UK Passport After Marriage
New passport in your married name costs the same as a standard renewal: GBP 102 online. The trap is the honeymoon: get the timing wrong and you cannot board your flight. Updated 8 April 2026.
In one paragraph
Apply for a new passport in your married name at £102 online (postal £115.50). Send your marriage certificate as evidence; HMPO returns it with the new passport. The old passport is cancelled and returned with a corner cut off. New 10-year validity from the issue date. For weddings in the next 3 months, post-date the application so the new passport is valid from the wedding date.
Cost: Same as a Standard Renewal
| Service | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard online | £102 | Up to 10 weeks | Most marriage name-change applications |
| Standard postal | £115.50 | Up to 10 weeks | If unable to use online |
| Fast track | £166.50 | About 1 week | Honeymoon in 2 to 8 weeks, name on booking matters |
| Premium same-day | £239.50 | 4 hours | Honeymoon tomorrow, urgent timing crisis |
Source: gov.uk/passport-fees effective 8 April 2026.
The Honeymoon Timing Trap
The single most common UK passport mistake around marriage is timing the name change against the honeymoon. The rule is simple but unforgiving: the name on your passport must match the name on your travel booking. A mismatch of even one letter can mean denied boarding.
You book the honeymoon months in advance, in your married name, optimistically. The wedding date arrives. You return from the wedding to discover your passport is still in your maiden name, the airline will not let you board, and you have 48 hours to fix it.
Premium same-day service is your only fast option, costing GBP 239.50 plus travel to a passport office. Plus airline rebooking fees if you miss the original flight.
Either book the honeymoon in your maiden name (which still matches your existing passport), or apply for a post-dated new passport in your married name 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding.
The post-dated application requires evidence of the upcoming marriage (notice of marriage from the register office) and the new passport is issued in advance but only valid from the wedding date.
Three Common Scenarios
Apply now via gov.uk/renew-adult-passport. Choose “change my details”. Provide evidence of the upcoming marriage (book a register office appointment if you have not). HMPO will issue a post-dated passport valid from the wedding date. Standard fee GBP 102, processing up to 10 weeks. Plenty of time.
Cutting it close. Two options: (1) Change the booking to your maiden name (most airlines waive the fee for marriage cases). (2) Apply for fast-track with the upcoming-marriage evidence. Fast track costs GBP 166.50 and takes about a week, but you must apply now to leave a buffer for processing.
Premium same-day at GBP 239.50 is your only option. You need the marriage certificate (already issued, hopefully) plus the booked appointment at a passport office. Adults only. If your spouse is also changing names, you will need to do this twice. Plus airline ticket-name fees if applicable. Total emergency cost: easily GBP 300+ per person.
What Counts as Evidence of Name Change
- Full marriage certificate. The standard form issued by the register office after the wedding. Original or certified copy.
- Civil partnership certificate. Same status as a marriage certificate. The same name-change rules apply.
- Notice of marriage. Useful for post-dated applications before the wedding. Issued by the register office when you give notice 28 days before marriage.
- Overseas marriage. If you married abroad, you may need an apostilled copy of the foreign marriage certificate. HMPO accepts EU and Commonwealth certificates with translation; for other countries the requirements vary.
- Religious-only ceremony without civil registration. Not valid for a name change unless followed by a civil marriage. A church wedding is sufficient if it includes legal registration; a separate religious-only ceremony is not.
HMPO returns the marriage certificate with your new passport. Allow 10 weeks for both items to come back; do not send the certificate during the period when you might need it for other admin (bank, mortgage, employer).
Keeping Your Maiden Name
UK law does not require any name change after marriage. Many people choose to keep their maiden name on their passport, in which case there is nothing to do: no fee, no application, no marriage-certificate submission. Practical considerations:
- Travel bookings. Just book in your maiden name. The passport matches; no issue.
- Other documents. Your bank, employer, driving licence may use a different name. None of those documents are required at airline check-in. The passport is the only travel-relevant ID.
- Children. If you have children whose surname is your married name and you travel together, occasional questions can arise at borders. A copy of the marriage certificate in your hand luggage usually clears this up.
- Future change. You can change to your married name on the passport at any later date for the standard GBP 102 fee. There is no time limit.
Double-Barrelling and Other Patterns
Beyond keeping your maiden name or taking your spouse's, several other patterns are recognised:
- Double-barrelled. “Smith-Jones” or “Smith Jones”. Provide marriage certificate plus a request stating your chosen format. HMPO accepts double-barrelled names without a deed poll if both surnames originate from the marriage.
- Both spouses change. If both partners take a new combined name (e.g., merging into “Stewart-Patel” from “Stewart” and “Patel”), each applies separately for their own passport with the marriage certificate.
- Husband takes wife's name. Same fee, same process, same evidence. The marriage certificate proves the name change for either spouse.
- Completely new surname. If you want a name not derived from either spouse, you need a deed poll, not just a marriage certificate. The same GBP 102 fee applies but the evidence is different.
After Divorce: Reverting to Your Maiden Name
Switching back to your maiden name after divorce uses the same GBP 102 application. The evidence is your decree absolute (the final divorce order), plus your full birth certificate to confirm the maiden name. Some applicants combine a divorce-driven reversion with a deed-poll change to a new chosen name, in which case the deed poll is required as additional evidence.