Air tickets and international passport after changing your last name: answers to the main questions

→ Is it possible to fly abroad with an old surname? → Is it possible to use a foreign passport with an old (maiden) name while a new passport is being made? → What to do if a valid visa remains in the old foreign passport. And if it’s a Schengen or American visa → You don’t have to change your passport and get a foreign visa using your old maiden name → What to do if you bought airline tickets, got married and changed your last name → Is it possible to fly to another city in Russia using your old internal passport after changing your last name? , for example, Sochi → What to do if you are flying to another city, but your new internal passport is not ready for the flight

Is it possible to fly abroad using a passport with an old last name?

Yes and no.

After the official change of surname - if you got married, divorced or received a certificate of name change - you need to change your international passport. This follows from Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation dated November 27, 2017 N 889:

176. When issuing a passport containing an electronic storage medium, the employee authorized to issue the passport carries out the following administrative actions:
176.6. […] notifies of the need to timely replace a passport containing an electronic storage medium in case of impossibility of its further use (expiration, damage, lack of space for marking border crossings, visas of foreign countries, changes in personal data (last name, first name, patronymic , date of birth and others) or when there is a significant change in the appearance of the owner of a passport containing an electronic storage medium).

A similar paragraph numbered 166.9. is in the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated November 16, 2021 N 864 regarding old-style international passports.

At the same time, nowhere in Russian laws does it say how long after changing the surname the old foreign passport must be replaced. There are also no late fees.

The situation is controversial and is interpreted differently. The help desk of the border service of the FSB of Russia explained to Skyscanner that since there is no set period (like 30 days for a civil passport), you need to change your international passport immediately. And at the border control of Domodedovo airport they answered that, of course, it is necessary to change the passport, but the passport remains valid until the end of its validity period and there will be no problems at the border.

In practice, many continue to buy air tickets and fly using a passport with an old last name until it expires. An internal passport with a different surname is not shown when crossing the border (according to the rules, you don’t have to take it abroad).

But there are nuances:

It is difficult to obtain a visa using a foreign passport with an old last name. When submitting an application, visa centers usually require you to present your original internal passport. If you bring two passports with different last names, the documents will not be accepted. Some try to submit a scan of an old internal passport with the same last name, but the legality of such an action is questionable. At the same time, people usually fly to visa-free countries or with a visa on arrival without any problems.

If you lose your passport under your old surname while abroad, it will be difficult to obtain a certificate of return from the Russian consulate and travel documents from the authorities of another country. You may also be denied travel insurance benefits. Read more about this in our article “What to do if your money and documents were stolen abroad.”

At the airports of Vladivostok and Blagoveshchensk, there were cases when young spouses were not allowed to leave Russia on their honeymoon because of the maiden name in the passport . Assuming that they were newlyweds, the border guards specifically checked the documents in their bases, made sure that the passport did not correspond to the current surname, and refused to leave the country. Sometimes a fine was issued. We haven’t heard such stories about other airports, but they cannot be completely ruled out.

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Application and example of filling out a form when changing a foreign passport

One of the items on the list of documents for obtaining a foreign passport when changing your last name is an application form. Correctly filling out the application form for a foreign passport is a guarantee that the documents will be accepted by the FMS immediately and you will not have to come again to resubmit the documents along with the corrected application form.

You need to start by deciding which passport is needed - a new biometric one (valid for 10 years) or an old one (valid for 5 years). Application forms for these 2 types of passports are different.

Sample of a completed application form for a biometric passport (downloaded today: 61 times, total: 286,101 times)
Sample of a completed application form for an old-style passport (downloaded today: 38 times, total: 312,684 times)

You can also use our instructions:

Instructions for filling out the form at

biometric passport
old style passport

Let's focus on 2 significant points in the application form when replacing a foreign passport.

If a foreign passport is changed due to a change in last name, first name or patronymic, this must be reflected in the application form. This information applies to men, women and children.
If there have been several changes to your full name, and all the information does not fit in one form, fill out the second form in the same way as the first, only in the second line of paragraph 1 - continue to fill out what did not fit in the first form. Item 14 regarding work activity does not need to be filled out in the second application form.
In the application form for an old-style passport:
in paragraph 5, indicate the previous full name, place of change (it is enough to indicate only the city) and the date of change of full name (in the format dd.mm.yyyy). If there were several changes to the full name, then the Application is filled out (downloaded today: 6 times, total: 28861 times). In the Appendix, fill out clause 1 – real full name, date of birth, gender. In paragraph 4, continue to fill out (what did not fit in the main questionnaire) your previous full name, date of shift and place of shift.

In an application for a change of passport You must provide information about how you receive your passport:
to replace the used one (if you are applying for a new passport when you change your last name, first name or patronymic, or because your existing passport is expiring or there are no free pages left)
to replace a damaged one (if the existing passport is of poor quality - torn, dented, etc.)
to replace a lost one (if the existing passport is valid, i.e. it has not expired and was lost)
in addition to the existing one (it is possible to issue a second passport for the validity period of the first one for citizens who frequently travel abroad)

Cost scale for obtaining a foreign passport

for 5-6 working days 10,500a + state duty 2000 rub. Find out details

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So is it still possible to fly abroad with the same last name or not?

Officially, after changing your last name, you must change your passport. When exactly is not established by law, so theoretically, border guards have grounds to refuse exit at any time.

In reality, people do as they please: they calmly fly with their old passport with their maiden name on their honeymoon, and if they need a visa, they apply for it in advance. Even after changing their internal passport, many continue to use a foreign one with their old last name.

We do not recommend taking risks, especially if you have already received a general passport with a new surname: if the officer at the border nevertheless draws attention to the different surnames, all the trump cards according to the law will be in his hands, and you will have no legal arguments left in your favor.

Do I need to change the document immediately?

The legislation does not provide for a specific period for replacing a foreign passport after a change of surname, unlike, for example, replacing an internal passport (it must be changed within a month). You will also need to change your foreign passport, but it is not necessary to do this right away. It all depends on the situation: if, for example, a change of surname occurs due to marriage, and this is in most cases the main reason, and a foreign trip is planned immediately after the wedding, you can safely go with your old passport - visas have already been received, air tickets have been purchased. An internal passport will not be required when crossing the border on a trip. You can change your passport after the trip. Moreover, the procedure can only begin after you receive an internal passport with a new surname.

But if the trip is not planned immediately and the required visa has not yet been received, you will have to change your passport before the trip - the consulate will require an internal passport when applying for a visa, and if the names in the passports are different, they will refuse the visa.

What to do if you still have a valid visa in your old passport?

There are two scenarios:

1) The visa is in your old name, its validity has not expired, you have not yet received a new passport. In such a situation, many travel on an old passport with an open visa, including to Schengen countries. If you are not in the Far East, then there will almost certainly not be problems at the border, especially if less than 30 days have passed since the wedding. But according to the rules, you must make a new foreign passport immediately after changing your last name.

2) The visa remained in the canceled passport under the old surname, you received a new passport. Contact the consulate of the country you are traveling to and describe the situation. There are three options:

You can enter with two passports (an old one with a visa in your old surname and a new one without a visa), if you take with you a marriage certificate and its notarized translation. In this case, book air tickets using a valid passport with a new surname;

or the consulate will transfer a valid visa from the old passport to a new one with the current surname free of charge;

or you will have to reapply for a new visa and pay fees.

FAQ

Is it necessary to replace a foreign passport after changing your last name?	Yes, but only after the internal ID is replaced.
If I have a visa, will I be allowed to travel abroad using my old passport?	Yes, since only a foreign passport is used to travel abroad, and no one asks for an internal one.
Do I need to renew my visa?	If a passport with open visas has been replaced, they will be closed completely automatically, and therefore no one will be allowed on the plane.

How to apply for a new passport if the old one is expired? — You must make an appointment with the Federal Migration Service and bring an application with documents. We will explain what is needed for a new type of international passport in 2020.

Read on to learn how to find out if an old-style international passport is ready.

What to do if your canceled passport still contains a valid Schengen visa

You cannot enter the Schengen zone with an old passport with a visa in your maiden name, or a new passport without a visa and a marriage certificate. Most countries explicitly require that the visa be included in the new passport. Some consulates, for example, Latvia and Spain, say that this is a recommendation, not a requirement, but it is safer not to take risks.

Whether you will have to submit documents and pay new visa and consular fees or whether the Schengen visa will simply be transferred to a new passport depends on the country:

the consulates of Spain and Germany will transfer a visa from an old passport with a maiden name to a new valid foreign passport free of charge;

The consulates of Finland, Portugal, Estonia and Poland do not transfer a valid visa to a new passport; you will have to reapply for a visa and pay fees.

Describe your situation to the consular officer by phone or email - the problem is common, and all official missions of countries have worked out scenarios for actions in such cases.

Is it possible to enter the USA with two passports: an old one with a visa in your maiden name and a new one?

Theoretically yes. As of spring 2021, people pass through US passport control without question with two passports: a canceled old one in their maiden name with a valid visa, a new, blank passport in their new last name, and a notarized translation of their marriage certificate into English. Occasionally there are difficulties when checking in for a flight, but they can be resolved.

However, if previously US consular services said that you can fly with two passports and a marriage certificate, now the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US State Department officially advises you to obtain a new visa in your current passport.

Possibilities of a passport with a maiden name

As mentioned above, you can actually travel abroad using a passport that was issued in your maiden name, but this document must be valid at the time of crossing the border, and a citizen can leave Russia, traveling only to visa-free countries.

In the process of submitting documents for a new visa, you will be required to provide an internal identification document, and discrepancies in last names will be clearly noted by authorized consulate officers, and therefore they will simply refuse to issue a new document.

How to apply for a new passport if it is expired? — You must apply for a new certificate. Read the link to find out if your passport is ready via the Internet.

Old documentation can be used for another month from the date of change of name. It is imperative to replace various papers in which the old surname was indicated, since all these documents are considered invalid and are owned by a person who does not exist, and therefore their use is illegal.

Sample passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation

What to do if you bought a ticket and then got married and changed your last name

You cannot fly using a passport and an air ticket in your old surname: the ticket must be reissued. Send the airline scans of your marriage certificate, old and new passports and find out under what conditions changes can be made to the reservation.

Most carriers will change your data for free, including S7, Aeroflot, UTair, Ryanair, easyJet and AirAsia. Ural Airlines will replace the maiden name on the ticket with a new one for 500 rubles, Nordwind will charge 610 rubles. Translations of documents may be required for foreign carriers.

If you changed your last name after a divorce or simply decided to change your name and received a certificate of name change, the procedure is the same. The main thing is to provide supporting documents to the airline.