New surname – new documents

A change of surname can be caused by various reasons, from marriage to the desire to abandon the paternal surname. However, in addition to formalities, such a procedure entails changing documents, which can be a rather complicated and time-consuming process. This article will examine main steps and nuances when changing the last name and documents.

When it is possible to change the last name

Changing a surname is a voluntary matter. In Belarus, you can change your last name for good reasons, for example:

Upon entering into marriage, an application is submitted before the registration. You can express a desire to take the surname of your husband or wife after marriage registration. It can also be done if you want to share the same surname with your husband or wife.
After the death of a spouse or divorce, you can return your premarital surname.
The discordance of the surname or a difficult-to-pronounce surname.
Assign the surname of the stepfather or stepmother who raised the person.
You can ask to return the surname when it is incorrectly written in Russian or take a pseudonym already used as a surname.
In all these and other cases, if you want to change your surname, you need to submit an application to the civil registry office at your place of residence.

Where to apply to change your last name

In addition to applying to the registry office at your residence, you can use the registry office during your temporary stay or at a foreign institution where a Belarusian citizen abroad is on consular registration.

In addition to the application, you need to collect documents: a passport and confirmation of the reason for changing the surname and reasons for the change.

If the request for a change of surname is satisfied, a certificate of a change of surname will be issued. To obtain a certificate, you must pay a state fee—2 basic values, which is 80 Belarusian rubles.

After receiving the certificate, you must consider replacing the documents with the old surname.

Which documents need to be replaced, and which ones are not necessary

Several documents containing the old surname must be replaced; some can be replaced at will, and some documents are amended after changing the surname without replacing the documents themselves.

Which documents need to be replaced

1. Identification documents

First of all, it is necessary to replace identity documents, such as a passport, ID card, and residence permit. Many people do not think about changing their passports, but in this case, there is a risk of not flying on vacation or not leaving Belarus (not entering Belarus from another state). When issuing a certificate of the name change, a note is made in the passport about the need for replacement; at checkpoints across the state border, the validity of the passport is checked against the database.

A month is given to replace the passport and identification card, if any, after the name change at the registry office. If you change your surname at a consular office abroad, you must change your passport within six months. When this period ends, the passport becomes invalid. And for using an invalid passport, a fine of up to 4 basic units is set – this is up to 160 Belarusian rubles.

You can learn about the documents for replacing your passport from the passport officer at your residence. This is usually:

An application, the form of which will be given to you at the passport office.
An old passport.
Photo.
Birth certificate (birth certificate).
The document is based on which the certificate of surname change was issued.
A certificate of a change of surname.

You must pay a state fee to change a passport—1 basic amount (40 Belarusian rubles). In this case, the new passport will be ready within a month. You can change your passport quickly: in 15 days. The state fee has two basic values for the exchange of a passport within a week.

2. Exchange of passport for ID card and exchange of ID card

You can exchange your old passport for an identification card and your old identification card for a new one. The state fee is 1.5 basic values in this case, and the documents are replaced within 15 working days. The exchange of a passport for an identification card and the exchange of an identification card takes place at the Citizenship and Migration Office at your place of residence.

3. Biometric passport

A biometric passport is a document for leaving, entering Belarus, or temporarily staying abroad. It must be replaced along with the identification card, which becomes invalid after the identification card is changed.

To replace a biometric passport, you must contact the Citizenship and Migration Office at your residence.

The state fee for replacing a biometric passport is 2 basic values, and a new passport will be ready within 15 working days.

4. Certificate of state registration of an individual entrepreneur

Those who conduct entrepreneurial activities need to replace an individual entrepreneur’s certificate of state registration within one month after changing the surname. To do this, you need to contact the registration authority that issued the certificate.

To replace the certificate, you need to submit an application and collect several documents:

Certificate of state registration of an individual entrepreneur with an old surname.
A photo.
The document confirming payment of the state fee is 0.25 basic units, which is 10 Belarusian rubles. The certificate will be replaced very quickly—no later than the next business day.

If you do not replace the certificate of state registration within a month, you will have to do it anyway in the future, but a fine of up to 20 basic units is possible.

What to say at work?

Employees must notify the HR officer or supervisor that they have changed their last name. Based on your application and other documents on the change of surname at work, changes will be made to the work record. The deadline for informing the employer and making such changes to the work record has not been set.

After receiving a new passport, the employer or customer must be informed of the latest passport data under the contract. Based on these data, the employer will replace the employee’s social security certificate and amend the agreement.

Driver’s license replacement

There is no obligation to replace the driver’s license. Still, questions may arise regarding document verification when insurance is issued for a new passport and the driver’s license is for the old surname. If you have already replaced your passport, we recommend carrying it.

You can replace your driver’s license at any State Automobile Inspection (SAI) department. In addition to a passport with a new surname, an application and an old driver’s license, a medical certificate and payment of a state fee – 3.2 basic values will be required. The replacement takes place within 5 business days.

Replacement of documents for car registration (technical passport)

It is recommended that those whose name the car is registered make changes to the documents. This can be done at the State Automobile Inspection at the place of residence.

As a standard, an application is submitted for this. You need a passport, an old car registration certificate (technical passport), and payment of a state fee in the region of 3 basic values.

Such a replacement is made after receiving a passport for a new surname.

Replacing documents for a car will be helpful if you sell the car: to confirm that the seller of the car is its owner.

In this case, 10 working days are allotted for the replacement of documents.

Do not forget about the companies you have concluded contracts

According to contracts with banks, insurance and leasing companies, and mobile operators, the client must inform the company about changes in personal data. There is usually a time limit within which such changes must be reported.

For example, suppose you have changed your driver’s license and technical passport for a car. In that case, you can change the insurance certificate of compulsory civil liability insurance of the vehicle owner.