Passport office won’t issue my passport,help pls

[Christmaspug]

I’ve never really used my first name ,always used my middle name ,.on my wedding certificate the registrar put my middle name first as that’s what everyone calls me.
Passport office want proof of a name change from first name to middle name

Obviously I’ve not got that ,lots of people use their second name when they don’t like their first name,why would I change it officially as they are both my name.
I’m about to loose my £80 fee ,as this has been has been going backwards and forwards for some time ,
I’ve simply not got the proof they want ,
What on Earth can I do
I’m 46 always lived in uk and never had a passport before

But when you sign your wedding certificate-you check it then, don't you?

Sounds as if a genuine error was made, but it didn't occur to Op to say anything as she was happy to have her names the wrong way round!

I thought she was born Abigail Brenda Carrol

Marriage certificate used wrong version Brenda Abigail Carrol

She is now applying for a passport in the name Brenda Abigail (new married surname) but Passport Office are not accepting marriage certificate as sufficient evidence for change to forenames, and requiring additional proof of change of forenames.

So things like NI or NHS record wouid be good - everyone has them and they are issued by the government and so should be accepted by other governmental departments. If OP has not changed her forenames elsewhere, she needs to decide if she really wants to, and change them everywhere (deed poll?) or whether to leave them be and have Abigail Brenda on her passport too

I also think this thread should be linked to when people post on baby names "Going to call my baby Mary Elizabeth, but she'll always be known as Betty".

I would check the validity of your marriage certificate. I'm in Scotland and despite having used my step dads surname since 5 I had to legally change it before our wedding as technically that person does not exist and I didn't want my previous surname on our certificate.

I was told it would be fraudulent to put down anything other than the title on my birth certificate even though I had a passport, national insurance card and all other documents in that name.

My passport was issued as a child with permission from my bio-Dad for a name change but security has been upped since then!

There is a lot of bad advice here as far as I know.

You don't need a d deed poll to change a middle name to first name.

Deed poll is for surnames.

OP you have made a mess of this.

My brother has used his middle name for over 20 years as the name he likes to be called by- he just told everyone at work and friends, one day.

BUT all official docs show his name as registered at birth.
Like John Henry Smith- but everyone calls him Henry.

I have known loads of people who are called by their middle name BUT they never ever had it changed on official documents.

For your passport you have to use whatever was your birth name on your birth cert.

As others have said, your marriage cert is incorrect. That's the error.

You see, for genealogy purposed later on, if someone is searching for a family tree or for any other reason, and for things like passports, all names have to tie up.

Have you spoken to the passport office or been in person?

I don't think anyone here can advise what to do next but deed poll won't work.

Speak to the passport office. Maybe you can get your marriage cert re-issued in your correct name?

Have you got anything to show you using your middle name as your given name? A bank account, credit card statement or even a school report?

A letter from your GP? A letter from your parents?
Anyway I assume you changed your name (surname) when you married so your marriage is when you started using your middle name and married surname together.

You just write out a deed poll and send it to them. That's literally it.

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

Now that the mistake has come to light though, would the Passport Office issue a passport in the name on Op's birth certificate & disregard the marriage license?

My passport was issued as a child with permission from my bio-Dad for a name change but security has been upped since then!

Same; my dad was with me when I got my first passport at 16. ( one of those black cardboard ones)
I’ve just realised I’ve always used my middle name too!
However, with subsequent passports; I just needed to hand in the previous one.

Either change your name via deed pole or use your legal first name on your passport. You can't just pick a name.

My df uses his middle name but for official documents he always uses his first name as on bc. So does a friend who always goes by a nickname.

Whatever you decide you do make sure that you remember when booking flight tickets to make sure the names match. You can't tell the airline this story, they won't care either.

I’ve found bank statements and utility bills with the name I’ve applied for my passport in ,and in my married name ,
I’ve been using my name this way for 20 years ,so I didn’t expect a problem,hopefully this will be enough
Otherwise I will do a deed of name change.

Deed Polls aren't just for surnames.

"A deed poll is a legal document that proves a change of name. You can change any part of your name, add or remove names and hyphens, or change spelling."

And that's from the government website.

I’ve been using my name this way for 20 years ,so I didn’t expect a problem,hopefully this will be enough

It won't.

I thought that at first but then there might be problems down the line if tickets and passport are in different names.

Yes, there will be. They must be in the same name.

My father is known to everyone by his middle name but his first is used by all official purposes. His passport and driving licence all match his birth certificate.
The registrar has really messed up with your marriage certificate!!!

Bank statements in the new name don’t show the paper trail of your first name is now different though. To be honest I’m amazed you haven’t encountered the fact you need to use your official name for official things sooner!

That’s nuts because you’ve only changed the ordering of your name. It’s still your name.

I unofficially changed my first name as a teenager. It’s similar to my original given name but is a different name. Something like Sandra to Sandi.
I’ve used this on all my official documents since then including: education certificates, driving licences, passports, marriage certificate etc. No one has ever asked for proof of change even if I furnish my birth certificate that obviously has my original name on it.

My first passport and driving licence was issued in the 80’s so they probably didn’t bother as much back then.

I’ve been using my name this way for 20 years ,so I didn’t expect a problem, hopefully this will be enough I've never in my life used my given name, all 54 years of it. But I still use it on official documents. I can't understand how you got int this pickle! It defies logic!

How have you got credit, etc? Have you checked your credit file - try Noddle / Karma or any similar! Now you know you've mangled your identity you'll need to do something, if only to check you are OK... pensions etc...

Best of luck sorting it out!

I also think this thread should be linked to when people post on baby names "Going to call my baby Mary Elizabeth, but she'll always be known as Betty

There's no issue with that as long as Betty understands that anyone who only addresses her based on official documents will call her Mary. And that it would be a bit stupid to tell the registrar to put Betty on her marriage certificate.

Why can't you just ask for the passport to be issued in the name on your birth certificate?

Now that the mistake has come to light though, would the Passport Office issue a passport in the name on Op's birth certificate & disregard the marriage license?

Yes. She could do that. However it will not show the married name, which presumably is the reason for submitting the marriage cert in the first place.

Maybe you should contact the registrar seeing as it's their cock up? No idea if it's something they can fix or not.

It's annoying bc it's actually perfectly legal to use whatever name you like.

I think the problem is that the birth certificate is what proves OP's British citizenship, and the use of a different name on all her other paperwork means the passport officials doubt it's the same person. I would be concerned that a deed poll NOW after you've been refused would not necessarily be sufficient.

Could you get a statutory declaration from your parents to say you're you?

Presumably when you changed your name you changed it on things like the electoral register. A certified transcript of the entries on the register would show that up to 2000 you were ABC and after 2000 you were BAC - not quite conclusive but could be useful. You can probably et tis from the county record office.

Bank statements showing the change, if you have kept them that far back, not just with the new name, may also work.

I don’t understand why you’re making so much fuss, what does it matter what names first on your passport? Who sees it apart from passport control. I never ever use my middle name because I don’t like it but it’s on my passport!