Registering your marriage with the Philippines Embassy

Agreed. We purposely tried to stick with the maiden name. But added my surname. It seemed to work quite well.

Arriving at Heathrow (almost 200 miles from where I live) and with a passport in her maiden name and with me nowhere in sight (as driving that far is difficult for me) may make immigration officers suspicious that our relationship is genuine. But she arrives in the UK at a provincial airport (where one-way flights from the Philippines cost at least £400 more than to Heathrow) with a passport in her married name and with me meeting her at the airport, I think would not be likely to arouse suspicious that our relationship is genuine.

Mmmm. See your point but...

If the wife carries her marriage cetificate with her passport in her maiden name, that will suffice.

Dont forget that those on Fiance visas do travel with the passport in their maiden name.

You might be being a little over cautious Howerd but at the end of the day go with whatever you are comfortable with, I would.

My wife takes the CFO seminar on Friday so that she can apply for a passport in her married name. It is a requirement that if a Filipino marries a foreigner and wishes to apply for a passport in her married name that the CFO seminar is conducted before the passport application is made. I reckon within 4 weeks she will have that passport in her married name and can then go ahead and apply for the visa.

I just wish I had suggested that she do that earlier. I don't think arriving in the UK with a passport in her maiden name would be a good idea, especially with the introduction of the Biometric Residents Permit (BRP). By applying for a visa with a passport in her married name, she will get the BRP issued in her married name when she lands on these shores (and for free) But applying for a BRP after landing in the UK you will get charged £122 I think.

As others have said, confusion can arise if your wife uses her maiden name for some purposes and her married name for others. It is probably difficult for an English lady to use both her maiden and married names but even more so for a foreigner where there is likely to be suspicion and an inability to deal with foreign documents (such as foreign passports, foreign marriage certificates, foreign birth certificates etc.)

By getting a BRP request made at the time of the visa application (which is obligatory from 31 May 2015) then the foreign national will be able to get a UK-issued credit card-sized ID (the BRP) almost as soon as they land. That BRP can be used as proof of what they can do in the UK. For a spouse that would be to work, apply for a bank account, register with a doctor, dentist, optician, get a National Insurance Number etc etc. Some may complain over government-issued IDs but I think they are very useful for the bona fide immigrant and for controlling illegal immigration.

The BRP is certainly a good idea, it shows proof of residence and if you are entitled to work, it also states that you have no access to public funds.

It has been very common practice to arrive with passport in the maiden name. My wife did not change her passport into her married name until it was due to expire, some 2 years after her arrival in the UK.

Also, consider all of the Fiance visa applicants...

Yes that should suffice but immigration officials are trained to look the unusual. The more unusual things seem, the more likely that entry could be refused.

Maiden name : Jennifer Aldos Rodriguez

Married to Mr Smith

Name to be used in the UK when passport in maiden name :

Jennifer Rodriguez Smith

Works well.

But not that unusual Howerd. Like I say I can see your point but you are being a bit paranoid over this one. I have not come across such a refusal in 4 years.

Why not have her fly to Manchester and meet her?

Of course Fiance Visa applicants would have to use their name before marriage to their fiance(e). Everyone knows and understands that. But once they are married it is probably best to get a passport from their embassy in the UK showing their married name and then apply for a new BRP in that married name.

So whats so odd about using a passport in your maiden name? It probably happens to the majority of the travelling female population unless they want to waste money on paying for a new passport prematurely?

The marriage certificate is the cross referencing document that supports the passport in the maiden name. That is all that is required. My wife and I found this to be so in practice, even some two years after arrival in the UK. That included applying for a Schengen visa and leaving the UK and flying back in.

One of the reasons we took that option was to save time in terms of processing a new passport application in the Philippines. The second was to avoid potential error on a fresh passport issued in the Philippines. The third was because many had recommended it as a working viable option.

Or how about KLM to Amsterdam then Amsterdam to Humberside?

Then you could meet your wife in Humberside airport.

I flew to Schipol, Amsterdam and met my wife there.

I think you're over thinking things, Howerd. We've got the BRP and the passport in her maiden name still, and the BRP was obtained after she was married. It doesn't matter, particuarly in the UK where you are allowed as many names as you like!

So her work address, NI and passport details are still in her maiden name. Everything else (house bills, banks accounts etc) are in her married name.

So, until she gets a new passport her maiden name is her "official" name and her married name is her "known as" name. I don't see any problem with it at all, as her passport and marriage certificate has proved suitable ID for everything needed.

I don't see the point in her getting a new passport until this one expires.

In our fiance application, I still had some financial documents in an old, briefly used, double barrelled married name which was soon dropped. I just put that as a "known as" too. It's not really an issue as far as I can see.

Agreed, Graham. Yes. If on a tight budget why pay out for a new passport if you do not need to.

Howerd. Just checked on KLM to Humberside. Still available.

Only a single required too. Return ticket not necessary.

What's that you're waving around in the new avatar Graham?

Its a set of FLR application form notes!

It's actually a score sheet from a speedway meeting we went to on Tuesday! Nothing important. Just felt it was time for a new picture.

Planning on going to London tomorrow to do this registration.

Decided to go in early and try to get there for opening. Hopefully should avoid too long a wait that way.

Hope it all goes smoothly!!