Passport Name Change Before Return Flight?

[Aaron and Marina 24]

Hello all!

Looking for information and/or any experiences, insight, etc.

My wife and I are planning a routine trip to Russia, and as she's not a US citizen yet, we book her international tickets in her maiden name (which is the name on her Russian international passort of course).

Our question is, once we arrive in Russia, is she able to change that international passport to her married name, then fly back? Obviously the names on the ticket and the (now) new passport won't match. Do we need to show the marriage certificate? Is this an ill advised dangerous game to play?

TIA!

[aaron2020 11,651]

It's ill advise to change her passport when her return ticket is in her maiden name.

Once she is back in the US, she can renew her passport at a Russian Embassy/Consulate here.

[Pitaya 2,577]

Suggest that you not attempt to over-complicate your international travel any more than necessary.

[Aaron and Marina 24]

It's ill advise to change her passport when her return ticket is in her maiden name.

Once she is back in the US, she can renew her passport at a Russian Embassy/Consulate here.

Yeah, just very time consuming and expensive to travel to a consulate to do it...we were trying to avoid that. Also checked with an online service, and they quoted $1200!

[arken 4,197]

Airlines might not allow her to board the plane even after showing the marriage certificate because in most of the cases, it's the policy that the name on the ticket should match the name on the passport. So either book her return ticket to US separately with her married name or don't change the passport in Russia.

So Russian consulates/embassy in US don't allow postal services for passport services? Is her current passport expiring in few years?? If not and if she plans to apply for citizenship later on, there is no reason to change the passport at all. In US, she can continue using her married name without changing the name on the passport.

[Aaron and Marina 24]

Airlines might not allow her to board the plane even after showing the marriage certificate because in most of the cases, it's the policy that the name on the ticket should match the name on the passport. So either book her return ticket to US separately with her married name or don't change the passport in Russia.

So Russian consulates/embassy in US don't allow postal services for passport services? Is her current passport expiring in few years?? If not and if she plans to apply for citizenship later on, there is no reason to change the passport at all. In US, she can continue using her married name without changing the name on the passport.

Apparently there's no postal option for getting a new passport with a name change with the consulate...you have to go there (Washington services Florida). Obviously, we would have to travel there. The alternative would be using one of these insanely expensive internet passport services. No way.

When she gets citizenship, she'll get a US passport, and in her married name of course; however, she will still need to keep her Russian international passport, or else she will have to get a visa, like me. Entering Russia=Russian International passport. Entering back to the US=US passport. The only other other option would be to book the ticket to Russia in her maiden name, then book a seperate ticket back in her married name. Having both passports with the same name is just easier for booking purposes.

We should have done that this time, since the difference in one way tickets is only $50...didn't even think about it

[Unidentified 2,930]

Apparently there's no postal option for getting a new passport with a name change with the consulate...you have to go there (Washington services Florida). Obviously, we would have to travel there. The alternative would be using one of these insanely expensive internet passport services. No way.

When she gets citizenship, she'll get a US passport, and in her married name of course; however, she will still need to keep her Russian international passport, or else she will have to get a visa, like me. Entering Russia=Russian International passport. Entering back to the US=US passport. The only other other option would be to book the ticket to Russia in her maiden name, then book a seperate ticket back in her married name. Having both passports with the same name is just easier for booking purposes.

We should have done that this time, since the difference in one way tickets is only $50...didn't even think about it

Normally you can make a name change with the airline, usually for a fee. But I am not sure how they are going to react to a whole new last name especially when she will fly in one name to Russia and then she's going to fly to the US with another. They will probably either refuse to do it or will require documentation. If you're flying with more than one airline they will also most likely not agree to doing it as most airlines will only agree to a name change if they are flying you the whole way.

I would recommend calling the airline and ask them and if that doesn't work and you really really HAVE to have her change her passport in Russia. Cancel your flight and re-book it one way to Russia in one name and one way to the US in the other.

It might just be cheaper and easier to travel to the embassy and have it done there with all the hassle you might have to go through anyway.

[Aaron and Marina 24]

Normally you can make a name change with the airline, usually for a fee. But I am not sure how they are going to react to a whole new last name especially when she will fly in one name to Russia and then she's going to fly to the US with another. They will probably either refuse to do it or will require documentation. If you're flying with more than one airline they will also most likely not agree to doing it as most airlines will only agree to a name change if they are flying you the whole way.

I would recommend calling the airline and ask them and if that doesn't work and you really really HAVE to have her change her passport in Russia. Cancel your flight and re-book it one way to Russia in one name and one way to the US in the other.

It might just be cheaper and easier to travel to the embassy and have it done there with all the hassle you might have to go through anyway.

Turns out it would have been just as easy to book the flight to Russia in her maiden name, and the return flight in her married name...both one way. Get there, change the passport, and we're all set. Difference in price for round trip and one way is only $50.

We called Aeroflot (main Russia airline); the girl understood 100% our question. She said when we get there, she can change her passport, bring it to the Aeroflot office in town, and they'll change/re-issue the ticket for 800 rubles (about $12.50). We're going to visit Aeroflot first of course JUST to be very sure and ask the same question again...then proceed with said initiative. Apparently it's a pretty easy process after all.

Thanks for the input!

[Unidentified 2,930]

Turns out it would have been just as easy to book the flight to Russia in her maiden name, and the return flight in her married name...both one way. Get there, change the passport, and we're all set. Difference in price for round trip and one way is only $50.

We called Aeroflot (main Russia airline); the girl understood 100% our question. She said when we get there, she can change her passport, bring it to the Aeroflot office in town, and they'll change/re-issue the ticket for 800 rubles (about $12.50). We're going to visit Aeroflot first of course JUST to be very sure and ask the same question again...then proceed with said initiative. Apparently it's a pretty easy process after all.

Thanks for the input!

Awesome! Yes, if you're flying with the same airline the whole way they don't have a problem with the name change. It's just because if you fly with more than one airline and one agrees to do the name change and the other doesn't you're in trouble

Glad it worked out, I'm hoping they will give you the same answer once you're actually there!

[Aaron and Marina 24]

Awesome! Yes, if you're flying with the same airline the whole way they don't have a problem with the name change. It's just because if you fly with more than one airline and one agrees to do the name change and the other doesn't you're in trouble

Glad it worked out, I'm hoping they will give you the same answer once you're actually there!

Oh ok, I never knew that? Then again, never had to do a name change before Sounds like from talking to the Aeroflot rep it's real easy, which echoes what you're saying as well.

As far as the leg to and from Russia is concerned, we're only flying Aeroflot. Our domestic flights are completely separate portions, and those are booked in her married name, which of course her GC name is as well...WAY easier and cheaper to piece together the entire trip like that...just have to leave more than enough time in case of delays from the previous flights, etc.

Thanks...and thanks!

[Neonred 3,567]

We tried to do the same thing several years ago. Wife was going to change name in her Russian international passport while we were visiting Russia. At that time I had booked the round trip tickets in her new married name, which is generally not recommended now, and used our marriage certificate as proof of her ID. Never had any problems checking in on flights. This was Delta Airlines when Delta was flying to Moscow. That being said we did have other issues.

It was such a hassle trying to change her name in Russia. As you probably know to change the name in the international passport you must change the name in the internal passport, which we found cannot be done in the US at the embassy (or at least they did not want to) so the reason to do it in Russia. The marriage certificate we brought was not sufficient for them to do the name change, they needed more.... In the end we did not do the name change.

In reality there is no compelling reason to change the name in the Russian passport. You can still travel easily. Also as an FYI to correct one of your previous post, your wife can NOT get a visa in her US passport when she gets one. It is not allowed for a Russian get a visa in a foreign passport to enter Russia unless they have renounced their Russian citizenship, and that is another whole process. My wife has her US passport now and is happy to visit all other parts of the world.

Oh, and make sure in the future your wife renews her internal passport when required. My wife did not, and when both passports expired she was SOL. Another story for another day.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Neonred

[Dave&Roza 748]

I agree with the above post^^^^^^^^^. Why bother changing her last name. My wife is still using her maiden name and will continue to do so. It does throw some people here in the US for a loop when I given them her last name and they just assume mine is the same especially when the people here in the US do not know that Russian surnames follow the same gender rules as any other noun or verb. So my last name would be without the "a" on the end.

Worry about changing her last name when it is much easier like when she becomes a USC. I would have all her US IDs in her married name now that the GC is in her married name, but I would keep the Russian internal and international passports in her maiden name and change them only when they expire. You might want to bring along a few extra portraits of Mr. Franklin to help with them accepting the Marriage Certificate. They still do that especially to non-Russian citizens.

Dave

Edited July 17, 2016 by Dave&Roza

[Dashinka 24,514]

We tried to do the same thing several years ago. Wife was going to change name in her Russian international passport while we were visiting Russia. At that time I had booked the round trip tickets in her new married name, which is generally not recommended now, and used our marriage certificate as proof of her ID. Never had any problems checking in on flights. This was Delta Airlines when Delta was flying to Moscow. That being said we did have other issues.

It was such a hassle trying to change her name in Russia. As you probably know to change the name in the international passport you must change the name in the internal passport, which we found cannot be done in the US at the embassy (or at least they did not want to) so the reason to do it in Russia. The marriage certificate we brought was not sufficient for them to do the name change, they needed more.... In the end we did not do the name change.

In reality there is no compelling reason to change the name in the Russian passport. You can still travel easily. Also as an FYI to correct one of your previous post, your wife can NOT get a visa in her US passport when she gets one. It is not allowed for a Russian get a visa in a foreign passport to enter Russia unless they have renounced their Russian citizenship, and that is another whole process. My wife has her US passport now and is happy to visit all other parts of the world.

Oh, and make sure in the future your wife renews her internal passport when required. My wife did not, and when both passports expired she was SOL. Another story for another day.

I completely agree. My wife and I discussed this, and I have read a couple of threads in the Russian section dealing with this issue.

I had heard that changing the name on the internal passport is very difficult and time consuming especially if you have a marriage certificate that does not specifically contain a name change section (quite common in many locales). We have resigned ourselves to booking her international travel in her maiden name (at least until she goes through naturalization) so she can use her Russian passport, and keeping a copy of the marriage certificate with us upon re-entry with her GC which shows her married name. So far no one has questioned us, but we are always prepared. If and when she gets a US passport through naturalization, we will use that for international travel except when we go back to Russia.

Good Luck!

Edited July 17, 2016 by Bill & Katya