After Marriage - UK - New Passport Name?

[Manny]

My lady is worrying about her Russian passport - after we are married, she wants to change her Russian passport to show my surname. (but still keeping a Russian passport!?!?!?)

I imagine she can do this at the Russian Embassy in the UK, but it seems very important to her, so I ask you guys.........

Does her 2 year UK visa after marriage show her married name or passport (maiden) name?
If we change her passport (to show her new surname) in London do we need to pay again to have her visa updated in her new passport? Do they give the old one back?

She wants to keep her Russian passport after she is eligible to get a UK one so she does not need a visa into Russia, is this possible? Is dual citizenship easy & OK?

If she is a Russian Passport holder (married) and we have a child in the UK, does the child get UK or dual citizenship?

I dont see it - but is there a reason why she would be so concerned about changing her International passport to show her "new" surname? - She is very concerned that this happens - why? I dont see it as a problem whatever name it shows?

Ideally for me - she would have ID in her Russian name and her new UK name. (tax etc) and how does the old internal passport change? Do they take it off her as she no longer lives in Russia? Will they change her RUS passport for a new one showing her new surname?

Any guidance from a UK perspective appreciated!

[Leslie]

We have been through this ourselves and this is the situation.

If your fiance comes to UK with a fiance visa in the international passport in her maiden name then the spouse visa will be placed in this passport. You can argue the toss at Reliance house in Liverpool but I don't think you will get anywhere.

My wife returned to Ukraine in order to change her name.  This is what she did -

Take the marriage UK marriage certificate to the FCO in London get it stamped.  Take it to the Consulate (Russian) get it stamped.
Go back home get a legally certified translation of the marriage certificate.  Get this (by now a stack of papers) notarized.  Go to the British Embassy and get a letter (in Russian)  stating that your wife adopted your surname on marriage.

Now apply for a new domestic (Blue) passport with new surname.  The marriage will be recorded in her blue passport. Then apply for a new international (Red) passport with new surname.  Make sure the old passport is returned to you.  This is not usual practice in but IND require the whole story. (we are in this situation and it will delay naturalization by nearly a year!)  Now get a UK spouse visa in the new Red passport....
'
If we were doing this again we would not bother.  Very expensive waste of time and money.  Stay with the passport in your wife's maiden name.  The marriage can be recorded in her domestic passport in due course.  Your wife can adopt your Surname in UK.  This is the usual practice.

It does not matter where a child is born.  As the father you can register the child's birth.  If you are living in UK then this will be done at the maternity unit.  If the child is born abroad you must go to the British consulate and register the birth.  Once a child has a British birth certificate you can apply for a passport in the normal way.  Our daughter Tamara got her passport when she was 10 weeks old.

Your child has a right to Russian citizenship through mother.  I am not sure of the situation here as we will not persue this.

British citizenship is granted independently of ANY foreign power.  However the Ukraine (and I think the Russian) Authorities do not allow dual citizenship. 

[swindoom]

My wife is not worried about changing her surname in her Russian passport, it seems like a lot of hassle and expense for no real gain. Apart from her ILR everything else has her new surname, bills and her bank cards. The one time she needed her passport as ID she used her Russian passport and our marriage certificate to prove who she was. Also my wife is not interested in dual citizenship, she is looking forward to the day she changes from a UK resident to a UK citizen.

[Manny]

Thanks guys - this is what I suspected!

I will show her this thread! (she said "ask your friends on the forums how they did it")

Other comments welcome..........