Changing name after marriage - French husband

Hi Paulie,

Congratulations!

In France they do not change your name automatically, and administratively speaking, the maiden name is the one they will continue to use unless you tell them otherwise.

After I was married abroad I took my husband's name (as is customary in the UK) and got my new British passport, which is my only form of ID.

When I informed the authorities in France they congratulated me but said they couldn't care less and it made no difference to them. In order to change my name in 'the system' I sent registered letters with copies of my marriage certificate and new passport and after a looooong while they made the changes I asked for.

Hope that helps!

Jo-Ann

Hi Jo-Ann!

Thanks a lot!!! That really helped me!

Really, thanks a lot! I was driving crazy 😂

Have a nice day!!

I recently married a French national and am having problems changing my UK passport to my French married name as my marriage certificate shows my maiden name. Passport Office are asking for proof of the change from my old married name to the new one. Can I ask how you went about changing your name and if you had the same problem.  Thanks

This is a common question, with no solid answer.
My background - married in USA, 25+ yrs to French national. In the states, I didn't change my name.
Just last year, we moved to France. For my application for health coverage, CPAM asked for my marriage certificate, after which, they changed my last name in their system to my husband's! My carte vitale has it, all my doctors now use it, etc!
What I've read - in France, your "born" name is always yours. When you marry, you *usually* have the right to use your husband's last name. If you divorce, part of the settlement includes whether you retain that right (usually not). No matter what, you always have the right to use your maiden name; it is always your name, even if you can also *use* another.
It's something I roll with. :-)
Julie

Thanks for the response. I sent my UK passport to England to change it to my new married French name and sent translated proof of address and marriage certificate which only shows my maiden name which is typical in France. The UK passport office are asking for my marriage certificate showing my previous married name which of course it doesn't in France. Hence I was searching to see if anyone else had experienced this problem and the way round it. Thanks again.

Hello,
I found this by Web search as I am desperately seeking American women who married a French husband in the United States and took his name (and/or made their maiden name their middle name).
This is my case. I live in Canada with my husband of 10 years. I changed my name in my home state after our marriage in Canada (in a province where women have to keep their maiden names).
I have my current name as FirstName-MaidenAsMiddle-Spousal last name. EVERYTHING is in that name. EVERYTHING. I have a birth certificate, provincial health card, old SS card, possibly an old passport, in FirstName-BirthMiddleName-MaidenLastName.
Now, the French consulate in Montreal is saying I have to register in my Birth Name because I have no Name Change Certificate. No problem with that, since I know that they will indeed allow use of a spousal name. However, now they are also saying the proofs of our residence need to be in my birth name, which is impossible.
Any other American ladies been through something similar, and if so, how did you solve it?
Thanks in advance!