Advice for a couple entering a civil partnership
As a civil partner, your surname does not automatically change to your partner's when you get married, and you are under no obligation to have it changed. Nevertheless, many civil partners choose to mark their partnership with a change of surname.
You can use your civil partnership certificate as evidence of your change of name, in the same way that a married couple can use their marriage certificate, and in fact all our advice for women getting married applies equally to civil partners (whether male or female).
To avoid any difficulties having your civil partnership certificate accepted by independent organisations (e.g. banks), it's a good idea to update your passport first. An updated passport is strong proof of your new name, and organisations are legally required to recognise your change of details under the GDPR. If they refuse — complain!
If, on the other hand, you aren’t planning on updating your passport straightaway (it’s an extra cost of £ 82.50 (if you apply online), and it’s not a legal requirement to have it updated), then you might consider changing your name by deed poll to save yourself any possible hassle.
What to change your name to
Your partner’s name
If you want to change your surname to your partner’s surname, you don’t need a deed poll. Provided your civil partnership certificate records both your old name and your partner’s surname, the civil partnership certificate is sufficient evidence of your change of name.
Note that organisations such as HM Passport Office will only accept either your original civil partnership certificate, or a certified copy.
Add your partner’s surname as a middle name
If you want to make your partner’s surname one of your middle names, this is counted as a change of forename and you’ll need a deed poll — a civil partnership certificate isn’t enough.
Your partner’s name, but keep your old name as a middle name
If you want to change your surname to your partner’s surname, but keep your old name as a middle name, this is counted as a change of forename and you’ll need a deed poll — a civil partnership certificate isn’t enough.
For example if your name before getting married is Alex JONES and your partner’s surname is SMITH, then to change your name to Alex Jones SMITH you’ll need a deed poll.
Although some organisations may accept a civil partnership for this situation; in our experience there are still situations where organisations will insist on a deed poll. It’s a border-line case, and unfortunately we cannot supply a complete list of organisations that will / won't accept a marriage certificate. To update your passport in your new name, though, it seems that a deed poll is necessary, from our own experience — despite what has been written in HM Passport Office’s policies in the past. Therefore, our recommendation is that you have a deed poll as proof of your change of name; otherwise you may not be able to renew your passport in your new name.
On the other hand, you can double-barrel you and your partner’s surnames by using your civil partnership certificate, for example to produce Alex JONES-SMITH.
A double-barrelled surname
If you and your partner want to take each other’s name as a double-barrelled surname and it’s clear how the name is derived, then your civil partnership certificate is sufficient evidence of your name change — you don’t need a deed poll.
Note that if it isn’t clear how the double-barrelled surname is derived, then the name will be considered a new surname, and you’ll need a deed poll as evidence of your name change. So for example, if your surname is Jones and your partner’s name is Smith, then Jones-Smith and Smith Jones would both be clearly derived from your respective surnames, and a deed poll isn’t necessary to change your name. (It doesn’t matter what order you put the surnames or whether or not you use a hyphen.) However the surname Cox-Jones-Smith isn’t clearly derived because it introduces an extra element.
Although double-barrelled surnames are becoming more popular, you may still have difficulties having your civil partnership certificate accepted by some independent organisations, such as banks, so it’s a good idea to renew your passport first. An updated passport is strong proof of your new name, and organisations are legally required to recognise your change of details under the GDPR.
If, on the other hand, you aren’t planning on updating your passport in the near future (it’s an extra cost of £ 82.50, and it’s not a legal requirement to have it updated), then you might consider changing your name by deed poll, to save yourself any possible hassle.
A new surname formed from you and your partner’s surname
If you want to change to a surname that isn’t your partner’s, and isn’t a straightforward double-barrelling of you and your partner’s surnames, then you’ll need a deed poll — a civil partnership certificate isn’t sufficient evidence of your name change.
When to change your name
Changing your name when entering a civil partnership has an added difficulty, because many couples want to travel abroad soon after the ceremony. You should think carefully about when you want to change the name on your passport, because the name on your passport should match the name in which you book your travel. If the name on your passport doesn’t match the booking —
- some countries may not let you in
- some travel companies may not let you board their flights
Your options in this case depend on whether your name change requires a deed poll or the civil partnership certificate is sufficient (as outlined above).
If your name change requires a deed poll
If you need a deed poll as evidence of your name change, you have two options:
Sign your deed poll documents on the day of the civil partnership
If you want to sign your deed poll on the day of your civil partnership, you should order the deed poll well in advance to allow for any delays. After you’ve signed the deed poll, keep them at home until you return from abroad, at which point you can begin the process of changing the name in your passport.
Sign your deed poll documents after returning from abroad
If you don’t want to sign your deed poll on the day of the ceremony, you can either order it in advance anyway and sign it when you return, or wait until you return from your foreign trip before ordering.
If your civil partnership certificate is sufficient evidence of your name change
If you don’t need a deed poll, and your civil partnership certificate is sufficient evidence, then you have three options:
Travel in your old name, and apply for a new passport when you return from abroad
The much easier solution is to travel in your old name, and apply for a new passport when you return from your foreign trip. In general, unless you have a reason not to travel in your old name, we’d recommend that you book all your travel arrangements in your old name, corresponding with your passport, and begin the process of updating all your records in your new name after you’ve returned home.
Apply for a post-dated passport in your new name before the civil partnership
HM Passport Office can change the name on your passport up to three months before the ceremony. They’ll cancel your old passport and issue you with a new one. The new passport will be post-dated. This means you cannot use it before the day of the ceremony.
If you want to order a post-dated passport, you’ll need to complete —
- the standard passport application form
- the post-date form PD2 (part of which should be completed by the person who is to perform the ceremony)
You should bear in mind some other difficulties of applying for a post-dated passport:
- You’ll need to submit your current passport to HM Passport Office
- This passport will be cancelled, and you’ll no longer be able to use it for travelling
- Your new post-dated passport will be valid only from the date of your ceremony
- You won’t be able to use your new passport until your ceremony has taken place
- The consulates of some countries cannot grant visas on post-dated passports. If you require a visa to travel you should check with the consulate of the country you’ll be travelling to before booking your holiday.
- If the ceremony is either cancelled or postponed, the person performing the ceremony should inform HM Passport Office
- If the ceremony is cancelled, the post-dated passport should be returned to HM Passport Office along with a letter of explanation. HM Passport Office won’t automatically issue you with a replacement — you’ll need to re-apply for a new passport.
Use your current passport and take your civil partnership certificate with you when you travel
If you hold a valid passport, you may be able to use it with travel documents in your partnership name if you take your civil partnership certificate with you. However, (as noted above) some countries and some travel companies may insist that the details on your travel documents correspond to those in your passport. Before booking your holiday, you should check with —
- the consulate of the country you’ll be travelling to
- the travel agent you’ve booked your holiday with
- the travel companies you’ll be travelling with