My Married Name and New NRIC

My husband wanted me to take on his surname after we got married... and when I googled for procedures, I noticed a lack of information. It was only after posting on my facebook wall, did I understand what needed to be done (thank you FB friends for answering my queries!).

I just collected my new NRIC (identity card), so I thought I'd share with you what needs to be done, in case you ever need to know the procedures.

To add your married name to your Singapore NRIC is a fairly simple, inexpensive and painless procedure. I went down to the ICA building (It's just at Lavender MRT station), went up to the third floor and got a queue number. The average waiting time is about 6 minutes. 

You will need to produce your original marriage cert, any recent bill (Starhub etc) that's addressed to you (that is if you want to update your NRIC to your new home address) and one recent passport sized photo. There's a passport photo shop on the first floor where you can get this done for just ($5.50 for 4 pics).

You will need to pay $60 (via NETS) during this application as well.

Then the next day, you can go online (they will give you a collection slip which has the online details) to book a time slot for collecting your new NRIC. 

The good thing about this is, my maiden name is still on my NRIC, so it's no problem with my existing bank accounts and other documennts. I can choose to use either my maiden name or my married name (or both!) in my future documents etc, and both are recognised.

However, with this process, you can only add your husband's surname to your name. Meaning, you cannot change your name. So if you're Lee Min Ting. And your husband is Lawrence Tan... for example... your married name will be Mrs Tan Min Ting.  You cannot just change it to Mrs Kelly Tan, if Kelly is not in your original NRIC. You also cannot change other details like blood type, gender and race by getting married (obviously).


For such name changes (insertion of a totally different name), or to double barrel your name (e.g. Mary Tan-Chong), you will need a deed poll. A deed poll is a legal document which costs about $100 (roughly). And after this, you still need to replace your old NRIC with one bearing your new name ($60). Plus you will need to update all your bank accounts etc, and your old name will no longer be recognised (as in you can't have both old and new).

Hope this info is helpful for those who need it :)

P/s update: for those needing to legally change ur whole namewww.deedpollsingapore.com, helps source for affordable lawyers who charge $50 to $80, depending on timing. 

Comments

  1. Anonymous10:21 am

    What if your residential address is an overseas one? Can you put that on the I/C?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, ur NRIC shld state ur current address, even if it's overseas... (u can write to ICA with your new details) . but you will still need to provide an local (singapore) contact address for the records.... this can be your parent or family member here in SG.

      Delete
    2. passerby2:04 am

      Hi Holly, not sure if ICA has changed their policy but when i got married 6 years ago, they refuse to update my NRIC with my overseas address and insisted i indicate a local address. So i told them to eff the inflexibilties since I know i will be overseas indefinitely. However, they were okie for me to change mailing address to overseas address for mail correspondence, just not the one plastered on my NRIC

      Delete
  2. Anonymous11:54 am

    What about passport? Will you have 2 names as well?

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  3. Anonymous10:54 am

    So helpful Holly! even though i don't require it.
    on a random note.. you have the same birthday as my brother hurhur

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jayla5:55 pm

    according to statistics, you have one of the most common birthdays in the world!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Is it necessary to update our passports after we insert our married name to our ic? Or can we wait till our passport expire?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't update my passport... it expires next year, so I'll just update it when I renew my passport

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    2. hi gal, can i check if you travelled with your existing passport without changed of name? will you stopped by the custom?

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  6. Hi Holly,
    Could you please tell me, when you booked online to collect the new NRIC, were you able to collect it on that same day? I wish to do as you have done, but I only have 5 days in Singapore, so I am not sure if that's enough time

    Minty

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  7. Anonymous9:06 am

    Hi Holly, thanks for sharing. I need these info.

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  8. Thanks so much for the post :) I am gg to do this real soon. So even for CPF, HDB & IRAS, we can still keep our maiden name right? Do not need to change particulars?

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  9. Thanks so much for the post :) Just to check, by inserting married name, I do not have to update my HDB, IRAS, CPF documents right? and I can continue using my normal maiden name for all documents correct?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup. Correct. Cos my maiden name is still on the nric. Just added my married name. Can use either one .i use my married name when filling out immigration forms when traveling (cos it's shorter) and no problems. All my old bank accts etc have my old name.

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  10. Thanks a lot for your useful information. I recently add my married name to my passport, just like you have shown on you IC. I wonder when I am booking an air ticket, should I use both my maiden and married names or just either one, if I book ticket online, I don't know there is space for these.

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  11. Heya thanks for the useful info. Do you think i could avoid the deed poll if i updated the double barrel in two phases? That is, insert my baptism name first, this year...and then in a few years insert my spouse's surname?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. double barrel is having two surnames together. Like for mine it would be Aroozoo-Clarke. That needs deed poll.

      I just inserted my married name into my NRIC, which is Mrs Holly Jean Clarke but my original name at birth Holly Jean Aroozoo remains on the NRIC.

      As for baptism name, I think you can add it in at any time, but it will not cancel out or replace whatever names and surname that you already have on the NRIC. Just bring ur Baptism certificate for insertion of religious name at ICA. You can do this the same time you put in your married name, or you can do it before. Doesn't make a difference.

      Just that if you make those additions at different times, you have to re make a new NRIC card, so that costs money.

      Delete
  12. Wow thanks so much for sharing. I've been puzzled with the whole procedure for so long that I've kept it off for like 10 years now lol. Will get it done all thanks to you and the info provided!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Omg. I used to paw through magazines as a teen, checking out your make up work.

      Hello!

      Delete
  13. Super useful post. When u use ur married name on any forms etc. Do u write the 'Mrs'?
    Do u know if its possible to leave out the Mrs in the IC or is it mandatory?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't write Mrs in forms. Mrs is not in my new passport either. Just the ic, I think no choice

      Delete
  14. One thing I'm confused about is the marriage certificate. Does it have your maiden name or married name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marriage cert has my maiden name.

      Must bring the marriage certificate to ica to proof that I'm married to my Husband (his name in the cert). Then they will add his surname to my given names.

      Delete
  15. I am getting married soon and would like to add it to my passport and IC. I would like to know how that is written on the passport.

    ReplyDelete
  16. hi there, sorry this is a very long shot as i notice this post has been years ago.
    however i am thinking to add in my married name into my passport, and i dont really have anyone to turn to for advise. i was hoping if you can share some advise with me.

    I was wondering if it will display both Married name and "old" name?

    Also i saw that when you fill the travel forms up, you will just use your married name. Do you think it is interchangeable where i can use either married name or "old" name to fill up travel forms?

    Thank you for taking the time to get through this!

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  17. My passport has both. As per my nric. When filling forms I use either

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  18. Hi, I was googling about the inclusion of married name and I chanced upon this blog. As I have both English and Chinese names, can one of the names be omitted for the married name?
    For example,
    Maiden name: Tan Rui Ling Jean
    Can the married name be "Mrs Hatano Jean"? Or does it have to be "Mrs Hatano Rui Ling Jean"?

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  19. Actually I’m not sure abt that. I think if ur gonna change then just change it the way u want it. If they reject, then u correct it to the one with Chinese name inside

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  20. Ah alright. Will just try it out and see how it goes. Thank you so much for your prompt reply and for this informative blog post!

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  21. Ah I see. I'll try it out and see how it goes. Thank you so much for the informative blog post!

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  22. Hi, I collected my IC today after the inclusion of married name. Just wanna let others know that the Chinese/Hanyu Pinyin name can be omitted. Great that my name is shorter now - more convenient haha

    ReplyDelete

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