Change your last name after divorce

Family lawyer

Skryabin Alexey Nikolaevich

Doctor of Law

Greetings! In this article I will tell you about how to change your last name after a divorce in Ukraine, whether you need to change your last name after a divorce, is it possible to keep a man’s last name after a divorce, what is the procedure for changing a last name after a divorce, is it possible to change your last name a few years after a divorce, how documents are changed when changing a surname after a divorce, how to confirm a change of surname after marriage and divorce, how to replace a passport after a divorce. After reading the article “Change your last name after a divorce” on the website rozirvannya.com.ua you will find answers for yourself on this issue.

How to change your last name after a divorce in Ukraine?

Citizens of Ukraine have the right to change their last name. Typically, this rule is used upon reaching the age of majority, as well as upon marriage or divorce.

And although the procedure for changing a surname itself is very simple, many are stopped by the need to re-issue many documents issued under the previous surname. Therefore, some wives keep their husband’s last name – in order to avoid troublesome and lengthy re-registration of documents.

But how is this legal? Is it necessary to change my last name? And what is the procedure for changing and re-issuing documents? You will learn about this in this article.

Do I need to change my last name after a divorce?

This is not necessary. According to Ukrainian legislation, each spouse has the right to decide for himself what surname to wear after a divorce – keep the current one or return the previous one. No one (neither the ex-husband, nor the court or other government body) has the right to demand that the surname be changed or preserved; no circumstances can cause this.

Should I change my last name after a divorce?

More often than not, women take drastic measures to regain their premarital surname through resentment towards the man. Unsuccessful family life, divorce, damaged relationships and the desire to get rid of everything that reminds of this. Including the last name.

Even numerologists and psychics strongly advise getting rid of a man’s last name after a divorce in order to get rid of energy ballast.

But when the emotional storm has already subsided, the chain of bureaucratic procedures with the collection of documents and going through the authorities is just beginning. This article details how to do this. The question is, is it worth it?

After all, in addition to changing your last name, you will have to change your passport and other documents, as already mentioned above. In some situations there is no need to rush, so bureaucratic pleasure can be stretched out over years. You just need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to constantly carry with you documents confirming the change of surname. But in other situations, the re-issuance of all documents must be done without delay.

Some women decide that it is not worth changing their last name. Why? Firstly, all the same documents, secondly, habit, thirdly, respect for the ex-husband. Not all separating spouses become enemies who do not even want to remember each other’s first and last names. Fourthly, children bearing the father’s surname. After all, a woman who decides whether to keep or change her surname is forced to decide an equally difficult question – to keep or change the surnames of her children?

Whether it is worth changing your last name is up to you to decide. But, in our opinion, the decision to change your last name should have more compelling reasons than the desire to annoy your ex-husband or “break with your past life.”

Is it possible to keep a man’s last name after a divorce?

Family lawyer

Skryabin Alexey Nikolaevich

Doctor of Law

Questions for a lawyer

I was married for 11 years. During this time, many documents were issued - a diploma of education, a driver's license, a foreign passport and others. The divorce certificate states that I retain the surname of my ex-husband. I am not against that. But I heard that after a divorce you need to change it. Is it possible not to change the last name?

The answer is simple. The law does not oblige you to return to your maiden name in the event of a divorce. You can keep it for yourself and save yourself the hassle and time spent on re-registration of documents. Otherwise, after changing your last name, you will have to change your passport and other documents, including some of those you listed.

You can do as you please.

The procedure for changing a surname after a divorce. Instructions

Have you decided to return to your maiden name during a divorce? Then you should read the detailed instructions on the change procedure. In fact, this process is not as complicated as one might think.

First of all, it should be said that you can return your maiden name both during the divorce procedure and after the divorce.

• In the first case, in the application for divorce it is necessary to indicate that after the divorce the surname will be changed to the premarital one. Then, simultaneously with the dissolution of the marriage, the change of surname is registered. The divorce certificate will already indicate the maiden name, all that remains is to contact the “passport office” – to replace the passport and to other institutions – to replace other documents (this will be discussed below);
• In the second case, if the divorce has already taken place, the change procedure will have to be carried out on a general basis.

So what does it take?

Step 1. Prepare a package of documents

To contact the civil registry office with an application to change your last name after a divorce, you must prepare a package of the following documents:

• Passport;
• Birth certificate;
• Birth certificates of minor children;
• Divorce certificate;
• Receipts for payment of state taxes.

Step 2. Submit an application to change your last name

Having collected the package of necessary documents, you should contact the registry office. There you should submit an application to change your surname, drawn up according to the established model.

Let’s look at this in more detail.

The application must indicate the following information:

• Current surname, first name and patronymic, as well as the surname that needs to be changed;
• Date and place of birth, details of the birth registration act;
• Citizenship, if desired – nationality;
• Marital status, details of the act of registration of marriage or divorce;
• Information about minor children (full name, date and place of birth, details of the birth registration act);
• Details of the identity document;
• Place of registration;
• The reason for changing the surname (for example, the desire to change the surname to a maiden name after a divorce);
• List of documents;
• Date of;
• Signature.

Step 3. Payment of the state fee

The state tax must be paid for changing the surname, as well as for registering all changes made to the Register of Deeds. Details for paying the state fee can be found at the registry office, and payment can be made through the cash desk, in the online service. If the child is under 18 years old, his testimony will have to be changed.

Step 4. Consideration of the application by the registry office

An application to change a surname is considered by the civil registry office within one month. As practice shows, when it comes to changing the surname after a divorce, the registry office makes a positive decision. If the decision is negative, it can be appealed to a higher authority – the office of the registry office or in court.

If the decision to change the surname is positive, one month after submitting the application, you must appear at the registry office to register the act of changing the surname and receive a certificate of change of surname.

Step 5. Certificate of change of surname

A certificate (or certificate) of change of surname is a document issued by the civil registry office. This document serves as the basis for replacing documents in which the new (or previous) name must be indicated instead of the current surname.

Simultaneously with the issuance of a certificate (certificate) of change of surname, a note indicating the need to replace the document is placed in the passport.

Step 6. Replacement of documents

No later than one month from the date of receipt of the certificate of change of surname, it is necessary to change the passport of a citizen of Ukraine, and then other documents requiring replacement.

Based on the changes made to the civil registration book, the civil registry office produces documents such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate or divorce certificate – with a changed surname. A government fee is charged for the execution of each document.

Is it possible to change your last name a few years after a divorce?

The procedure for changing a surname after a few years is no different from the same procedure immediately after a divorce – that is, on a general basis. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed since the divorce. Every citizen has the right to change his last name and first name at any time.

Just like immediately after a divorce, you need to contact the registry office, providing documents: a completed application form of the established form, passport, marriage and divorce certificate, birth certificates of children. The application will be reviewed within a month, after which a corresponding certificate of name change will be issued, on the basis of which the documents will be replaced.

Documents for changing surname after divorce

The main thing that a citizen must do after changing his last name is to replace the documents in a timely manner. First of all, you need to replace your passport, as well as other documents: international passport, pension certificate, driver’s license, certificate of TIN assignment, medical insurance policy.

Not all documents require replacement. If you have a document confirming your previous and current surname, you do not have to change your education diplomas and certificates of completion of training courses, work book, individual entrepreneur registration certificates, title documents for property and others.

How to confirm a change of surname after marriage and divorce?

If after a divorce the surname was changed, this is confirmed by:

• Divorce certificate (if the new surname was indicated in the divorce application and changed during the divorce process);
• Certificate of name change (if the surname was changed after a divorce on a general basis).

There is another situation. After the divorce, the woman decided to keep her husband’s surname. But if previously the marriage certificate (where both the maiden name and the man’s last name was indicated) served as confirmation of the change of the maiden name according to the husband’s last name, now the woman only has a Divorce Certificate in her hands (where only the man’s last name is indicated). When it becomes necessary to confirm the change of the maiden name using the man’s last name, you have to contact the registry office for a certificate of marriage and divorce. It contains all the information about surnames before and after marriage. If the Birth Certificate has been preserved, it can also serve as confirmation of the change of maiden name in marriage.

Changing your passport after divorce

Family lawyer

Babich Sergey Anatolievich

Candidate of Legal Sciences

Questions for a lawyer

Do I need to change my passport?

This is the first thing you should definitely do after changing your last name and receiving the appropriate certificate! The new passport will become the basis for changing other documents.

Where and how to change your passport when changing your last name? To replace, you should contact the “passport office” at your place of residence. Currently, these functions are performed by territorial migration departments under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Documents for changing your passport

Contrary to popular belief, changing your passport does not require collecting numerous documents or going through a lot of authorities.

You just need to visit the KOM or MFC branch – where to submit an application for a passport replacement along with a list of required documents.

The application for replacement is drawn up according to the established template, in the same way as the application for the initial issue of a passport is filled out.

The following list of documents must be added to the application:

• an old passport issued under a previous surname;
• documents confirming the change of surname (for example, a divorce certificate, if the new surname is indicated directly on it, or a certificate of change of surname);
• 2 passport photos;
• receipt of payment of the state tax.

In some cases, other documents may be required. For example, in order to put a mark on military duty in a new passport, you need a military ID, to indicate information about minor children – their birth certificate, to note the TIN – the corresponding certificate of registration with the tax service.

State fee for changing your passport

Since the beginning of 2024, changes have been made to the Law of Ukraine “On Judicial Fees” regarding the amount of state fees. In this regard, a state fee is charged for issuing or replacing a passport.

Deadline for passport replacement

Delay in replacing a passport after a last name change is not allowed. The passport must be changed within 30 days from the date of entering the new name in the Register of Deeds and receiving a certificate of change of name. If the passport is replaced untimely, you cannot avoid a fine.

After submitting the application, you must come for a new passport after 10 days (if the documents are submitted to the KOM department at the place of registration or if the previous passport was issued at this department) or after 2 months (if the previous passport was issued at another department).

What documents need to be changed after changing your last name?

Replacement of international passport.

Unlike the main document – a passport of a citizen of Ukraine, a foreign passport does not require urgent replacement. The only recommendation is not to use a foreign passport with an old surname after state registration of a new surname. And begin the procedure for replacing a foreign passport as soon as possible after receiving a new passport.

To do this, you need to contact the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a complete package of documents:

• an application to change a foreign passport due to a change in surname;
• old passport;
• a new passport of a citizen of Ukraine with a changed surname;
• photographs;
• receipt of payment of the state tax.

Replacing a driver’s license when changing your last name after a divorce

A driver’s license is not a mandatory replacement document. The validity period of the rights is limited; you can change the surname in the new rights – after their expiration date. Along with the rights, you can present a certificate of change of surname or a certificate of divorce (if the changed surname is indicated there).

But for those who often use a car and communicate with traffic police officers, it is recommended to replace their license. This will help avoid long and regular explanations.

To obtain a new driver’s license, you need to submit the following documents to the Ministry of Internal Affairs:

• old driver’s license;
• driver card, certificate of change of surname;
• a new passport with a changed surname;
• medical certificate (not necessarily with a changed surname, the main thing is that the certificate has not yet expired);
• certificate of place of registration;
• receipt of payment of the state tax.

Replacing a health insurance policy when changing your last name after a divorce

There are no restrictions on the period for replacing a health insurance policy. Therefore, you can start the procedure for replacing this document at any time, at your discretion. Of course, you shouldn’t delay this – life is unpredictable.

To replace the policy, you should contact the medical institution or the insurance company that issued it.

The following documents must be provided:

• old policy;
• certificate of change of surname;
• a new passport with a changed surname.

You don’t need to pay anything – it’s a replacement for compulsory medical insurance.

Replacing a pension certificate when changing your last name after a divorce

If the pension certificate was issued at the place of work, it can be replaced through the human resources department. Otherwise, you should independently contact the pension fund office at your place of residence. You must present documents confirming the change of surname and a new passport with the changed surname.

Replacement of TIN certificate when changing surname after divorce

This document is one of those few that it is advisable to replace as soon as possible. To do this, you should visit the tax office at your place of residence. The application for replacement of the TIN certificate should be accompanied by the same package of documents:

• old TIN certificate;
• certificate of change of surname;
• a new passport with a changed surname.

This service does not require any financial calculations.

Replacement of bank cards and accounts when changing surname after divorce

Replacement of bank cards and accounts due to a change of surname is mandatory. You must contact either the bank branch or the human resources department at your place of work (if the question concerns your salary card).

Replacement of diploma and education documents when changing surname after divorce

There is no need to change your existing diploma. But if your studies at the university have not yet been completed, you will have to replace your student documents (grade book, student pass, graduate student ID). To do this, you should contact the rector’s office of the educational department of the university with a corresponding application and documents confirming the change of surname.

Replacing a work book when changing your last name after a divorce

There is no need to change your work book, but you must indicate a new last name in it. To do this, you need to contact the HR department and make changes to the work book based on the submitted documents regarding the change of name.

Let’s summarize:

• To change or not to change the surname is at the discretion of the woman after a divorce.
• The change takes place to the maiden name (marriage name).
• The change can be submitted to the registry office – along with an application for divorce. Then the wife’s maiden name will be included in the divorce certificate.
• The application is submitted to the MFC or the Commissariat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (passport office). In return, a certificate of name change will be issued.
• If you return to your premarital surname, you will have to change your existing documents: first of all, your Ukrainian passport.
• Documents such as foreigner, SNILS, pension, compulsory medical insurance, TIN, bank cards and details are subject to replacement.
• It is not necessary to change your education diploma or work record.
• If you have a minor child, you need to update his documents.

Family lawyer

Skryabina Daria Sergeevna

Candidate of Legal Sciences

If the article “Change your last name after divorce?” was interesting for you and you learned something useful for yourself, then like this article and also subscribe to our youtube channel so as not to miss new videos.