Mumsnet Talk

I'm Belgian, since September 2010 living in UK, married to DH, who is British citizen. Next year I can take the UK citizenship test and become British citizen. I would then have double nationality.
I am known here as Mrs DH surname, but officially and legally I still have my maiden name. So for national insurance, tax office, NHS I am Ms Maiden name.
Because we got married in Belgium, and you are not allowed to change your name when married (or even whenever).
If we would have got married here, I would be known as Mrs DH surname everywhere in the world, as that would have been my name on marriage certificate, except for in Belgium.
I would really like to have DH's surname, legally which I can do after becoming British, by deed poll.
But if I keep Belgian nationality I will always be Ms Maiden name in Belgium.
If I wish I can get rid of Belgian nationality and then just be Mrs DH name.
I don't really see a benefit of having the 2 nationalities, except maybe for my children having both.
Anyone else been in a similar situation before? What have you done?

Seperate the two issues.

Do you need UK nationality? Really? You are belgian - why don't you just keep to that and your traditions. I'm british - I married my (other EU) partner but kept my name in the UK. Doesn't stop me taking his nationality (don't want to ) and it doesn't stop him taking mine (he hasn't taken UK nationality).

DS is British but not a problem as we are in EU so he can benefit from easy travel to DH's country etc.

I think in UK you can call yourself whatever you want. I just kept my name as I was old and couldn;t be bothered with the hassle of changing it.

I know quite a lot of women who kept their original name for professional purposes, especially if they are academics who have already published before marriage. Dr Maiden, Mrs Married.

So having a Belgian name as well as Mrs DHName really shouldn't be an issue here.

Why aren't you allowed to change your name in Belgium? Has that always been the case (just being curious!)

I think that you can have a known as name in the UK. I'm often referred to as Mrs DH's name and I often call myself Mrs DH when calling utilities etc. as I can't be bothered to explain that I'm married but Mrs giveitago not Mrs DH.

Don'[t worry about it do much 0- in the UK it can be slip slidy as you want with your name.

Oh, utilities - British Gas have unilaterally changed our name ! Substituted N's for M's. So long as we pay the bills they don't care what we're called.

sorry to come back only now...

Advantage of becoming British is passport... I only have a Belgian identity card, which I can only travel with in EU.
I can call myself whatever I want, but not on official documents, like NHS card, NI number, council tax...
My Belgian surname is not very nice appropriate in English, people always look funny at me, when I spell it out...

Not allowed to change name as it is just not done in Belgium, we have enquired about it when living there. It isn't inappropriate in Belgium, but it is here.

If you have a marriage cert you're entitled to use DH's name. Just present photo ID plus marriage cert.

You can keep Belgian nationality, name and ID and have married name on passport without a problem too.

<mistress of multiple IDs>

fraktal really? tell me more... please?
does that also count for NHS, NI? etc?

I hate it when they call me by my maiden name at docs etc... nobody knows me by it

I don't see why it's so important to be Mrs dh'sname anyway, but that's by the by.
frak is right - in this country, your legal name is the name you habitually use. all you need is a papertrail to prove you use it - marriage certificate is one of the pieces of paper you can use.

Yep, just go to docs with marriage cert and say 'I'm married, I wish to use this name, please change it'. Ditto HMRC.

You might need to exchange for a photo ID in married name but driving license is very easy to do if you have a British one already.

As for the passport thing. Well.

I am British but same principle. My driving license is still in my maiden name, my passport is in both names and when I requested a new passport all that was needed was old one plus marriage cert (or in my case because I changed it pre wedding a signed form from the vicar). Easy peasy.

One bank account is my maiden name because I never changed it, another bank account is my married name only (driving license plus marriage cert). So I could theoretically be 3 different people Ms me, Mrs me-DH and Mrs DH).

The only thing I got in my DH's surname is my bank account/card, as the lady was very friendly and looked at my marriage certificate and said ok, we can allow you to be Mrs DH's name

If I can do all that, I would be very pleased already... will discuss it with DH tonight...

Just saw on the HRMC website that you need to let them know that you've changed address, which I haven't done yet after moving house in December so I might do the change of address and name change all in one...

Do you have/need a prove of name change, like written on paper, like a deed poll or can you just change your name to anything you like?

Looking through the HRMC form, I will need to tick this box: Please tick the checkbox below if you are only 'known as' this name and it is not a legal change of name. Because legally it won't be a name change It says Mrs Maiden surname on my marriage certificate...

It will say maiden surname on your marriage certificate - that's because it's registering the fact that Maiden name is marrying dhname. You don't get you married name until you are married - so that's okay, you don't need to worry about that.

You only need to tick that box on the HMRC form if it's not a married name.
Basically, if you use that name for official purposes, then it's not "known as" , it's "your name"
so your DHname is your official name iyswim.

Even when I'm not British and not legally allowed to change my name? I know... it's complicated...

I know friends who got married in UK, similar situation as me, and she is allowed to use DH's name legally anywhere in the world, except for Belgium. We got married in Belgium...

yes, because you can in the UK.
because you're an EU subject, you can live here under our rules.

Just because your passport has your maiden name, doesn't mean you have to go by it.
You can everything else put in your married name just by showing your marriage certificate.

wiki

Thanks nickel very helpful! think I will give the name change a go