Shaadi season is here and couples in their wedded bliss are looking forward to their honeymoon after the nuptials, when the whole jing-bang comes to an end.
But wait a minute. If you are planning to check-in to a foreign country on your Facebook timeline for your wedding, the authorities can send you back even before you get to open the app.
Why? Because you don’t have your husband’s name on your passport.
Yes, you need documented proof of being married. So if he “likes it and he put a ring on it” will not count as proof of your marriage and neither will your sindoor or mangalsutra.
If your visa identifies you as “wife of x” and your passport only carries your maiden name, you can be stopped from boarding the flight.
“I did not have a marriage license while traveling to Dubai. When the officials quizzed my husband, he said we were friends” said a woman who spoke to The Quint.
My passport wasn’t updated so both my husband and I were single, in front of the authorities.
If they want you to prove it, prove it
“Each country you travel to will have a different set of rules and procedures to follow in terms of proof of your marriage”, said Anil Kalsi, onwer of Ambe World Travels.
Going to Dubai, you would have to show your marriage license, while Australians would want an itinerary of the functions at your wedding and the wedding card.
“Carrying proof like your updated passport and marriage license are recommended. Photos of the wedding ceremony are also accepted as proof” said Vaibhav, a travel agent.
What about tickets and visa?
Don’t just look at the cheapest tickets which has multiple layovers and get swayed by them. With each layover, you will have to take a transit visa or you will be sent back to your home country, added Kalsi.
So if you’re going to the UK with a stopover at Frankfurt, you will need a Schengen visa along with a UK visa, even if you have no plans to get out of the Frankfurt airport to go sightseeing.
Running out of pages on your passport?
Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months from the time of your trip or you will not be able to obtain a visa.
Also, the name on the visa, passport and the flight ticket has to be the same to avoid facing any last minute difficulties.
What’s in a name?
Don’t let the words of Shakespeare dissuade you. While writing your father’s name is no longer mandatory on the passport, if your husband’s name is not on the passport, carry an affidavit as proof of the marriage.
So, you can still keep your maiden name and have your husband’s name on your new/renewed passport and that will suffice as proof in the future.
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