passport and plane ticket under different names

[Lainie B 465]

This question has come up a lot before, but I'll ask again anyway...

I may have to travel internationally for work and my passport is still under my maiden name, though the tickets will have to be under my married name (as work will purchase them). It is difficult for me to change my passport to my married name while I am in the US.

I know the current recommendation here is that the ticket and passport should match, but I have also heard of many people who have traveled with them under different names and not had a problem (by carrying their marriage certificate).

So I am asking for personal experiences - has anybody here booked their ticket under their married name with their passport under their maiden name and had a problem either boarding the airport or at the other end entering the foreign country? Is it worth the effort of getting a new passport? Conversely, have people recently traveled internationally with their passport and ticket not matching and had no issues?

[Visitor 90]

I'm from OZ and have ALWAYS been told to travel between US and OZ and with passport and ticket in same name. Can't you get your work to get the ticket in your passport name? I still have my OZ passport in my last (previous) name so I always buy my ticket in that name. I've also been told by Aussie passport office that it's not necessary to change to married name. It's a complicated process even if you are in OZ. Might involve getting married again in Australia as OZ don't recognise US marriage. I didn't bother changing my passport to married name and doubt if I will. I will continue to travel under my passport name. Good luck with that. I hope you don't have problems but I think you might.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I'm from OZ and have ALWAYS been told to travel between US and OZ and with passport and ticket in same name. Can't you get your work to get the ticket in your passport name? I still have my OZ passport in my last (previous) name so I always buy my ticket in that name. I've also been told by Aussie passport office that it's not necessary to change to married name. It's a complicated process even if you are in OZ. Might involve getting married again in Australia as OZ don't recognise US marriage. I didn't bother changing my passport to married name and doubt if I will. I will continue to travel under my passport name. Good luck with that. I hope you don't have problems but I think you might.

Australia DOES recognise a US marriage but the different agencies will not accept the marriage certificate for name change purposes (because they don't know whether it's real). You need to go to the BDM for the state you were born in and have a name change done. Quite simple. Then get a new passport. Also simple. I did mine in about a month (of waiting time from both processes). Just to reiterate, you CANNOT get "remarried" in Aus when you are already married in ANY country in the world.

I travelled to Aus in 2010 with my ticket in married and passport in maiden. I was told as long as my ticket matched "government issued photo ID" I would be fine, in my case that was my greencard. In the OP's case... they MIGHT let you travel with a marriage cert as well but I would suggest speaking to your employer and ensuring they book in maiden name to be safe.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Vanessa&Tony

[VanessaTony 3,567]

So I am asking for personal experiences - has anybody here booked their ticket under their married name with their passport under their maiden name and had a problem either boarding the airport or at the other end entering the foreign country? Is it worth the effort of getting a new passport? Conversely, have people recently traveled internationally with their passport and ticket not matching and had no issues?

I've read of people have problems yes and being forced to pay for a ticket change ($200 ish). As your employer has not yet booked the tickets ensure you tell them to book in maiden, just to be safe.

I had no problems travelling in maiden name passport, married tickets but that was in late 2010 and there's been some changes since then...

Honestly, changing your passport isn't that much of an ordeal... it's like immigration stuff really. Just read the instructions and you'll be fine Up to you whether you do it or not.

[Visitor 90]

Australia DOES recognise a US marriage but the different agencies will not accept the marriage certificate for name change purposes (because they don't know whether it's real). You need to go to the BDM for the state you were born in and have a name change done. Quite simple. Then get a new passport. Also simple. I did mine in about a month (of waiting time from both processes). Just to reiterate, you CANNOT get "remarried" in Aus when you are already married in ANY country in the world.

I travelled to Aus in 2010 with my ticket in married and passport in maiden. I was told as long as my ticket matched "government issued photo ID" I would be fine, in my case that was my greencard. In the OP's case... they MIGHT let you travel with a marriage cert as well but I would suggest speaking to your employer and ensuring they book in maiden name to be safe.

Thank you for the updated information. I didn't know that. I stand corrected. It's been about 7 years since I renewed my passport in Australia and back then it actually WAS much more difficult and I WAS in fact advised by the passport office in Sydney NOT to bother changing my name to married name as it was just easier to travel with ticket in current passport name and at that time both ticket and passport name had to be the same. You obviously have more updated information. Good to know. I didn't know about not getting remarried in OZ either. Rules change all the time and I for one can't keep up with them. Sorry for the misinformation. My intentions were good.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thank you for the updated information. I didn't know that. I stand corrected. It's been about 7 years since I renewed my passport in Australia and back then it actually WAS much more difficult and I WAS in fact advised by the passport office in Sydney NOT to bother changing my name to married name as it was just easier to travel with ticket in current passport name and at that time both ticket and passport name had to be the same. You obviously have more updated information. Good to know. I didn't know about not getting remarried in OZ either. Rules change all the time and I for one can't keep up with them. Sorry for the misinformation. My intentions were good.

Oooo see you could have got a free passport (gratis) if done within the first year of marriage... probably wanted to get more money from you later

I did mine in Aus so it's a little less complicated doing it there, but it's not super hard here (thread in my signature explaining the process).

And of course good intentions Never doubted otherwise

[Visitor 90]

Oooo see you could have got a free passport (gratis) if done within the first year of marriage... probably wanted to get more money from you later

I did mine in Aus so it's a little less complicated doing it there, but it's not super hard here (thread in my signature explaining the process).

And of course good intentions Never doubted otherwise

They give you a free passport if you apply within a year after getting married?? I didn't know that either. At that time I was so overwhelmed with green card processes that I didn't even bother thinking about my passport. As long as it was current it was OK as far as I was concerned.

I did renew it about a year before it expired. I went back to Aus and I did it in Sydney. My passport renewal actually prompted my trip back to Aus back then. I had tried calling the Aus Consulate in Seattle and they told me it was a complicated and long process to renew my passport within the US as they weren't a full service Embassy so I took the more expensive but easier way around getting a new passport. I was due for a visit back to OZ to visit with family and friends anyway so it all worked out OK. I will probably do the same thing in a year or 2 when I go back again. Easier to just renew it there, pay the expedited cost and pick it up in a few days. I'm too lazy to do things the long way. I'd rather pay someone to do things an easy way if there is one.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

They give you a free passport if you apply within a year after getting married?? I didn't know that either. At that time I was so overwhelmed with green card processes that I didn't even bother thinking about my passport. As long as it was current it was OK as far as I was concerned.

I did renew it about a year before it expired. I went back to Aus and I did it in Sydney. My passport renewal actually prompted my trip back to Aus back then. I had tried calling the Aus Consulate in Seattle and they told me it was a complicated and long process to renew my passport within the US as they weren't a full service Embassy so I took the more expensive but easier way around getting a new passport. I was due for a visit back to OZ to visit with family and friends anyway so it all worked out OK. I will probably do the same thing in a year or 2 when I go back again. Easier to just renew it there, pay the expedited cost and pick it up in a few days. I'm too lazy to do things the long way. I'd rather pay someone to do things an easy way if there is one.

So you're up for a renewal in a year or two? If i were you then I would do the name change part before your scheduled trip (a little more annoying from overseas but totally doable) and then when you do your passport you simply show your name change document and get your name changed (can still do the expedite etc). There is a fee associated with the name change though so it's not cheap... but it's a good thing (if you're interested of course ).

[Visitor 90]

As I still own property in Australia I think it would be easier to leave my name as it is in Australia for now. I would have to change too many other things if I changed my name there so for now I'll leave things as they are. I'm kinda tunnel visioned. I can only do one thing at a time so I'll look at the passport renewal later when I'm all done with this citizenship process. I think I still have a few more years to go on it although I will have to check on that. Multitasking becomes more difficult as I get older.

[Lainie B 465]

Thanks guys. I am going to give the name change by mail a try, if that works I should be able to get a passport from here. I don't think my work would book tickets under my maiden name.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thanks guys. I am going to give the name change by mail a try, if that works I should be able to get a passport from here. I don't think my work would book tickets under my maiden name.

If you want any help/have questions please don't hesitate to ask. I think you'll do just fine though

I would ask your work to "just this once" book the tickets in maiden while you go through the name change process. Maybe they'll be understanding given it can take a month or so.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Vanessa&Tony

[Lainie B 465]

If you want any help/have questions please don't hesitate to ask. I think you'll do just fine though

I would ask your work to "just this once" book the tickets in maiden while you go through the name change process. Maybe they'll be understanding given it can take a month or so.

If I can't get the passport in time I'll ask them to book it in my maiden name, it's a while away so I may be able to get the new passport before then.