I can report that my audit package has been accepted even with the replacement reference person and I got my exam eligibility ID. I can proceed now.
The moral of the story is that if in doubt call PMI customer service and they will let you know what can be done.
Wish me luck for the exam,
Adriana

As it happens, I could not get hold of my reference in Germany and get confirmation that he will support my application.
I called PMI care indeed explained the situation and asked them if I could use somebody else also familiar with the same projects and local.
They said "No problem" as long as you mention it in a cover letter accompanying the package.
I sent my audit package to PMI and it was received Monday Nov 30th. I am now waiting to hear from them. I will post here again with an update.
I am still targetting to attempt the exam before Jan 11, if possible. I am already studying hard and advancing well with my studies.

Adriana

Hi Adriana,

Please do post back what you find out as I'm sure others would benefit from your experience.

I would also highly suggest contacting PMI Customer Care in the interest of time so that you know exactly what you need to send them.
www.pmi.org/About-Us/Customer-Care.aspx

Thank you Cornelius. Your input is very much appreciated.
Until next time,
Adriana

Adriana,

The audit forms that you return to PMI must be signed by the person whom you named in the application. So I do not recommend that you ask someone else to sign them. Instead, ask your contact in Germany to return the papers to you via overnight express mail and offer to reimburse them for their expenses. Yes, this will cost some money but in a case like this you want to be fast -- the schedule is your primary constraint and not the budget.

And I'm 100% certain that PMI comes across the situation with your name several times per month as they perform audits. You are certainly not the only project manager who got married and changed their name. Including a marriage certificate is a good idea.

I have submitted my application to PMI and I have been chosen for an audit.
My reference contact from my application is in Germany and it may take a while to get the forms signed and sent to me first.
Meanwhile I could get them signed by a colleague of mine, primary stakeholder in my projects, who is also local.
Would that raise a problem with the audit? Being so close to the Jan 11 deadline, I would have wanted to get past the application stage asap and get a date for the exam before Jan 11.
Also, my degree diploma is in my maiden name different than my current married name and in Romanian. Should I send a copy of my marriage certificate to account for the difference in names? There was no answer in the PMI FAQs regarding this situation.

Thanks a lot,
Adriana