Many argue, especially feminists, that in this day and age you shouldn’t have to change your maiden name after you’ve tied the knot. Fair enough, you have your own identity, you’ve made a name for yourself and it’s a hassle going through the paperwork but if you’re so reluctant to be called a Mrs., why did you get married in the first place? Take the WAGs for example; Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole. They started out as Victoria Adams and Cheryl Tweedy and were celebrities in their own right but they’ve become even bigger stars with their married name (ok, partly because they married football players). How about when you have children and your daughter or son asks, “why does mummy and daddy have different last names? John’s mummy has the same name as his daddy.” So, if you, like Bridelicious decide to take that step to take after your husband’s name, we’ve done the research and have a little guide for you. Aren’t you lucky?
Photo credit: Christian Keenan Photography
HKID card
Make an appointment up to 24 days in advance, on the immigration website as you’ll need to do this in person (try to book an earlier time slot i.e. before 10:30am to avoid the huge crowds) and fill in the application form. On the day, you’ll have your picture taken for your new card so make yourself look presentable, though heavy make up is a no no. The whole process usually takes around 30minutes depending on how busy it is so bring a book or an iPad – sit back, relax and wait for your name to be called.
Fee: none if you’re only changing to your married name. Any other changes require a fee.
Documents to bring:
- current HKID card
- marriage certificate
- completed application form ROP73
http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/idcard/hkic/bookregidcard.htm
http://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/rop73.pdf
Driver’s licence
You can only get this changed after you’ve picked up your new HKID card; they won’t accept the provisional paper ID. No appointments can be made so the only option is to queue like everyone else. Avoid busy hours like the plague (lunch hour), otherwise you’ll be stuck for at least an hour, especially if you go to their Admiralty office. If you’re impatient, our tip is to go to the Shatin office.
Fee: none (the validity remains the same as before and does not automatically get extended)
Documents to bring:
- new HKID card
- marriage certificate
Bank accounts
Hopefully, unlike Bridelicious, you don’t bank with HSBC because honestly, the bank staff leave their brains at home.
Fee: none
Documents to bring:
- new HKID card
- marriage certificate
Passport
This is a tricky one as all consulates have different rules but what is common is that you’re most likely going to have to queue for a long time or wait several weeks for the new passport to arrive. Why it takes those lazy officials so long to process the applications is another matter.
Fee: if you have a UK passport, you’ll have to fork out more than HKD1,600 for a 32-page passport because they handle the application as if you’re renewing it. So if your passport isn’t due to expire until 2019, tough. It’s also best to send the form to the consulate to avoid the extremely long wait but make sure it’s via registered post.
Documents to send (if you have a UK passport):
- copy of HKID card
- original marriage certificate
- existing passport
