We provide services for the official registration of marriage in Mexico for foreigners. Our newlyweds — including from Ukraine and Russia. In these countries, it is customary for the bride to take her husband's surname upon marriage. Moreover, the husband's surname in this case changes to the feminine gender. But in Mexico this is not customary: when getting married, a woman remains with her maiden name and does not change her identity card, although she is able to use the prefix de along with her husband’s last name when introducing herself in informal communication.
Mexican law requires a woman to use her maiden name on all official documents, the main one being — IFE/INE voter card, which replaces the internal passport. In this regard, when registering first and last names on a marriage certificate in Mexico, they are transferred to it exactly as they are indicated on the birth certificate or (for foreigners) — in the passport. For foreigners, there may be no difference between the spelling of the surname on a passport and a marriage certificate issued in Mexico.
Is it possible to change your last name after registering a marriage in Mexico? Yes, it is allowed. Now we will tell you how to do this.
In Mexico, you received a marriage certificate certified by an international apostille stamp. It's in Spanish. After returning home, contact a translation agency, where the certificate, along with the apostille, will be translated into the language of your country. Then have the translation certified by a notary. Take the original certificate and certified translation to the local civil registry office at your place of residence (ZAGS). There they will make an entry in the civil register, and you will be considered married in the territory of your state. You can read more about the procedure in thispublicationson our website.
After making an entry in the civil register, you will be given an extract where your last name, first name and patronymic will be indicated (it will not be on the marriage certificate) in your native language. Together with a foreign marriage certificate, the extract will confirm that you are married.
Next, you make another request, this time with a statement about changing your last name. Please note that you change your surname at your own request and regardless of marriage. In this case, you can indicate any new surname, but in such circumstances, of course, you will choose your husband’s surname. As a result, you need to obtain a certificate, which in Russia is called «Certificate of change of name», in Ukraine— «Certificate of change of name», and it is possible to obtain it only in person at the registry office at the place of permanent registration or place of birth.
To change your name, you need to provide the registry office with:
- passport,
- application for a name change (form No. 20 for Russia, you can obtain and fill it out at the registry office or download it from thislink),
- birth certificate,
- marriage certificate + extract from the civil registry,
- birth certificates of all minor children.
The documentation specified in the last three paragraphs is not always mandatory, since the registry office itself can check the materials from them in the civil registry.
The period for consideration of an application for a change of surname and the issuance of a Certificate — usually about 1 month.
That's it, now you have a new last name. But now you are obliged to change all other documents where your old last name is indicated, since they become invalid. A certain period of time is given to change your passport, most often 30 days. In Russia, the easiest way to do this is to contact the MFC; in Ukraine — to the Administrative Services Centers (ASCs). You will also have to change your passport, driver's license, insurance certificates and some other documents. You will no longer be able to travel abroad with your old passport.
If you have children who have your old last name, you will have to provide a Certificate of Name Change everywhere to identify you as the parent.