Here are the Requirements You Need to Change Your Last Name

So you’re finally married, and you’re getting a head start on your post-wedding to-do list–that’s awesome and very responsible of you! We’re here to shed some light on the topic of changing your last name. For the record, ladies, changing your last name is not required. Couples have different preferences on this topic: The bride may or may not want to change her last name, and it’s not only the bride who gets to decide–even the groom can opt to change his last name too! There are pros and cons to this, and it’s something that you and your spouse should openly discuss.

If you (or your groom!) are set on changing your last name already, here are the requirements and estimated timeframe for each:

1. Passport Old Passport Marriage Certificate (copy and original) Birth certificate (original and photocopy) List of complete requirements 7 days for express, 14 days for regular Don't forget to book an appointment online first!
Requirements | 2 Appointment

2. Driver's License Marriage Certificate (original and photocopy) Same process as renewal Less than a day, but go early

3. Bank Records Marriage Certificate (original) One ID with your married name Less than a day at your bank branch/branches

4. SSS Marriage certificate (photocopy) Old SSS ID Authorization letter 8 weeks

5. PhilHealth Marriage certificate (original and photocopy) Valid Government IDs Less than a day, but go early

6. Pag-IBIG Marriage certificate (original and photocopy) Valid Government IDs Less than a day, but go early

Bonus tips:

  • You don’ t have to change your name right after you get married. You can if you want to, but it’s not necessary. But another tip is that you can change it when you renew a certain document (e.g. passport, etc.).
  • If you have two different IDs (e.g. driver’s license is married name and passport is not), just make sure to present a marriage certificate.

So there you have it, people! Hope this helped you out!

Tagged: / / / / / /

  1. Do I need to bring a NSO issued Marriage Certificate or I can just bring the copy given by the civil records?

  2. Last time for my passport renewal, I brought my original marriage certificate but the lady insisted I need to bring an NSO issued marriage certificate

    1. yes ,,you really need to change your nbi,police clearance,postal id, from single to marriage because thats there requirements,you cannot get passport if you dont have your nbi,police clearance and postal id.you need to change your surname first to your nbi,police,postal,or all your goverment id if you are married already before you can st your appointment of your passport

      1. hi, do we need to present all government IDs/ docs (NBI, postal ID, police clearance)? won’t they accept if i could just present just one of the mentioned items plus my PSA marriage certificate? I only have postal ID at the moment. was trying to access the consular site for the list of requirements but to no avail; it was not working at all. currently pregnant so im going directly in DFA with all the requirements but want to make sure that i have all the necessary documents first. hoping for a response! thanks!

      2. Hi bebe love…can i ask a question?do i have to go to city hall to change my marriage status?or its not neccesary?bcz i want to change all my id’s like what u mention above…do i have to change it first in city hall???ummmm i have my nso marriage certificate already…..

  3. For Passport renewal, they will ask for the PSA (formerly NSO) issued Marriage Certificate. For the rest, a Marriage Certificate given by the civil records will do but it should have a certified true copy stamp.

    1. Yes, to update to your married name. Also, don’t forget to bring with you a NSO-issued marriage certificate.

  4. Hello! Did they accepted your marriage certificate with certified true copy stamp without your PSA marriage certificate copy? Please reply thank you in advance.

  5. Hi…i just want to ask if its possible to use my maiden name in school? So as i graduate my diploma bears my maiden name instead of his surname…thanks for answering

  6. Hi! Do any of the government agencies above retrieve the original PSA marriage certificte? Just wondering if I need to order multiple copies marriage certificate or just one copy. Thank you.

  7. What if the marriage was done abroad and the marriage certificate is not of English language, will they acknowledge my marriage certificate to change last name in passport or in any other passport or I need a document first from PSA, change status there, register the marriage in Philippines and all that?

    1. Hi ZC,

      Sharing my experience in the event it helps you with yours. I, too, got married abroad last year (Vancouver).

      Since I’m based in the Philippines, I had to wait until we visited again in June and then filed a REPORT OF MARRIAGE in the PH Consulate of Vancouver together with the requirements (i.e. British Columbia marriage certificate, passports, Canadian visa for me, birth certificates etc.).

      This takes about 2 months from the original date you filed the report. The report is what will be submitted to the DFA in Manila to record the marriage. Once the DFA receives this, you can then request for a PSO copy of the report of marriage online (it will be the actual form you submitted, printed in PSO paper, affixed with the seal and the required signature).

      Once you have this, you can use it to change your passport name, driver’s license, etc.

      Good luck!

      1. Hi CG!

        Just trying since this thread was almost 2 years ago. Which email address did you send to for your request for the PSA copy of the report of marriage ? Thank you very much!

  8. Hi. Is it Okay to kept my status single in the passport renewal since I just got married last year and now already planning for an annulment? All my other documents are in single status anyway. ?
    Thanks

  9. Hi! I’m a public school teacher and I just got married. what are the papers that I need to process/update right away so I can avail my maternity leave as well? Thanks!

  10. I am married for 16yrs but i was not aware that we can still keep our maiden name after marriage. Will it still be possible for me to use my maiden name back again? What are the requirements needed?

    1. Hi Hat,

      While it is probably possible to change your last name again, we aren’t very sure if the process will be the same. We recommend doing further research or asking governement agencies/officials for the due processes.

      Thanks!

    1. Hi Ailyn,

      For changing your civil status and surname, it will depend which document you want to update. If it’s your SSS records, you have to go to the SSS office. If you want to update your passport, and other government records, you’d have to visit their respective offices as well. There are different requirements needed also so it will be best to research before heading to their office. But most probably, all of them will require you to bring your marriage license as one of the requirements.

      Hope this helps.

  11. I am currently using my Husband’s surname in my passport…If i want to renew it, can it be possible that i change my married name to my maiden name?

  12. My current company is applying for a payroll account on a certain bank. And in alignment with my company record, I filled out the application form using my husbands surname. However, my application under payroll account was placed on hold due to they found out that i have other accounts under my maiden name and they are requiring me to update my last name on those accounts. Can i have those accounts remain under my maiden name since those were hard earned money when I was single?

  13. Hi i’m so confused i just got married to a forienger last sept 27 2018 and i’m planning to carry his last name do i need to change my government IDs first before getting a CFO for a change of name in my passport? Please help me i’m so confused thank you.

    1. Hi Mine, it will be best to inquire in DFA directly and get their suggestion on your case. You can ask them which process will be more efficient for you. Congrats on your wedding!

    1. Hi Geyl, while you can do that, it would still be best to be consistent with the name you use. You might encounter problems if your public documents have varying names. Thanks!

  14. I applied for a TIN online but the site required me to input a middle name. Thus, I input my biological mom’s middle name to have my TIN immediately. Now that I want to get my COR and TIN card, I’d like to know if there is any way for me to have the said middle name removed from my records. Thanks for the response.

  15. Hi! I just want to know kung okay lang wag muna magpalit ng civil status hanggang wala pa plans magkaroon ng baby? Planning to change civil status sana after 2years (2nd year of wedding anniversary). Thank you!

  16. My mom is widow/er for more than 20 years now. She did not able able to changed her status in nso birth certificate after when they got married. Now all her i.d’s use my dad’s surname. Will her documents be accepted by dfa upon applying for passport? Thank You and waiting for your kind response.

  17. Hi! We have been talking about the possiblility of my husband taking my last name all this time, we never thought this could be possible..! However, if my husband does so, what will happen to my daughter’s last name… can we still change it too? Are the employees in the government aware with this? As this is very uncommon in the Philippines. PS. I kept my last name after marriage.

  18. Hi! May I know if it’s possible for my child to change her last name too, if my husband decides to follow my last name?

      1. Thank you for your swift response.

        One more question tho, do I have to get a certain document at the local municipality where I submitted our marriage license?

        I got married last October 20, 2018. Can I now request for the marriage cert from PSA?

        1. Hi Lorefil, the standard processing time of the marriage certificate with PSA is six months. You can contact them directly if you need to expedite it and to double check if there are other requirements you need to submit. Thanks!

  19. hi, i just want to ask is it required for me to change my last name to my husband’s last name before I could receive my SSS maternity benefits?

  20. Thank you very much! This is an awesome blog and very helpful! I got some Ideas. Thank you! God bless.

    Best Regards,
    Bliss Maselli

  21. hi i was married last august 2018 and now im planning to get psa copy of my marriage certificate. this february will be my 6mos of waiting for me to get a copy but for some reason i needed to update all my status on my sss pag ibig philhealth and get a new ids bearing my married name. is it possible that govt agencies will accept my certified thru copy of marriage cert from my LCR since i wasnt able to get one from psa right now. i needed to update asap Thankyou in advance for the help!

    1. Hi Candice, thanks for your inquiry. Usually, a PSA copy is really required when you update your name and status but it will be best to inquire directly with the agencies concerned just to be sure. You can ask for their advice also on what to do since you’re in a rush. Hope it all turns out well!

  22. Hi,i recently got married and just recieved my PSA marriage certificate,my passport is also expiring on the 30th of April,i want to renew it and use my husband’ surname,what requirements should i bring?do i really need to bring ID bearing my husbands surname?i dont have any as i just received my PSA maariage cert. can i bring instead a police clearance or NBI will it work?
    Thanks for anyone who can give me a light on this…

    1. Hi Venus, it should be okay for you to bring your PSA marriage certificate as proof, but it will still be best to directly inquire with DFA on the requirements you should bring just to be sure. Hope it all works out for you!

      1. Hi, i just want to ask im already 2 years married and just now i will renew as well as changed my passport surname. But i dont have any other id except postal id. But postal is not a valid id for dfa. What else can i give them? Or my old id’s still accpetable?

        Thanks.

        1. Hi Nina, you will be required to show them your PSA marriage certificate to prove that you’re married. You can also directly contact the agency concerned to get advice on what you should do. Hope everything turns out well!

  23. Hi! I just got married last march 6, 2019, i read about serbilis center where you can process your PSA marriage certificate on the same day. Will it be possible? I want to use my husband’s surname cause i’m applying as public school teacher for 2019-2020. Thanks.

  24. Hi! I’m planning to change my surname to my husband’s surname. what will be the first ever ID that I need to change considering that I don’t have any with my husband’s surname? (which most of the govt offices requires a valid ID) What I only have is a marriage certificate.
    Kindly let me know. Thanks!

    1. Hi Kay, you need to request for a PSA Marriage License so you can change your IDs. There’s not suggested order, it will depend on which you need the most. You can directly inquire with the agencies concerned just to be sure of the requirements. Thanks!

      1. If you need it immediately, a Certified True Copy of your Certificate of Marriage with a PSA stamp is the requirement for change in Surname for DFA Passport, Drivers License, SSS, Pag Ibig, Philhealth, etc. This can be requested from your City Hall Civil Registry Division 14 days after getting married.

        Otherwise if you are willing to wait 3 months, you can use a PSA Certificate of Marriage which you need to get from PSA QC.

  25. Hi, my passport is in my maiden name Now it is expired and will renew but I still want to use my maiden name on it ,but all my gov’t id already change to my husbands surname. If i will fill up the form for renewal do i need to indicate my marriage?

  26. Hello. Ive been seperated for more than 40 yrs to my ex husband. No communication, no support, no everything. I dont know where He is now and what happen. In 1999, Ive been married to a man whose with me now. My question is, is there a chance for me to change my surname?

  27. Hi. I’ve been applying to a company I’m still using my family name even though i’m married already i never change my status since we got married for 3years. The agency told me to change my status from single to marriage in my 4 governments (SSS, Pag-ibig, TIN, PhilHealth) , do i realy have to change my Family Name? Thnx

  28. Hi! I changed my last name already after i get married but, i want to change it again to include my surname with my husband’s surname. Is it possible? Thanks!

    1. Hi Angelica, yes it is possible but you’ll have to go through the same process again. All your IDs should be changed too for consistency.

  29. Hi. I have been using my husband’s last name since I got married in 2002. Now, I want to go back to using my maiden name. Can I do that? What is the process?rutruth

    1. Hi Ruth, the process of changing your name will be the same. You can ask the respective agencies for more details. Thanks!

  30. Hi. I’m a seaman. After marriage, will I be required to change my name on mybtraining certificates or retake them? My name on my Sirb will be my maiden name

    1. Hi Shena, sorry but I’m not familiar with the requirements for your training certificate. Maybe if you present your marriage license, your name can be changed.

  31. Hello, regarding the requirements, if each ID requires an original marriage certificate, do I need to request for several copies or they will just check the original copy and return it back? thank you.

  32. Hello,
    I recently got married and I don’t want to change my last name immediately. But I am okay to change my status from single to married since this is also required by law. My question is, let’s say after some years, I decide to want to change my surname to my husband’s surname, this is allowed?

  33. Helpful article, I’m looking forward to changing some of my documents once my husband and I return to my hometown, it seems like working on the PhilHealth and TIN IDs first are the easiest. Thank you!

Leave a Reply to LorefilCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.