# Changing surname in Spain



## Sarah BCN (Apr 28, 2015)

Hi

I hope that someone can help. I am a UK citizen who recently got married in Barcelona (where I live). I'd like to change my surname to that of my husband. Does anybody know how to go about doing this? Do I change my UK passport first? How do I change my NIE and everything else? Thanks!

Hola

Espero que hay alguien que me pueda ayudar. Soy britanica y hace unas semanas me case en Barcelona donde vivo. Me gustaria poder cambiar de apellido (cogiendo lo de mi marido). Hay alguien que sepa como hacerlo? Empiezo con mi pasaporte? Como cambio el NIE y todo lo demas? Gracias!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Not exactly the same situation, but we had to change the surname of our first child who was born in Spain (long story, but the registrar who recorded his birth in the Registro, refused to give him the correct surname when he was born!!)

First, we had his correct name refelected in his passport. This was crucial.

Then we had to write to the local registrar to request that the register be amended. I imagine that in your case you would go to extranjería with your new passport.

Then, becuase the registrar is not authorised to amend the registry without an order from a judge, we had to formally request that a judge write an instruction to the registrar. I suppose that you may have to do the same, but I would suggest doing the passport first, then check with extranjería, as they may let you skip this part as you are not amending the registry of births, only your inclusion on the list of foreign residents, which has to match your document of identifcation.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I know this isn't what you asked, but personally I wouldn't change my surname (and didn't when I got married here), especially if you're going to be living in Spain permanently. As the whole system is set up for you not to change your name you'll be questioned at every step of officialdom about your surname and how come it's different to your birth name


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I know this isn't what you asked, but personally I wouldn't change my surname (and didn't when I got married here), especially if you're going to be living in Spain permanently. As the whole system is set up for you not to change your name you'll be questioned at every step of officialdom about your surname and how come it's different to your birth name


I didn¡t change mine when I got married last year, either. Apart from the very valid point you make, I just couldn't face all the hassle of changing the name on my passport and then having to do the same with all my bank accounts, pension providers, utility suppliers et al.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

I am pretty sure one cannot change their name in Spain without an order from a judge and that cannot be easily obtained.

I bought a property in Spain about 30 years ago. I was not resident and the NIE had ‘not been invented’. Some time later I changed my name in UK and then sold my property in Spain. The name change from buying and then selling was going to cause a lot of problems. At that time it was possible to obtain a 12 month passport from the Post Office in UK, using a Birth Cert. (In UK one can change their name for everything but never the name on their Birth Cert). I returned to UK and obtained such a PP in my birth name and used that to sell the property.- The notary was very relieved !! I then destroyed the 12 month PP.

On a similar theme: 

I recently took up my right to an Irish Passport. When my British PP ran out I did not renew it. I renewed my EU Citizens Registration Cert using the Irish PP, and it now shows I am Irish.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

larryzx said:


> I am pretty sure one cannot change their name in Spain without an order from a judge and that cannot be easily obtained.


I challenge your comment about the order from the judge being hard to get. Yes, it is a relatively laborious process but to change my son's name (as my post above) we had to exactly that.

This was in order to get visas to live in Thailand and at one point I was thinking that this was going to put a stop to our move, but we chased up the process at every step almost every day, and in the end it was all done in about 6 weeks and didn't even delay my move.

This was 2 years ago in Madrid. As with most things, it may depend on the individuals in the process / your reasons for changing the name / the area you live in / the alignment of the stars / etc, but my experience is that the process was surprisingly positive.


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## Susanna345 (Apr 29, 2015)

It will be easier for you to have a holiday back in UK then change your name here then go back to spain. It will be a very fast way to get things done.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Susanna345 said:


> It will be easier for you to have a holiday back in UK then change your name here then go back to spain. It will be a very fast way to get things done.


Well, that's the way to get the UK side of things done, but if she's living in Spain she'll need to get the Spanish side sorted, including libro de familia, certificado de registro, padron etc


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

Susanna345 said:


> It will be easier for you to have a holiday back in UK then change your name here then go back to spain. It will be a very fast way to get things done.


Yes it would, as of course in UK one can just change their names (first and surnames) without any paperwork. I did it. 

However, if one had an NIE, EU Citizen’s Resident Cert. D/L etc. in the previous name, a problem would arise if one then returns to Spain with another name.

We got married in Manila and when my wife came here she changed her name in her Filipinos PP to what she wanted (a combination of her surname and my surname). When she applied for her residencia they accepted her name as shown in her PP. Had she not changed the name in her PP before applying for her residencia, she would have had to use the name shown there, i.e. her maiden name.


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