# Name changed?



## irishexpat (May 25, 2011)

I wonder if anyone can shed light on this situation.
When we got married, my wife decided to keep her own name, and stipulated such to the registrar.
Earlier this year, she had to renew her passport. Home Affairs told her that her surname in their records had been changed to mine. She wanted her own name back, and this was done. Happy bunny.
Looking to make shift on my long delayed application for a spousal permit with work endorsement, I was advised to get a printed copy of my abridged marriage certificate rather than the handwritten one we have.
This I did. To discover that my surname has been changed to my wife's. Indeed, the guy in Home Affairs initially refused to hand over the certificate because he said I clearly couldn't be the man named in it.

At Harrison Street, the supervisor informed me that the system could only capture a name if it is attached to an ID number. Only my wife has an ID number, so whatever surname she has will appear for both parties on the certificate. Therefore, I would have a problem. We should, he said, both write affidavits explaining that we made a mistake asking for the surname to be changed and petitioning for my wife to take my surname, and they might just consider it. 

First of all, is any or all of this true? Because by now assumption is that anything I am told by a Home Affairs official is incorrect. No immigration website I have found stipulates that a South African woman must take her husband's name in order to produce a valid abridged marriage certificate. So far as I understood, the female party has the right to use her birth name, husband's name or a combination thereof.
Should I just pay someone a couple of thousand rand to get an unabridged certificate in a hurry or is there a way this can be put right?


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

The problem is the ID number,HA system cannot handle a name without an ID Number so either you have to apply for a SA ID number or change her name back to your surname,, when you leave SA you can always change it back..


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## irishexpat (May 25, 2011)

So she will need to change back to my surname until I get permanent residence.
This is going to go down well!


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

irishexpat said:


> So she will need to change back to my surname until I get permanent residence.
> This is going to go down well!


not at all, at all,
my wife has been known by her maiden name since we were married, just her passport and ID books have my married name on, Sarf Effricans understand, but tell wifey to get her shoes off and get back to the kitchen!!!!


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## irishexpat (May 25, 2011)

Well, it's the least of my worries.
My application for a work endorsement has now been in the system for over 18 months. My employer has given me two more weeks to finally get a permit or get out.
The SA embassy in Dublin could provide a permit with endorsement in that time, but Home Affairs say they cannot cancel the non-moving application here in SA. (wonder what happens if I get offered a new job after I lose ts one and the permit still hasn't been processed?)
I am now at the point of flying to Ireland anyway just to see if the system will miss the fact that I already have an application in because I've got a new passport in the meantime.
If it doesn't I'll just stay there.


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## Adelita (Sep 4, 2012)

irishexpat said:


> I wonder if anyone can shed light on this situation.
> When we got married, my wife decided to keep her own name, and stipulated such to the registrar.
> Earlier this year, she had to renew her passport. Home Affairs told her that her surname in their records had been changed to mine. She wanted her own name back, and this was done. Happy bunny.
> Looking to make shift on my long delayed application for a spousal permit with work endorsement, I was advised to get a printed copy of my abridged marriage certificate rather than the handwritten one we have.
> ...



I'm not sure if this message will be accepted by this website, but I know for a fact that what the Home Affairs have told you, is wrong. I can offer a website's name that might shed some light on the subject, and that will be able to legally help and assist you with a Unabridged Certificate, but once again, I'm not sure whether we're allowed to post any site names on here?


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