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Change of name resident card 2022/5/8 14:22
Hi everyone,

I am currently facing an issue with my wife's name written on official documents (passport and resident card).

We got married in France (both French) before coming to Japan and in France there is no obligation to take anyone's name, it is totally free to choose and so all official documents only show birth names (except ID card and passport where marital names can be ADDED).

She got her resident card under her maiden name as her old passport contained only her maiden name.

One year ago, she had to renew her passport and the new one now displays both names, maiden + marital names.

We will soon go back to France for a couple of weeks, do you think it would be a problem at immigration when we return to Japan (mismatch of passport and resident card names)?

I checked and we can change the name on the resident card at the immigration office but we are way past the 14days period...any trouble about that ? On the immigration website, it is written that I need to give a marriage certificate recorded after name change but the marriage certificate I have from France never shows both marital and maiden names together, only her maiden name. That is why I am a bit confused what to do and what to bring at immigration office.

Someone had similar experience in the past?

Thank you in advance for your kind help

M
by MBzq (guest)  

Re: Change of name resident card 2022/5/9 08:20
So to make sure I understand her situation, your wifefs name on her passport has been changed officially (no matter what the rest of French domestic papers say)? And it is not like in parenthesis (for traveling conveniencef sake) but officially altered, from (just as an example) gJane Smithh to gJane Smith Jonesh or to gJane Smith-Jonesh?

Since the passport is the official document issued by onefs government certifying to onefs name, that should match the one on the resident card.

Do you have the time to go to the immigration bureau office to have her resident card updated/re-issued according to the name on her passport, before you travel? If I were you (Ifm Japanese married to my continental European spouse, living in Japan, so Ifm aware of the procedural requirements), I would go to the bureau together, apologize profusely for the delay, and report the change immediately.
Youfd have to explain the situation that even though you have been married for some time already it was only one year ago she decided to change the name on her passport. As far as I know, the only document you need is the new passport with the new name, and a recent photo (4cm by 3cm I believe - but please check).

One possibility I see is that if it is a hyphenated name, with your surname coming after her maiden name, the Japanese authorities might just consider it as an appendix (hyphenated names are not recognized in Japan), and might not be an issue. But still I would go (or at least call) the bureau to ask what she should do.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Change of name resident card 2022/5/9 08:32
Thank you very much AK for your answer.

Actually, names on passport are written as:
'Maiden name' ép. 'Marital name'

'ép' means spouse in french.

So basically she has the write the be called both names in France as she will never lose her maiden name.

I will try to call the immigration office today. I hope that they don't need a marriage certificate that shows both names (even with the 'ép') as French government will not issue one.

Thanks again

by MBzq (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Change of name resident card 2022/5/9 08:48
Ohh. Then maybe it is like the parenthesis thing that some Japanese spouse adopt when they get married to a non-Japanese. What it mean is that gHanako Suzukih (Japanese) who got married to gJohn Smithh (non-Japanese) do not have to change her family name, but if preferred, she can ask the Japanese passport authorities to issue her a passport that shows her name as:
gHanako Suzuki (Smith)h so that when the couple travel together it is obvious that they are a married couple.

And maybe in that case, she has not really changed her name, but your name as the spousefs name is gnoted,h so no reporting may be needed.

Under what name does she buy her air ticket??
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Change of name resident card 2022/5/9 08:50
P. S.
I asked the last question because airlines require that the name on the ticket matches the one on the passport, so this would tell us what her gofficial nameh is.

But from what you tell me, it sounds like she has not really gchangedh her name but just had your surname gnotedh as an extra piece of information.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Change of name resident card 2022/5/11 17:52
If you look at the machine readable part on the bottom of the page with the photo, you have the "legal name" (nom à l'état civil). I am pretty sure that you will only her "maiden" name. In France, the legal name does not change after marriage, even if, in practice, the use of "nom d'usage" or "nom marital" is widely accepted in many situations.

On the other hand, Japanese authorities cannot manage all those subtleties, that's why it seems they just "copy-paste" the surname and name as written on the passport. In such a case you wife surname on the Resident Card would change.
by KRMN (guest) rate this post as useful

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