Changing your name through marriage...
- While it has been
traditional in Australia for brides to change their surname to that of
their husband it
is not compulsory. A bride may retain her own maiden
surname or
the surname
that she used at the time of marriage.
-
If the bride decides not to change her
name
- You will not need to present
any
documentation to keep using the name you used before marriage
- you may be required to
present a
certified copy of a
marriage certificate issued by an Australian Births, Deaths and
Marriages Registry to change your conjugal status in government and
other records from never validly
married, divorced or widowed to married.
If the bride wishes to change her surname
to that of the groom
- You
will need to obtain an official certified marriage certificate from the
Registry of Births, Deaths amd Marriages
- Many
institutions/organisations will accept a
photocopy, certified by a JP or other official, of the official
marriage certificate obtained from an Australian Births, Deaths and
Marriages Registry, as
proof.
- The
certificate presented to you on your
wedding day (referred to by Centrelink and other agencies as the
Celebrant or Church-issued certificate) will generally not be accepted by many
institutions/organisations
as it
provides no proof that the marriage has been registered.
If the groom wishes to change his surname
to that of the bride
According to the advice provided by the Queensland Registry Office, the
groom will have to go through a formal name-change process and pay
a fee to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marraiges. The
justification for this appears to be that most institutions will not
accept the marriage certificate for any name change that differs from
the traditional practice of a wife assuming her husband's surname.
Using
a combination or hyphenated surname upon marrying
If either
the bride or groom wants to adopt a combination of the bride's maiden
surname and the groom's surname a legal change of name is
required, because an
official copy of the marriage certificate will generally not be accepted by most
institutions if the name change falls outside the traditional straight
swap of the bride's surname for the groom's surname.
Marrying
outside Australia
You should also
be aware that if you choose to marry outside Australia your marriage
will not be registered in Australia and there is no provision to do so.
Most
institutions will require an official change of name.
However,
Queensland Transport will accept, as proof of change of name
upon marriage, an official overseas Marriage Certificate if
presented with either a category A document already in the married name
or 2 category B documents in the married name. The overseas
Marriage
Certificate must show an official crest and be appropriately
registered.
Applying
for an official marriage certificate
If your application is included
with the marriage papers which I, as your celebrant, forward to Births,
Deaths and Marriages, shortly after your wedding, no proofs of identity
are required. I am happy to include your application together with your
cheque, money order, or credit card authorisation, if you provide them
to me in a sealed envelope on or before the day of your marriage.
You can
download the application form for an official marriage certificate from
http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/bdm/PDF/marriage.pdf
Please be aware
that payment of a priority fee only
guarantees priority
treatment of already registered marriages, and there can be a
delay of a number of weeks between submission of the marriage papers by
the celebrant and actual registration of the marriage.
I
submit the application with the marriage papers as a gratis courtesy
service
however you are the applicant and any enquiries regarding your marriage
certificate should thereafter be directed to
The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
Phone: 1300
366 430 or +61 7 3035 1000 (international enquiries)
Address:
110 George Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
(Office hours: 8.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday)
Postal address:
PO Box 15188
City East QLD 4002
Other
useful forms:
- Change
of details form from Queensland
Transport
Once you have received a
driver's license in your new name, this can be used as proof of
identity/change of name with many other agencies.
- Medicare
To change your name you will need to
visit a Medicare office with your current Medicare card and appropriate
documents to show that you are now known by a different name in the
community.
- current driver’s licence
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- deed poll
- legal document
- utility accounts
- Australian passport application
You will need to apply for a new passport, so you will need to answer
"No" to the question about renewing your passport, and will have to
present in person at a Post Office or Passport Office. However, if your
passport has less than 12 months to expiry, you can be issued with a
passport in your married name free of charge. This reissued passport
will have the same expiry date as your original passport. This
provision is in fine print and officers at the Post Office may not be
aware of this provision.
- Federal
and State Electoral Enrolment
- Australian
Taxation Office
Your name will be updated automatically when you lodge your next tax
return. If you wish to change your name or address earlier, details
of how to do that can be found on the ATO website or you can phone
13 28 61. You'll need your tax file number and the sequence number from
any previous assessment notice.
- Most other organisations - including
utility providers, local councils, etc, will accept a copy of your
marriage certificate. Many, like doctors, will just accept your word.
It is best to enquire with each. Some may require presentation of your
new driver's license as proof of identity.
Brisbane -
Ipswich - Logan - Pine Rivers - Redlands - Redcliffe
Phone:
+61 7 3378 3005 Click here to send me an email:
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