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Passport name error - BUT matching ticket?

Posted by on

There is a small error in my passport -- if I book my ticket to reflect that error, will I be able to travel to France since my documents will match?

When I got married, I changed my name from First Middle Maiden to First Maiden Last (e.g., Sarah ElizabethThompson to Sarah Thompson Smith) However, in my new-ish passport, there is an error. It lists my name as First Middle Last instead of First Maiden Last -- so, for example Sarah Elizabeth Smith. The passport does not use the wrong middle name, it uses my middle name, but its a name I know longer go by.

I traveled earlier this year successfully on this passport, but it was not a problem as it was only to Canada and we drove over the border so I had no plane ticket that had to match my passport.

Since realizing the error, I want to fix it, but my husband and I are wanting to take a last minute trip to France in a month. I don't think I will have enough time to get together all necessary documents to fix my passport in time and I don't want to risk not having the new passport in time.

If I book my ticket with the same mistake as my passport, will I be able to travel since the documents match? To the passport office, my name is First Middle Last, but in all other areas of life, my name is First Maiden Last.

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
3696 posts

We are not the ones to answer this. However you can get it expedited simply by paying more money. I would not want the stress of worrying about it.

Posted by
8889 posts
  • If the passport is wrong, you should send it back for correction, but you say you have no time to do that.
  • If the tickets match tah passport, it will be OK. Nobody is going to question the name on your passport.
  • Middle names are not as common in Europe as they are in the USA. They are usually ignored.
Posted by
3 posts

Thanks! I plan on fixing the problem but I don't want to order a ticket with the correct middle name and then stress about the passport coming in time.

Posted by
8375 posts

You say that you "changed your name." Unless you did some impressive legal work, you still have your original middle name available to use if you choose. Just make sure that passport and Ticket match.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks Carol. It's confusing because I did change my name on my SS Card - but when I ordered a new passport (which the PP agency had copies of my legal documents), I was sent a passport with my old middle name.

It doesn't bother me to keep my middle name as of now, so long as it does not hold me up. I guess, legally, to the PP office, I go by that name.

Posted by
23267 posts

I think I understand your question. My wife of nearly 50 years has flopped between using her maiden name as a middle name and sometimes her birth certificate middle name. So many of her formal records contained one or the other resulting is some confusion from time to time. Our simple solution that has worked very well is to never use a middle name on airlines tickets or similar items. For you I simply would not use a middle name on the tickets. A middle name is not required.

I have a slightly similar problem with my name in that I am officially on my birth certification as x x x III. My passport shows the "III" as does my driver's license since it was on the birth certificate. I haven't used the 3rd for a couple of decades on anything. It has never been a question on the passport and tickets.

Posted by
300 posts

My wife has FirstName MiddleName LastName on her passport and FirstName MaidenInitial LastName on her driver's license. I'm always very careful that her ticket matches the ID that she'll use on that trip.

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