UK passport advice - two surnames

[Boojangle]

Hi All

I will try to keep this consice, however its a somewhat confusing matter so here goes.

I am a British citizen through my mother, however I was not born in the UK and my biological father is a foreign national who resides in my country of birth which is his homeland. Until the age of 14 I was known under my fathers surname in the UK. When my mother re married I choose to take my step dads surname and have been known as that ever since ( personally and legally).

Right the confusing part, I am well into the process of obtaining citizenship in my birth country who flatly refuse to accept my new surnname, so all legal documentation obtaining to my birth country will be issued in my birth surname and not my legal ( and chosen UK surname). Also they technically do not allow dual citizenship, however I have been told by government officials in that country a blind eye is turned to western nationals who also hold citizenship in this country. But I must enter and exit on the pasport of this country.

After a recent meeting with HMPO they informed me that when I come to renew my British passport they will not issue one on the grounds the surname on my newly aquired passport will not match. It was my understanding that it was possible to add a footnote or similar to show I am know by a different name out of the UK if adequate paperwork or documentation can be provided. I have a noterised name change certificate from by birthname to my current name which I aquired when I was 14. I thought this would be adequate to show I am the same person, however even with this the HMPO staff member I saw said it would not be possible to get a new UK passport.

Any advice on how I can go about getting an amendment added to my UK passport would be greatly appreciated as when I travel to my birth country I am obligated to enter and leave on their passport the same situation when leaving and entering the UK ie I must use my UK passport. This makes travel between my 'two' home countries a nightmare at best.

Also in the newly aquired passport I would not be granted right of abode as I am and always will be a British citizen and therefore dont need one. All very confusing I know.

Apologies for the essay and I hope the above makes some sense, I look foward to any advice provided.

Thanks

Boo

[Zerubbabel]

Hello

Welcome to a world of pain

I had a discussion with HMPO about such issue.

In nutshell, they want to avoid the situation where someone with multiple citizenship ends up with a British passport and a foreign passport bearing different names. And they are very intolerant about it. Even a difference in spelling or order of surnames is enough for them to refuse the issuance of the British passport.

As a British citizen, you are entitled to a British passport. So they are never going to send a flat refusal letter. But they will keep refusing your documents and asking you to change them to meet their criteria. This can drag for years and at the end, you may or may not get the British passport.

You are not alone in similar situation. Anytime someone hold 2 passports or plus, there is this risk of conflicts between laws/procedures in different countries. Like in the UK, it's easy to change your name but in other countries, it requires a court judgement or it's just impossible.

Honestly, you have to think how the British passport is important for you. If you absolutely need it, you may have to revert to your original name.

[vinny]

A British citizen automatically has the Right of Abode (RoA). A British passport or a CoE-RoA do not confer the RoA status, but is evidence of it.

Unfortunately, the HMPO seems to be difficult on the matter of mismatched names in foreign passports of dual nationals. They seem reluctant to apply a common-sense solution by making use of the observation field in the British passport.

[Boojangle]

Thanks for your input its greatly appreciated.

I have had read into threads on this site and came across a post that states the home office will make allowances if the second country will not accomdate a change in name. Please see the link below for the home office guidelines

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... e-guidance

Could anyone provide insights into this as an potential option.

Many thanks

[anujsharmame]

I had the same issue though dont be stressed as there is a way.
In my case I applied and my application was rejected.
I used the administrative review option and provided a detailed letter self written explaining everything on paper providing the proof of evidence such as letter with the organization showing my father name or in some case passport name, bank account where i had my name.
In my case I had 3 names with various combination and my application was accepted after adminsitrative review.

Though my visa was granted with the name in the passport which is not the name that i use in my day to day life.
I can understand as I was in the situation my application was rejected. I realized applicaition review is done by a senior member who really look a evidence . though during initial application it might be some staff who might only be following the application as per the drawn out process and if he/she find a gap just reject your application
Hope these easies some stress.
Regards
Anuj

[Richard W]

Also they technically do not allow dual citizenship, however I have been told by government officials in that country a blind eye is turned to western nationals who also hold citizenship in this country.

Please expand on 'do not allow'. There are various positions with very difficult outcomes, e.g.:

1) They will simple ignore your claims to be British
2) You may be stripped of that country's nationality if you apply for a British passport (or if you use it).
3) If found to be a dual national, you will automatically lose that country's nationality if you do not renounce British nationality.
4) If found to be a dual nationality, you may be stripped of that country's nationality.

It would help if you told us what this country was, but possibly you are scared to tell us for fear that you may be identified.

[Boojangle]

Thanks again for your input,

Anuj- great to hear you got the matter resolved and I will look into this process futher.

Rich W- Yes you correct, for fear of reprisal I dont wish to publish my birth country online for the world to see. Just to clairfy my birth country does not allow duel citizenship at all.( however).....
When starting the process for the application they wanted me renounce my British citizenship, however I soon found out that this is impossible without having an authrised nationality. Basically under Britsh law you cannot make yourself stateless. I explained this to the government officials and it was at this point they explained that western nationals are not under the spot light and not one western national has ever been made to surrender their nationality. But they stressed I must enter and exit on the passport that I am soon to receive.

The question I was ideally looking for answers on was can HMPO add my birth name to the observation page of a British passport. I think its possible for others but as my birth country doesnt allow dual nationality I may struggle. Also when I come to renew my British passport I may be rejected on the same grounds ie other country does not allow duel citizenship.

I know there are ways and means of travelling in this situation, but I wanted to explore the option of getting an observation added offically.

Again apologies for the essay and any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[vaza]

There are plenty of cases on the forum where people got letters from original country that they can't change the name in the passport. This was enough for HMPO. Try to search the forum. I am surprised passport office didn't suggest this themselves.

Hopefully the embassy can give you a letter without going into details of the purpose, or you can make the purpose broader - identify to the authorities as you've been using two names, for example.

Good luck with the beaurocracy.

[Richard W]

But they stressed I must enter and exit on the passport that I am soon to receive.

The USA has the same, and they tolerate dual nationality. I think Iran has a similar rule.

Vaza has offered the advice I was thinking of offering, but the problem would be how to get the letter without revealing that you are British.