EU/EEA naturalisation and name change

[jmmo20]

Hi

After this whole brexit turmoil I'm preparing the documents for the naturalisation process.
I'm a Spanish citizen. In the process of obtaining the citizenship I would like to slightly change my name to make it easier to use in the UK.

Most Spanish people have two forenames and 2 surnames. In addition my surnames are extremely long and over the years I've used only my second surname which is very short and easy to pronounce by English speakers.

At the moment my driving licence shows my second surname only and my NI shows both surnames but in hyphenated form.In addition I would like to translate my first name (it's a direct translation Enrique -> Henry).

What is the best approach for this? Request the naturalisation certificate using my full legal name in Spain and then arrange a deed poll name change?

Or should I request the certificate with the translated name and shortened surname?
As far as I understand when requesting a UK passport I would need to declare this so that they add a comment "also known as full legal name in Spain" or something along those lines.

OR get my first passport with the full spanish name then get a deed poll and request a renewal due to name change?

cheers
J.

[ohara]

There are two ways you can go about this.

HMPO will not issue a British passport in a different name to any other uncancelled passports (expired passports included).

You can either change your name on all of your official documents now (Spanish passport etc), and then go through the whole process with your new name, and at least your British passport in the end will match the name on your naturalisation certificate.

OR

You can go through the whole process with your current name, then once you have naturalised and got the certificate, change your name on everything (including Spanish passport etc) before applying for a British passport. HO will not amend your naturalisation certificate though, so you will need to show HMPO proof of your name change when you apply.

As you have not started the process at all yet, it is probably easier to go with the former.

[jmmo20]

well that raises another question. I know 100% that Spain won't allow such name change.

For example one of the things I wanted to do was drop my first surname, Spain by law requires two surnames so they won't permit having 1 surname. Even foreigners who move to Spain and become permanent residents need to come up with a "second" surname which is either repeating the one surname or adding their mother's maiden name as your second surname.

They also won't allow joining 2 surnames as one double-barreled name because in Spain a hyphanated surname is considered as one single surname and you require two. I do know people with TWO hyphanated surnames e.g. Lopez-Alegria de Hernandez-Benitez.

These names when used in a UK / US context are just ridiculous, hence the need to simplify !!!

[noajthan]

See forum sticky:
http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... 84012.html

Buried inside is this HO/HMPO document on names - see section on customary names:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... f-name.pdf

[ohara]

It seems your options are limited then:

1) Live with your "extremely long" name as a British & Spanish citizen for the foreseeable future.

2) Naturalise and then immediately renounce your Spanish citizenship. Then you can change your name, and get a British passport with your new, shorter name.

Obviously the disadvantage of 2) is that you will no longer have an EU passport and you probably will not have the avenue of simply upping sticks and returning to Spain any time in the future as a full citizen should you wish. You should weigh up whichever is more important.

[jmmo20]

It seems your options are limited then:

1) Live with your "extremely long" name as a British & Spanish citizen for the foreseeable future.

2) Naturalise and then immediately renounce your Spanish citizenship. Then you can change your name, and get a British passport with your new, shorter name.

Obviously the disadvantage of 2) is that you will no longer have an EU passport and you probably will not have the avenue of simply upping sticks and returning to Spain any time in the future as a full citizen should you wish. You should weigh up whichever is more important.

Well I can always keep using the shortened version for day to day even if it's not "official"
the only caveat is that I would need to update my driving licence to reflect the looooong name (it won't fit, I'm telling you).

It's funny how by that rule now the UK is allowing 3rd countrie's naming conventions dictate UK policy.
I have been using a different name for 16 years because in the UK people DO that all the time. It is very easy to change a name by marriage or deed poll. Well.. not if you foreign-born then.

Anyways..

[ohara]

To be fair, things are never easy when you are depending on the laws of two different countries to both be in your favour. I could quite easily get both of my passports (Finnish and British) cancelled, change my name by deed poll, then reapply for both passports with my new name. It would certainly cost me a bit of money though!

It's unfortunate that Spain has rules on names. As I said though, HMPO won't issue a passport in a different name to any other uncancelled passports you have. You cannot create more than one identity.

[LilyLalilu]

My friend (dual British/German national) recently got a UK passport issued in her new name even though the German government did not change the name on her German passport or ID card.
It was a bit of a battle but once she submitted a letter from the German embassy stating that name changes are only allowed by German law in exceptional circumstances and not in her case, they issued her UK passport in the new name and noted her other name on the official observations page of her passport.
Gives me some hope as I am planning to do the same and may work for you as well.

[jmmo20]

To be fair, things are never easy when you are depending on the laws of two different countries to both be in your favour. I could quite easily get both of my passports (Finnish and British) cancelled, change my name by deed poll, then reapply for both passports with my new name. It would certainly cost me a bit of money though!

It's unfortunate that Spain has rules on names. As I said though, HMPO won't issue a passport in a different name to any other uncancelled passports you have. You cannot create more than one identity.

As the previous poster said, it can easily be fixed by adding an observation in the passport page.
Many countries have different naming conventions.

In fact I could apply for Israeli citizenship and I would have an entirely different name but my birth name would be added as a note in the passport. My family has a surname in Spain and a different one in Israel.
I just never had the need to apply because never lived there.

I think the HMPO are taking rules a little too far. Even more so when changes are very little like dropping second names or second surnames or changing the spelling (by joining 2 surnames)

It's not like I'm asking to be called Will Smith.

[LilyLalilu]

You are of course right but HO has decided to really play hardball with this new regulation so definitely prepare yourself for an administrative fight. My friend (who in the end was successful) only changed one letter in her name and it took a long time for HMPO to finally give in and issue a passport in her new name with the old name as an observation.

[TonyM]

Hi Jmmo20, I'm in similar situation to your case. I would appreciate if you can share what you ended up doing, if possible.

Thanks a lot

[JAJ]

Hi Jmmo20, I'm in similar situation to your case. I would appreciate if you can share what you ended up doing, if possible.

The user to whom you refer has not been logged in for nearly 6 months so it's unlikely there will be a response.