I renewed my passport a few years ago, and my name just changed, so I need to change it on my passport. I'm going to Europe for three months (May-July), and during that trip am going to visit Northern Ireland. A friend just told me that in order to visit Northern Ireland your passport has to have been valid for at least six months. Is that accurate? Are any other countries that way? And if so, if I get a name change on my passport is that going to look like I've gotten an entirely new passport with a new date? I hope this makes sense. Thanks!

The name on your passport needs to match the name on your airline ticket.

Some countries do require your passport be valid for several months from the time you enter that country. You should check with the consulates of each country you plan to visit to get correct and current information.

When you apply for a passport with your changed name, it will be an entirely new one with an expiration date 10 years in the future. Your old passport will be returned to you, but it will be invalid in all respects.

I've never heard that one. Some countries require that you have at least six months validity left on your passport before they will allow you to enter. We got passports that were issued in April for a May trip to the UK and we didn't have any problems. I think your friend misunderstood the six months validity,

That's what I'm thinking (and hoping), too - that the validity deals with the time REMAINING on the passport - not how long the passport has been issued. Can anyone confirm this?

Hi Becca; DC Jones is 'right on' that some countries may not let you enter, if only six months remain on your passport 'life'. Changing your name will not take long if you apply now. We applied for renewal the first week of January and received the new one's the last week of January. Iris

To clarify:

The six months (or whatever period) is not how long that passport has been in existence - you can have a new passport issued today and hop on the next plane tonight - valid is valid.

But if your passport is about to expire, with less than 6 months validity remaining before that happens, then many countries will not let you enter.

But you need a new passport anyway, which - as has been mentioned - will have ten yeas of validity.

I hope you have not got an airline ticket in what will then be the "wrong" name...

"A friend just told me that in order to visit Northern Ireland your passport has to have been valid for at least six months. Is that accurate? "

<b> No. It's not accurate. In fact it's so inaccurate as to be completely surreal </b>

It's the silliest myth to have appeared on this board ever, and you really ought to ask your friend what other total claptrap he or she has been feeding you.

If you've understood her properly. Some countries do require you to have a passport that's still valid for six months after you arrive. None, anywhere, ever, has invented the bizarre requirement you say your chum's dreamt up

But the UK doesn't have that requirement either.

There is of course no need to change your passport just because your name has changed. As long as the name in the passport matches the ticket there isn't a problem.

Thanks everyone. I have not bought any airline tickets, so I just have to decide under what name I plan to travel and then stick with a name throughout for booking everything.

The silliest myth ever to appear on this board? Haha! I have a hard time believing that, but good to know. He just read the rule wrong apparently.

Thanks again!

Hi Becca - I'm about to depart for my third European trip since I got married and changed my name. I haven't changed the name on my passport, I just make sure my airline tickets have my former name as well and also carry a credit card with that name. No problems. Have fun!

just to let you know, i just changed my name and received my new passport. it has an addendum at the back that says that this passport was issued to replace one that had been lost / stolen. Which is in fact actually not true - but I did have one stolen that said the same thing and never caused me any problems.

One thing - if you are planning on renting a car make sure the names on your driver's licence and your credit card match!
I have a Dutch licence, which always had both my maiden and my married name on it. The new licence only had my maiden name on it (Dutch women keep their maiden name and they assumed, incorrectly, that I had too). My CC is in my married name, as is my passport. Luckily my husband was with me when we picked up the car, reserved in my name, on my CC, and they used his licence instead. They said otherwise I couldn't have hired a car.
I've just applied for my licence to be re-issued in my married name, something they weren't happy about but have done, since they made the mistake in registering me 25 years ago under my maiden name, not under the name in my passport.
It is still costing me &euro;37 though.

Becca-- you misunderstood your friend, simple as that.

In order to visit Ireland and Northern Ireland your passport must be valid for at least 6 more months from the date of entry.

The name discrepancy would worry me more. I was recently married when I was asked to travel to Germany on (business). LEAVING Munich I was asked for a copy of my Marriage License! (ticket versus passport). The lady could not be have been nicer and apologetic...BUT rules are rules. They were pacified by a Driver License ID. Go figure.

I agree with Becca, I find the wording to be very confusing as well. I thought it meant that your passport had to be at least six months old, not a minimum of six months remaining before it expires. I wish they could state it more clearly in the international visa requirements sections.