Replacement of international passport when changing surname

Reasons for replacement

The most common reason for changing a surname is entering into a marriage. Moreover, the surname of the spouse can be borne by both the husband and the wife. However, most often it is a woman who changes her last name. Men are less inclined to make such a choice due to traditional views.

Another similar basis could be the dissolution of a marriage and the return to one of the spouses of the surname that he or she had before the marriage. It is worth noting that after a breakup, many women still keep their ex-husband’s last name. Usually this happens due to a child or a reluctance to start paperwork, because when changing your last name you will have to change not only your passport, but also other important documents.

Also, any citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached the age of majority has the right to change his surname based on personal preferences. Such cases are much less common, but still occur.

Adopting a child is another good reason to change your last name. In this case, the child’s surname changes to the surname of the adoptive parents or one of them, depending on the situation. Find out more about how to change your last name.

Is it necessary to change your passport when changing your last name?

Often, after changing personal data, people wonder whether it is necessary to change their passport after changing their last name? And in this case the answer is not so clear. If you don’t have a trip soon, you don’t have to rush to replace the document. But if such a possibility still exists, it is better to take care of a replacement.

This way you will avoid problems with obtaining a visa, during which you will need to present both passports - domestic and foreign. Also, replacing your international passport will eliminate possible misunderstandings with border guards if you travel with a minor child. It is worth noting that the success of crossing state borders directly depends on whether you have a valid international passport, issued in accordance with all the rules.

The fact is that it is not allowed to make any changes to the foreign passport that affect the owner’s personal information. Based on the established standards, you should not even think about whether you need to change your international passport after changing your last name in 2021, since no new changes of this kind have been made to the legislation. The innovations for 2021 affected only the type of international passport when changing any personal data.

The situation with replacing a passport in connection with entering into a marriage is a little ambiguous. Once you have a brand new internal passport in your hands, you should think about whether you need to change your international passport after marriage when changing your last name.

In this case, the newlyweds can go on a honeymoon using old documents, if the visa was already ready before marriage or is not required for the selected country. You can take care of replacing your passport after you return.

Validity period of a foreign passport after a last name change

Specific deadlines for replacing a passport based on a change of surname are established only for its general civil type; a foreign passport can be used until the expiration date of its validity. No penalties will be applied to a person who does not replace this document. Nuances can arise only if it is necessary to reconcile internal and foreign passports. Read more about how long a foreign passport is valid after changing your last name.

Does a foreign passport remain valid after a last name change?

There is no set deadline for replacement of a foreign passport. The document remains valid until the end of the validity period. The change of surname plays a secondary role. If, according to the law, a general passport must be changed in a short time (1 month from the date of occurrence of the reason for replacement), then a foreign ID does not have such parameters.

The foreign passport changes when changing the surname only if it is intended to cross the border with a visa regime. To obtain a visa, you must present both passports - civil and foreign.

The person's last name and all information must match. Otherwise, a travel permit will not be issued. On the other hand, the certificate itself does not cease to be valid and there is no need to change it urgently if you do not plan to travel abroad.

Validity

The validity of a foreign passport is limited only by its individual characteristics, depending on whether it is an old sample or a new one. A change of surname is not always the basis for replacing the document.

If after changing your last name you do not plan to leave the country, then there is no reason to re-issue a foreign ID. The same rule applies if you plan to travel abroad immediately after marriage.

In this case, the person has a month to re-issue a general passport. During this time, obtaining a visa is carried out using old documents.

Where to apply for a passport? — This can be done online through the State Services portal. Read here how a biometric passport differs from a regular one.

Will they be allowed to go abroad with their old ID?

Is a foreign passport valid after a last name change and will they be allowed to travel abroad on the basis of the previous ID is a pressing question for all newlyweds. Most often, the wife takes her husband's surname and worries about possible problems at the border.

The development of events could be as follows:

There is still some nuance when the foreign passport does not need to be changed. The situation is as follows: the woman has issued a foreign passport. After some time, she got married and changed her last name. The foreign certificate did not change and there were no trips abroad.

After the divorce, the woman returned her maiden name, in which the passport was issued. In fact, the document has full legal force, since the data in the general passport again coincides with the information in the international passport.

When crossing borders with visa-free countries, there will be no problems at all until the main validity period of the certificate expires. When applying for a visa, the situation can develop in two ways.

On the one hand, all the data is true and coincides in both documents. The visa should not be refused.

On the other hand, visa service officers may pay attention to the deadline for issuing both documents. According to the law, a foreign passport is issued on the basis of a general civil identity card. This means that a foreign passport always has a later issue date in relation to the Russian passport.

When returning her maiden name, the woman reissued her Russian passport, but at the same time kept her previous foreign ID.

Thus, it was issued not on the basis of a valid Russian passport, but on some other document, and the date of issue will be later than the civil identity card. This will be considered a violation and a visa may be denied.

What type of passport should I apply for?

Since 2021, when changing your surname, one type of registration of a foreign passport has been established.

The old international passport is replaced with a similar one, changed in accordance with the new personal data, a new document - with a biometric international passport. Such a document contains a chip containing all the information necessary for the migration service.

Also, since last year, to obtain a biometric passport, fingerprints of the index fingers of both hands will be required. Thus, fingerprint data will provide more reliable protection against the use of counterfeit documents and speed up border control.

It is worth noting that there is no need to specifically change your current old-style international passport to a new biometric one. The only exception is a change in the owner’s personal data, in which case a replacement is necessary.

However, even if you change your last name, it is possible to obtain an old type of foreign passport. This is possible when the registration and purpose of obtaining a foreign passport do not require delay. An example of such a situation would be issuing a valid passport to travel abroad in order to attend the funeral of a relative. Another good reason could be a serious illness of a loved one.

general information

A foreign passport that has become invalid can be replaced at the Federal Migration Service at the place of registration. The package of documents for a new international passport is similar to the list of certificates that was required to obtain a previous passport. It is necessary to change your general passport after entering into a marriage. Otherwise, the Russian woman undertakes to pay a heavy fine.

If a Russian woman wants to receive a new type of passport, then she first needs to make changes to the internal document proving her identity. During the re-registration procedure, the previous passport is cancelled.

Processing times largely depend on the country of entry. Some countries allow the wives of their subjects to enter using old foreign passports. If the husband of a Russian woman is a citizen of the European Union, then you cannot do without obtaining a new passport, and the wait can last for several months.

In accordance with domestic legislation, the change of internal passport is carried out within 5-6 weeks.

Replacement procedure

Many people are interested in how to change their passport after changing their last name. This problem can be solved in several ways, and not all of them require personal contact.

Registration at the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Before visiting the nearest migration service office, you must prepare the required package of documents. In order to avoid wasting time in long queues, you need to go to the UVM website in your region and make an appointment. If no difficulties arise, the procedure will last approximately 15–20 minutes.

It is very important to arrive at exactly the appointed time, without being late, otherwise a long queue cannot be avoided. After submitting all the documents, the GUVM employee will set a date for the passport to be ready - on this day you will need to pick up the document.

Registration of a foreign passport at the multifunctional center (MFC)

Replacing a foreign passport when changing your last name at the MFC makes sense only if you need an old-style document. Before visiting the center in person, it would be useful to familiarize yourself with its website, clarify the required list of documents and make an appointment. An important point in completing the document submission procedure the first time is paying the state fee before your direct visit to the MFC.

In terms of time, receiving a package of documents will take approximately the same time as when applying to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The difference lies in the notification about the readiness of the foreign document: you will receive information from the MFC about the successful completion of the production of the international passport via SMS.

You can pick up the document at a time convenient for you at the same branch of the multifunctional center.

Registration using the State Services portal

To change your international passport when changing your last name through State Services, first of all you need to go to and open your personal account. If you don't have one, you need to register.

In your personal account, you must select a service and fill out the form provided. You need to pay special attention to the choice of the GUVM branch where you will have to pick up your completed international passport.

To fully enter data into the form, you will need to upload your photo. Detailed image requirements can be found on the website.

After completing all the specified steps and carefully checking the entered data, the questionnaire can be sent for processing.

If your efforts were not in vain, within a few days a letter will be sent to the email address you provided with an invitation to the migration service department you previously specified in order to take a photo in digital format and submit all documents.

A list of required papers will also be attached to the letter.

Typically, there is a separate queue for citizens using the State Services portal when submitting documents. An employee of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will announce the date of readiness of the international passport.

How much does it cost to change a passport when changing your last name in 2021?

The cost of replacing a passport will depend on several reasons, even though the amount is fixed.

Causes:

• the cost of a passport for a child under 14 years old with the old model is 1000 rubles;
• a new sample for the same age 1500 rubles;
• changing your last name and obtaining an old sample passport will require a state fee of 2000;
• if a person over 14 years old receives a new passport, then the amount is 3500.

All state duties are established by law. You will no longer need to pay a friend for services. An exception is the services of photo centers or secondary organizations, but this does not apply to the public services themselves.

That is, the cost of a passport when changing a surname for an adult is 2 or 3.5 thousand rubles, depending on the type of passport. This is due to the fact that changing the surname is one of the standard replacements, which are a full-fledged registration of a new passport.

It’s worth considering that you won’t be able to simply enter a new name into your old passport, since even the entire set of documents changes due to a change in your civil (internal) passport.

It is also necessary to remember that the state fee must be paid in full in accordance with the type of passport that the person is applying for, and not with the one that he has already issued.

Features and procedure for paying state duty

To pay the state duty, there are certain conditions and nuances that should be taken into account:

• payment of state duty is required;
• the amount depends on the type of document being drawn up;
• the list of duties is established by law and cannot be changed;
• it is impossible to reduce the cost, with the exception of the non-cash payment option on the government services portal where promotions are held;
• the state duty must be paid by the person who draws up the document;
• The period of state duty (validity) is three years.

It is also important to remember that if a person has previously paid the state fee for a foreign passport, you can simply pay extra.

Among several nuances, the provision of receipts is especially important. The payment of the state duty itself is visible through the electronic system, but it is better to make yourself a receipt, which can be downloaded on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and also received from Sberbank if you pay through an ATM.

It is worth considering that filling out the state fee must be done according to the sample, which can be obtained at any place where the application is submitted. If the data is entered incorrectly, you will have to pay again.

The procedure looks like this:

1. Submitting an application and receiving a positive response.
2. Receive a state duty receipt, pay it and fill it out.
3. Saving the receipt.
4. If necessary, print out payment information.
5. Providing a receipt with a documentation package.

It is strictly necessary to pay the state fee only after a positive decision. This is especially true when there is a possibility of failure.

The cost of changing a foreign passport depends only on the type of passport chosen for the new registration. All state fees have a standard version, which is established by law.

If you don’t plan to travel abroad until your passport of any type, including a new one, expires, then you don’t have to change it. A change is required only if you are required to travel to visa countries.

Receipt for payment of state duty

The state fee when replacing a foreign passport due to a change of surname is the same as when issuing a new one:

• 3500 rubles for a new sample form;
• 2000 rubles for an old-style passport.

In some regions, such as the Kaliningrad region and the Republic of Crimea, no state duty is charged at all.

Preferential situations and discounts

Anyone who contributes funds to pay the state fee through the Public Services portal is entitled to a 30% discount on the total cost of the service. Thus, the amount of the fee will be:

• For a biometric passport – 2450 rubles.
• For an old-style passport – 1,400 rubles.

To receive a discount you must:

1. Register on the portal.
2. Log in to your personal account.
3. We register an application for a foreign passport.
4. We are waiting for the invoice to arrive for payment.
5. The payment method must be selected from those offered by the system (bank cards (MIR, MasterCard, Visa), mobile phone, electronic wallet of the Web Money system).
6. We make payment.
7. Save and print the receipt.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the following are exempt from paying the federal tax:

• Citizens of the Crimean peninsula.
• People permanently residing in the Kaliningrad region.

What can confirm the fact of payment?

The fact of payment is always confirmed by a receipt, which you need to take with you. If payment is made through the website, then the receipt must be printed and saved to your desktop (just in case). A receipt for the paid state fee is included in the package of basic documents , without which the service for obtaining a foreign passport when changing your last name will not be carried out. Today, passport office employees have the opportunity to track received payments independently on the official State Services portal.

Application form for a new passport

You can fill out the form for issuing a new generation international passport not only by hand, but also on a computer, but only in capital letters. To promptly enter reliable information, you will need to have a number of documents on hand:

1. Internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
2. International passport with old surname.
3. Certificate of marriage or divorce.
4. A document confirming your work experience over the last ten years.
5. List of addresses of your places of work or study over the past ten years.
6. Home and mobile phone numbers. If there is only one, be sure to include a valid number.

List of required documents

If we talk about what documents are needed to replace a foreign passport, the standard list for both men and women looks something like this:

• photographs 3.5x4.5 cm;
• receipt of payment of state duty;
• internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation with the surname already changed and its copy;
• previously issued passport;
• document on the basis of which the surname was changed (certificate of marriage or divorce, adoption, etc.)

The list of what is needed to replace a foreign passport for representatives of the stronger sex also includes a certificate from the military registration and enlistment office or a military ID card if they changed their personal data between the ages of 18 and 27.

Payment of state duty

The state fee for changing a foreign passport is set by the state. With the introduction of biometric documents, its cost has increased, which is explained by the increase in the cost of their production. It is worth noting that the fee for replacing a passport is equal to the amount when it was originally issued.

If we talk about the state duty for issuing an old-style international passport, then in 2021 it is equal to 2,000 rubles. A similar amount will have to be paid for the production of a biometric passport for a child. Since now almost all adult applicants have their exit ID card replaced with a new-generation analogue, how much it costs to change a foreign passport can determine the amount of the state fee for issuing a biometric foreign passport - 3,500 rubles.

If you pay the state duty on the State Services website, then it is not necessary to save the receipt, since the transaction data will immediately go to the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But, as practice shows, it is still better to have a copy of the document confirming payment with you - this will ensure the safety of your funds in the event of a system failure.

Procedure and required list of documents

So, how to change a passport when changing your last name? There are no additional procedures or procedures for obtaining this; you just need to re-order a new passport. Of course, everything will have to be done in the second round, including paying the state duty, which these days is by no means small. So if you have already had a similar experience, changing your passport after changing your last name will not be a problem for you.

The first step is to contact your local office of the Federal Migration Service. There you will need to submit a correctly completed application and attach a standard package of documents to it. The application must be filled out only in Russian letters (except for cases where the use of the Latin alphabet is necessary). There should be no errors, neither grammatical nor lexical, corrections are also prohibited. When filling out, you must use only reliable information.

The following documents should be added to the application:

• 2 photos 3.5 by 4.5, of satisfactory quality, taken in accordance with all established rules;
• Internal passport, which contains confirmation of your Russian citizenship
• If the application is submitted by a military serviceman, he must provide permission from his immediate superior, since he is prohibited from leaving the borders of the state without special orders;
• Receipt for payment of state duty. Today it is 3,500 rubles;
• Previous passport;
• Military ID (for males who served in the military). If you have not served, you will have to come to the military registration and enlistment office and receive a number of marks stating that you are not subject to conscription.

Application for a new generation passport

The main difference between replacing a foreign passport and receiving it for the first time is the rules for filling out some fields. In the application you will find a column called “Name has not changed” - it cannot be ignored, in it you must write information about yourself in the following format: “Ivanov, until 05/01/2014, Stavropol.” Thus, you will inform the FMS employees about the change in passport data.

Read also: Where Russian citizens can go to a resort without a passport

Time frame

If you strictly follow the norms of the law, then when changing your last name, the internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation must be replaced within a thirty-day period, but regarding the international passport there is no clear time frame. Of course, if you need to compare both of these documents, then the passport will not be valid, but in practice, some people still use a foreign passport with an old last name in the first months after changing the data, without thinking at all about the possible consequences.