Changing Name

[Gallinule]

Hi,

I will be eligible for British Citizenship soon. I'm a Sri Lankan citizen. Currently I'm on Indefinite Leave to Remain.

I want to change my name. While I will retain my surname and the forename I use most, I will remove some of the names I don't like and use like my generational name that most Sri Lankans have before their forename.

Is it better to change my name before or after I get the British citizenship? I have just finished a degree at a UK university and hoping to have the amended version of my name on the final transcript. So I'm quite keen to do this soon.

Where should I even begin? Should I contact the Sri Lankan High Commission and ask them to change my name? As this is not a name change after marriage would this mean I will have to send my passport to Sri Lanka? Or should I go to Sri Lanka, change my name there and come back to apply for British Citizenship? Would that make it difficult to come to the UK as my name won't be the same as the name that I had when I left? Or should I just change my name here via deed (deed poll)?

Thank you!

[alterhase58]

Not an expert in this ... but from what I know/read here it's best to do name change after you have naturalised and received your first British passport, i.e. stick with your current official names. Then go through deed poll and then apply for a passport in your new name.

[mesn]

Hi,

I will be eligible for British Citizenship soon. I'm a Sri Lankan citizen. Currently I'm on Indefinite Leave to Remain.

I want to change my name. While I will retain my surname and the forename I use most, I will remove some of the names I don't like and use like my generational name that most Sri Lankans have before their forename.

Is it better to change my name before or after I get the British citizenship? I have just finished a degree at a UK university and hoping to have the amended version of my name on the final transcript. So I'm quite keen to do this soon.

Where should I even begin? Should I contact the Sri Lankan High Commission and ask them to change my name? As this is not a name change after marriage would this mean I will have to send my passport to Sri Lanka? Or should I go to Sri Lanka, change my name there and come back to apply for British Citizenship? Would that make it difficult to come to the UK as my name won't be the same as the name that I had when I left? Or should I just change my name here via deed (deed poll)?

Thank you!

Did something similar on an Indian Passport. So, I was supposed to produce an affidavit sworn in India and the n2 newspaper ads to change my name on my Indian Passport. Then, reach out to HO to change the details on my BRP. Then use the new Passport & BRP to apply for Naturalization and then British Passport.

Easier might be to go till British Passport with existing details and then change the name here as per British rules and update the Passport then.

[bex654]

My name was really hard to pronounce. So on the next day of my citizenship ceremony, I created a deed poll (actually advised by the lady at the ceremony) and changed the spelling of my name. I applied for the passport in my new name. However, now I am facing a delay. It has been a month since HMPO said they had received my documents. I can see from the timeline that people who applied after me have already received their passports. So my advice is, get your passport first and change your name after. I thought I would kill two birds with one stone but that has not been the case. lol