he better if he knows what is right for his wife). He can contact the consulate or call back to Brasil and get some good answers. Isa was able to use her Brasil citizenship to cut through tons of red tape and save us lots of time/trouble.

This guy better do the same or his wife will have every reason to be upset. Afterall ... she is using her citizenship to bring him here .... no?

[NickD 203]

Kind of a screwed up subject, wife is a USC now, but according to her home country rules, she is suppose to maintain a current valid Venezuelan or Colombian passport to enter those countries. Since I am a natural born USC with a US passport and by mutual country agreement, I do not need a visa to enter those countries, but am limited to my stay for 90 days, a week is long enough. But both Venezuelans and Colombians require a US visa to come here and in some cases, next to impossible to obtain unless you own a home, have a family, and a job you are leaving behind for a short visit to the USA.

We wonder if we even have to renew her foreign passports, how would they know the difference if a visa is not required to enter that country? The thing is, they want to you apply in person and only have three consulates in the entire USA, that is not exactly convenient. The expense for those trips far outweighs the price of the passport.

I don't know anything about Brazil, every country is different, so the best bet is to contact your consulate, also the Department of State website has a lot of information regarding each country. I read these sites in awe wondering who made all these laws and on what basis.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

The usual solution is to travel with both passports, the one with the valid visa and the new one.

Exactly what I posted just prior as "a simple solution"....

[menina 50]

Well, the consulate in Los Angeles told me that I could just travel with both passports even though the name on my visa is my maiden name. It is a moot point now though since I sent my passport in to have my name changed to my married name and the post office lost the package. I sent it with delivery/signature confirmation, and it never arrived at the passport center. The last update they have is when it left the main post office here in my city. I filed a report, but they say that they make no promises when things are mailed. I can't believe this! Now I am going to have to fill out forms saying that my passport was stolen, and if it should show up again, I have to submit more paperwork so it can be canceled. In the meantime someone could be out there using my passport number. We pay so much money to the government; why do we have to put up with their ineptness? I have been through enough with this whole visa process, and now may not be able to get my passport in time to go and see my husband's family since I have to go through the process of getting a new visa as well. Sorry..I just had to vent. I've had a terrible week dealing with different government agencies.