Married abroad, my wife wants to take my family name - how?

Supercell · 06-01-2011 01:10AM #1

I married my wife in China (she is Chinese) . She wants to use my family name over here. I've no idea how she should go about that?
When she registers with the Revenue does she just say her name is now my family name or how does it normally work when wives take there husbands family name here?

the_syco · 06-01-2011 01:13AM

Check the "Rules" section in http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/getting_married/getting_married_abroad.html

Supercell · 06-01-2011 01:23AM

the_syco wrote: »

Check the "Rules" section in http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/getting_married/getting_married_abroad.html

Thanks but that hasn't got anything about changing family names?

iguana · 06-01-2011 01:30AM

You can call yourself whatever name you want to in Ireland as your name is earned by use and deeds. All your wife has to do is present either her marriage certificate to whatever institutions she wants to change her name with and ask them to change it. Other than that she'd have to show proof of two years use of her new name and they would have to change it upon her request.

Kristopherus · 06-01-2011 01:31AM

If she is legally here and has the appropriate visa and residency rights, you could enquire with your local (nearest) Birth, Deaths & Marriages office. They should be able to show the right track.

Supercell · 06-01-2011 01:36AM

iguana wrote: »

You can call yourself whatever name you want to in Ireland as your name is earned by use and deeds. All your wife has to do is present either her marriage certificate to whatever institutions she wants to change her name with and ask them to change it. Other than that she'd have to show proof of two years use of her new name and they would have to change it upon her request.

Thats really interesting, I didn't know that thanks. I can see that working for the ESB etc, but the government and more specifically immigration is my particular concern that its all above board.

Kristopherus wrote: »

If she is legally here and has the appropriate visa and residency rights, you could enquire with your local (nearest) Birth, Deaths & Marriages office. They should be able to show the right track.

Thanks, I hadn't thought about that as we were married abroad and she isn't Irish but you are right, they probably will know the answers or who to ask them of. Thanks.

How Strange · 06-01-2011 12:53PM

I'm not sure for a non national but I've just started changing my name on various things. For revenue, I gave them my husbands surname and date of our marriage over the phone and that was sufficient. BOI were a bit harder but personally I think the lady we were dealing with didn't know her ar5e from her elbow. I'll change over on my passport and drivers licence when they're up for renewal. From what I can see there doesn't seem to be a formal process for Irish nationals anyway.

AckwelFoley · 06-01-2011 07:24PM

Marriage certificate needs to be in english if you are intending on presenting it here to have your foreign wedding recognised here in ireland. If its in cantonese or manduran, they will need to give youa translated version

You are best getting the union legally / offically recoginsed in Ireland

seamus · 07-01-2011 11:05AM

snyper wrote: »

You are best getting the union legally / offically recoginsed in Ireland

As in a civil ceremony? Not necessary tbh. Once you have the properly translated document, it's as legal / official as an Irish wedding.

username123 · 07-01-2011 11:13AM

snyper wrote: »

You are best getting the union legally / offically recoginsed in Ireland

There is no mechanism by which a foreign marriage is 'officially recognised' in Ireland.

I married abroad a couple of years ago (both myself and hubby are Irish). When I came back I contacted the registry office to get the marriage 'officially recognised' here - I was told that there is no such thing. So long as the marriage is a legally recognised civil marriage in the country in which you married (ie, not just some medicine man waving a stick and pronouncing you married), and you have a legal marriage certificate from that country, and the marriage falls into what constitutes a legal marriage in Ireland (ie you didnt marry a brother or sister or not a homosexual marriage(although not sure how that works now with civil partnership bill)), then thats it - its legal in Ireland.

The woman described it to me this way - your married aunt and uncle from Texas visit you in Ireland. Theyre not suddenly not married in Ireland. They are still a married couple.

As regards the name, you can change to your married name with usage in Ireland - or use your marriage certificate to formally change it in institutions like revenue, banks etc...

I am informally changing mine, my GP, my credit union, my workplace and any new memberships etc I am using my new name, I wont bother changing the bank and revenue until Ive renewed my passport.

How Strange · 07-01-2011 03:40PM

username123 wrote: »

I wont bother changing the bank and revenue until Ive renewed my passport.

I changed mine on the advice of the revenue. A very helpful lady from revenue explained to me that if either of us lost our jobs during the tax year (touch wood etc etc) we couldn't then elect for joint assessment/separate assessment as a married couple so one wouldn't be able to transfer tax credits to the other. She advised me to go with separate assessment as a married couple but to do it before end 2010 so it's set up for 2011. With the way things are going in this country we decided not to take any chances. As I said previously it was all done over the phone.

username123 · 07-01-2011 03:46PM

How Strange wrote: »

I changed mine on the advice of the revenue. A very helpful lady from revenue explained to me that if either of us lost our jobs during the tax year (touch wood etc etc) we couldn't then elect for joint assessment/separate assessment as a married couple so one wouldn't be able to transfer tax credits to the other. She advised me to go with separate assessment as a married couple but to do it before end 2010 so it's set up for 2011. With the way things are going in this country we decided not to take any chances. As I said previously it was all done over the phone.

Correct me if Im wrong - but if you choose not to take your husbands surname surely you can still elect for assessment as a married couple? Its the marriage certificate that counts - not the surname that you use?

Theres an element of laziness in my own quest to change it must be said so Ive just put it on the long finger until my passport comes up

My hubby and I have both bank accounts and tax affairs kept seperate for now (deliberately) - although this may change later.

How Strange · 07-01-2011 04:05PM

username123 wrote: »

Correct me if Im wrong - but if you choose not to take your husbands surname surely you can still elect for assessment as a married couple? Its the marriage certificate that counts - not the surname that you use?

AFAIK yes, thats right. I'm changing my name because we're having a baby and I want us to have the same name for convenience sake (plus I like the idea of us being the x family

)
The lady I dealt with recommended changing our tax status considering how common redundancy is nowadays and she said alot of married couples never changed and found themselves unable to transfer credits mid year.

username123 · 07-01-2011 08:36PM

How Strange wrote: »

The lady I dealt with recommended changing our tax status considering how common redundancy is nowadays and she said alot of married couples never changed and found themselves unable to transfer credits mid year.

Ah gotcha!

Well best of luck with the new baby, I totally agree about being the X family, I do refer to myself as Mrs X more 'unthinkingly' now - Im just lazy (and scabby) about the passport - its still got a couple of years left on it!!

Interesting about the tax credits, will file that away in case we decide to do joint assessment.

Married abroad, my wife wants to take my family name - how?

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