Passport - Surname too long and want to change it anyway

[dazzle]

One more query if anyone can advise please.

My wife received her naturalisation certificate and would like to apply for a British passport.

She is from a country that does not accept dual nationality. She still has her original passport, it has not been cancelled yet and she has not been to her previous embassy to renounce citizenship, as their law says she automatically loses it when becoming British.

She wants to change her surname, mainly because of the issues it brings because it is too long (31 characters). Her old passport has the full 31 characters.

The UK "Use of names in passports" appendix says that if the surname is more than 30 characters, then the applicant needs to choose how to shorten it.

Could she shorten it to a completely different name? By also providing a deed poll document? As her old passport is uncancelled, but the name cannot be the same anyway because of the number of characters.

Thank you

[alterhase58]

Not an expert in this, but to me "shortening" equates to taking away one/some letters from the end. It does change the name slightly but not substantially. Choosing a different name is a "change" that needs arranging a deed poll I believe

[dazzle]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, for the name change she is going to do a deed poll.

Was just wondering if this 30 character limit is also a way to get around the problem of a different name in the foreign passport. It's not possible for the UK passport to be exactly the same because of the character limit, so if it's going to be different to the foreign passport anyway... can it be completely different?

The foreign passport isn't really valid because she's no longer a citizen, however it is in date, not officially cancelled and she does still "have it", as the application form asks "Do you have any passports from other countries?"

[CR001]

She is unlikely to be issued a British passport in a name which differs from her foreign passport. HMPO is quite strict with this issue.

[dazzle]

Thanks.
I understand that the name issue is only for dual nationals, however she isn't a dual national. She can't change her name on the foreign passport as she isn't a citizen there any more. The uk gov website confirms that her home country doesn't recognise dual nationality. Can you see a way forward? We've been trying to call the embassy to get some kind of certificate to say she is no longer a citizen, but emails go unanswered and the phone just rings out.
The foreign passport has the full 31 character surname, which the UK passport can't handle.

[CR001]

Apply for a British passport and select the one letter to remove to accommodate. Then have her foreign passport cancelled etc through the formal process.

Then Apply for a deed poll to change name and then reapply for a British passport in the new name.

[dazzle]

Will do just that thanks again