Passport Name Change - Changing The Name On Your Passport Can Be Easier Than You Would Think

Learning how to get a passport name change is important if you want your passport to reflect the change in your name since your most recent passport. A name change applies when you get married (and have taken on a different surname), or your name has changed through a court order. In both instances, you will have to go through the passport office for this Pasport Name Change.

You have several options when applying for a passport name change. The first two are based on the issuance date of your passport. If your passport has been issued less than a year ago, you will go through a different procedure from those who had their passports issued over a year ago. So to find out what procedure suits you, check the date of issuance on your current passport.

Now let’s talk about the first type of procedure. In case your passport was issued over a year ago, you are required to apply for a new one by mail. There are several requirements that will enable you to do this. The following requirements are: your current passport, two recent color photographs of yourself, the DS-82 form that you have filled in, plus the original or at least a certified copy of the legal document that proves your name change. Depending on your case, it will either be your marriage contract or the court order on your change of name. Also, you will be required to pay a certain fee for this type of procedure.

Now what if your passport was issued within one year? You will have to fulfill a slightly different set of requirements in that case. These requirements are: your latest passport, two recent photos, the supporting legal documents such as the ones mentioned in the last paragraph, and the DS-5504 form for your passport name change.

You don’t have to pay any fee if you’re applying for a passport name change if your passport is only a year old. However, there will be an applicable fee should you choose to have your application expedited. This is recommended to anyone who needs to leave the country in less than 10 weeks. So if this situation applies to you, have it expedited.

However, there are cases when you cannot legally document your name change, yet wish to have your name in your passport changed. If this sounds like your current situation, then there’s a remedy to that. All you need to do is to submit your latest valid passport, two color photos, your completed American Passport Name Change application form or the DS-11, and pay the applicable fees. Aside from that, you will also need to provide three public records with your date and place of birth that indicates the exclusive use of your new name for a minimum of five years.

Since you are filling in form DS-11, you will be required to submit in person the last set of requirements we mentioned. It therefore pays to ensure that you have all the requirements ready before going to the passport agency or acceptance facility nearest you. Doing this will help you save a lot of time.

So, if you want to know how to get a U.S. Passport Name Change, then we’ve covered that in this article. Just make sure you find out what your situation is before you proceed with your passport application. Aside from that, be thorough in ensuring that you have all the necessary documents filled in or attached before mailing or submitting them.

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