[DianeS]

I'm not adopting from Guatemala, but this forum seems to have the most people traveling, so I figured somebody here would know.

I'm traveling to Ecuador this fall. I have the State Department list of items I need to apply for my passport. I have my birth certificate, and I have my current ID - but, when I married, I changed my name so of course the last name on those two doesn't match!

And I can't find what document to bring to show the name change. Is it the marriage certificate? But that doesn't show my married name typed anywhere. Or the new social security card I was issued?

Any help would be appreciated, my time to apply is slowly evaporating...

[Smokey_Kat]

Does your state issue a marriage license as well as the certificate? My state issues a combined one that shows the application portion which lists my maiden name at the top and then the certificate portion that shows my married name at the bottom.

When I applied for my passport at the Post Office, they didn't mention needing a marriage license or certificate and they sent my forms off to be processed. Then I got a letter from the Passport Office asking for the marriage license and/or certificate. Once I sent them that, they were fine. But it did delay my passport about 2-3 weeks.

I don't remember if I sent them a notarized copy or not, but just to be sure, I'd take a notarized one.

Hope this helps!

[fullahope]

You need to submit your marriage certificate it should show your name before the marriage, make sure it's an original certified copy (they return your original docs). Good luck.

[JillnChris]

Your marriage license doesn't show your married name? Isn't your husbands name on it?

[DianeS]

See, that's where I guess I got confused.

The marriage licence&certificate (they're on one page here) does have my maiden name typed, and does have my husband's name typed.

And I signed the certificate with my married name.

But nowhere does my married name appear typed. I guess it just didn't look like an "official" name-change document to me. I saw a friend's from another state, and hers has her married name typed under her signature. But I guess that's just a state difference.

But when I thought about it, I remembered that's the only doc I took with me to change my name on my SS card, and that was changed with no problem. So it must be official enough regardless of what I think.

Thanks for reassuring me! The trip is in September, I don't have enough time to have this kicked back to me. Even paying for it to be expedited is leaving me worried about the time frame. Thanks for helping.