DFA: Married women can use maiden name in passport

MANILA, Philippines — Married Filipinas who wish to use their maiden name in their passports may now do so under the New Philippine Passport Law or Republic Act 11983.

The Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) announced yesterday that married women who will renew their passports may now voluntarily revert to their maiden names.

Applicants should submit to the DFA-OCA an original and photocopy of their Certificate of Live Birth issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority, an original and photo copy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Marriage, a notarized Affidavit of Explanation that includes a request for the reversion to her maiden name in the passport stating that the applicant has not previously availed of the reversion, the latest issued Philippine passport and any valid government-issued ID accepted for passport application, reflecting the maiden name of the passport applicant.

A married woman may also revert to her maiden name in her passport application or renewal by virtue of an annulment, declaration of nullity of marriage, legal separation, judicially-recognized foreign divorce or the death of a husband.

For women reverting to their maiden name in their passports by virtue of the death of their husband, they may submit an original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Death of spouse or an apostilled or authenticated Foreign Death Certificate with English translation, along with the other requirements for her maiden name reversion.

For applications by virtue of annulment, declaration of nullity of marriage, judicially-recognized foreign divorce, judicially-recognized divorce under Presidential Decree 1083 and legal separation, the DFA-OCA said applicants must also submit an original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Marriage with annotation reflecting the nullity or dissolution of marriage, judicial recognition of foreign divorce or the court decree of legal separation.