To Change or Not To Change Your Surname After Marriage? Know It All Before You Do!

Almost every Indian woman right after her shaadi is faced with this dilemma. Go the traditional route and change the surname, continue with what we've been used to since birth, or go the more trendy new-age 'Kareena Kapoor Khan' or 'Aishwarya Rai Bachchan' type thing? So very quickly, here are some advantages and disadvantages of changing your name post marriage.

Picture Courtesy: Khushbeen & Gurlal's Wedding 

Benefits of changing your name:

• It seals the deal. Makes things legit, in a way to society
• Avoids confusion and explaining
• Makes future paperwork easier when it comes to properties and joint accounts
• You can start afresh if you really want to
• Future Kids can say Mr & Mrs. Xyz ;)

Reasons to stick to your maiden name.

• Your name is your identity and your brand 
• You already have all your PAN Cards, your passports on your name!
• If your husband has a surname you dislike, then it is worth a rethink
• You cannot deal with all the added paperwork
• You both think it's not a big deal whatever the name might be

Yes, it's a pretty big decision for a lot of us, considering it is our identity at stake... and of course... the paperwork that comes with it! And no, it's not as simple as filling up a form... there's a lot of paperwork considering the name also has to be changed on documents like the passport, PAN card, driving license, Aadhar card, bank accounts etc. etc. etc... or even something as simple as the email ID. Yes, the list is pretty long considering a lot has changed over the years from back in the day when women did not have so many documents to change in the first place. But if you have still made up your mind... here's all do you need to know about changing your surname officially.

Mahima Bhatia Photography★ 4.9

There are two ways to change your name in India.

• Apply for a name change in the state government gazette which is valid for anyone and everyone who wants to change his/her name
• The change in name can also be made while applying for the marriage certificate at the Registrar's office

Once the name has been officially changed through one of these ways, the next step is to change the name on important documents. A joint notarised affidavit which has your maiden surname, the new changed surname, photographs and both your signatures also comes in handy.

• For the PAN card, the process is similar to applying for a new card. The new card will come with the same old number but a new name. The proof of name change, a joint notarised affidavit as well as the old PAN card will have to be submitted. Make sure to update your income tax papers once this is done
• The next step should be to update all your banking relationships. Giving proof of a marriage certificate and in some cases, a joint notorised affidavit and the husband's identity proof might also be required
• As far as the passport is concerned, you will have to apply for a re-issue if you want to change your name on it. You will also have to submit your marriage certificate, the original passport with a self-attested photocopy and a copy of your husband's passport. If you don't have a passport already, then you can now apply for a new one with your changed name!
• A good workaround for your passport is that  if you want to keep your own name, but add your husbands name on your passport. This avoids visa hassles, gives you a ready proof of marriage but you still retain your old name
• Make sure to change your name on mutual funds, shares, loans, investments, life insurance as well as property papers. There should be uniformity in all your financial and legal documents

India being India, all this takes time. It takes more than a couple of months and a lot of running around to get the name changed on all the important documents, so have patience! So, have you or would you change your name after your wedding? Share your thoughts with us below! Written By Sakshi Saxena