can my friend travel?

[tickle1510]

A friend of mine has been married for 5 years, but still has a passport in her maiden name that is vaild, can she still travel under this passport as long as tickets and flights are in her maiden name or would she be breaking any laws if she did this?
thanks for any answers in advance..

[Cathyhuns]

She can still travel so long as all papers are in the same name. There is no law in UK which says that women have to change their name on marriage. She may however run into difficulites in countries with different cultures to the UK.

[tickle1510]

thanks cathyhuns..
so as long as she doesnt cause any problems in other countries she should be ok. Her passport runs out in 4 years, can she keep this in her maiden name and just buy a new one in her married name when she is due for a renewal. Will their be any sort of back lash from the passport place because whats she is worried about is her marriage date will be on her certificate and she doesnt want to get into trouble if she should have had one in her married name sooner...

[KARL]

The only places where complications might arise, apart from the name stated on bookings and in the passport not matching, is in Muslim countries (accommodation in particular). Changing the name is a matter of the woman's choice and in some countries to do that would appear a strange choice.

[boxtops]

tickle, I didn't change my passport for a couple of years after I remarried five years ago, it was no problem at all. I changed it when the passport ran out, just filled in the forms and sent off evidence of name change then. I did then have to remember to change everything that went with it, like my travel insurance policy etc.! All my legal docs are now in my "new" married name (car, driving licence, passport, medical records, EHIC card) but I still use the previous name for work as it's more convenient, and my bank account is still in my previous name. Even the tax office said they don't mind what name I use as long as I quoted the right NI number. My only complication abroad was that my bank card has a different name on it from my passport (in the unlikely event that I can't find an ATM and need to draw money from a bank and use the passport as ID). As cathy says, you can call yourself what you like after you marry.
The point about Muslim countries is interesting because yes, you would need to be able to show that you are married to share a room, but most of my Muslim friends have kept their full maiden names after marriage - so their names are not the same as their husband's, anyway!

[tickle1510]

thanks karl and box tops, I have past this info on and my friend and she is breathing a sigh of relief, someone told her she could be breaking some laws but really she isnt.. think she intends to change it now sooner rather than later.. thanks for all the answers