Applying British Citizenship test with expired passport

Hi, I am a spanish citizen applying for British citizenship.

The issue that I have is that in Spain they put your surname first followed by your mothers maiden name. For example "Smith(surname) Johnson(mothers surname)"

The issue is that in all my proof of identity documents from the UK including P45 goverment letters etc only include my surname and not mothers surname.

Will this cause me issues, as the form states that you need to fill in your name EXACTLY how its written in the passport, which we have done: Surname, followed by mothers surname.

Anyone other people have experience applying for British citizenship with a passport where they use a different order for your surnames?

Please help, dont want to lose my £1.3k by just sending off the application and getting rejected because the names dont match.

As long as you apply with the "official" name per your Spanish passport that will be fine, and useful when applying for your British passport (your certificate will also show this name). In the UK using configurations of names or even different names from official names is not illegal, and this is not a reason for refusing an application. If you are not comfortable with this add a covering note explaining. There are only very few reasons applications are refused, primarily for not meeting statutory requirements.
NB. my own name has quite a few variations, I just disclosed them without any further explanation.

I had exactly the same problem as you with the exception I was using my second surname in my UK life.
What I did was 1-2 years before applying for naturalisation I starting changing everything to my two surnames (i.e. 2 surnames not a double-barrelled one).

I did this with work, bank accounts, utilities.

When I applied to naturalisation I added a second name ("Are you known by any other names") and explained in a cover letter the process I had gone through and why all my early proof was in my second surname only and the point at which I transitioned to use my full legal name.

I had no problem at all, other than having a british passport with a very long name, middle name, and two surnames

Hi, I have a Spanish passport that is expired, I have been trying to renew it since 2022 but I have given up and decided to just switch to a British citizenship instead. I have been in the UK for around 19 years so have settled status.

I'm trying to book the life in the uk test, however it asks me to select which 3 document types I have to prove my identity. My passport is expired and I do not have the other 2 document options as I have never needed a Visa and don't know if I can even apply for them?

I'm not quite sure what to do, I have revised for the test but I can't even book the test...

Please help. Thanks

What stops you to renew your passport? Do you not have any valid form of ID?

Naturalization is a lengthy process, which may take 6 months (since the application submission) or more.

I always believe that as an immigrant one should always have a valid ID document.

Unfortunately the free and easy movement we had as part of the EU has vanished and at some stage bureaucracy catches up.
Not a criticism of the poster - I'm just surprised the number of stories I see from people without valid documents. I know, the pandemic, the cost of renewing, the bureaucracy. Switching to British citizenship sounds easy.

Follow the guidance https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test: "Email nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk for help if you do not have any of these documents." Explain your case and maybe they have a solution. But whatever you do get your national passport renewed, your British passport is many months away yet.

PS. There are of course 2 tests that need to be taken, LITUK & B1 English (unless you are exempt from English). Trinity College London (for English tests) actually state that the ID document has to be valid on the day of the test.

alterhase58 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2023 4:00 pm

I always believe that as an immigrant one should always have a valid ID document.

Unfortunately the free and easy movement we had as part of the EU has vanished and at some stage bureaucracy catches up.
Not a criticism of the poster - I'm just surprised the number of stories I see from people without valid documents. I know, the pandemic, the cost of renewing, the bureaucracy. Switching to British citizenship sounds easy.

Follow the guidance https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test: "Email nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk for help if you do not have any of these documents." Explain your case and maybe they have a solution. But whatever you do get your national passport renewed, your British passport is many months away yet.

PS. There are of course 2 tests that need to be taken, LITUK & B1 English (unless you are exempt from English). Trinity College London (for English tests) actually state that the ID document has to be valid on the day of the test.

I have my UK drivers license which I use as my form of ID, however it looks like this is not accepted for the life in the uk test?

Just for clarify, I started the process to renew my Spanish passport 5 MONTHS before it's expiry date, I simply did not expect the process to be absolutely shambolic and impossible to do. I have renewed my passport in the UK probably 3 times since i've been here and had no issues. There appears to be new Spanish laws, or maybe it's Brexit, but they have lots of new rules that make renewing so difficult for me.

B1 English does not apply to me, I only need to do the Life in the UK test. However if I cannot do this without a valid Spanish passport, then I simply give up on UK citizenship.

alterhase58 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2023 4:00 pm

I always believe that as an immigrant one should always have a valid ID document.

Unfortunately the free and easy movement we had as part of the EU has vanished and at some stage bureaucracy catches up.
Not a criticism of the poster - I'm just surprised the number of stories I see from people without valid documents. I know, the pandemic, the cost of renewing, the bureaucracy. Switching to British citizenship sounds easy.

Follow the guidance https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test: "Email nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk for help if you do not have any of these documents." Explain your case and maybe they have a solution. But whatever you do get your national passport renewed, your British passport is many months away yet.

PS. There are of course 2 tests that need to be taken, LITUK & B1 English (unless you are exempt from English). Trinity College London (for English tests) actually state that the ID document has to be valid on the day of the test.

I have my UK drivers license which I use as my form of ID, however it looks like this is not accepted for the life in the uk test?

Just for clarify, I started the process to renew my Spanish passport 5 MONTHS before it's expiry date, I simply did not expect the process to be absolutely shambolic and impossible to do. I have renewed my passport in the UK probably 3 times since i've been here and had no issues. There appears to be new Spanish laws, or maybe it's Brexit, but they have lots of new rules that make renewing so difficult for me.

B1 English does not apply to me, I only need to do the Life in the UK test. However if I cannot do this without a valid Spanish passport, then I simply give up on UK citizenship.

Do try and email them to see if there's anything else you can use - I always though DL was allowed but they seem to have tightened up on what IDs can be used.

meself2 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:22 pm

What stops you to renew your passport? Do you not have any valid form of ID?

Naturalization is a lengthy process, which may take 6 months (since the application submission) or more.

I have my UK Drivers license as my ID. But it appears this is not an acceptable form of ID for the life in the UK test.

My problems renewing my passport with the Spanish embassy has been an absolute nightmare. I started the process to renew my passport in October 2022, 5 MONTHS before my passports expiry date to get ahead of it.

I have been to the Spanish embassy in London 4 times and everytime I go there they tell me there is one more thing I need to do or order online then come back.

First thing you need is a Birth Certificate Document, that you have to order ahead of time and the document print date can be no older than 6 months. This takes 3 months to arrive in the post if it arrives at all(My dad never even received his).

Finally it arrives and I go to the embassy, but then I'm informed that when I turned 18 I was supposed to declare that I want to keep my Spanish Citizenship, so there is a whole process I have to go through to do this. This is despite the fact that I am now 33 years old and have renewed my Spanish passport 3 times in the UK with no mention of this at all!

The embassy give me an email address and tell me to scan all my documents and send it to that email, so I do.

It takes 2 months to hear back from them, only for them to give me a whole new list of instructions on how to do this process!(The instructions from the guy at the embassy was wrong) So I fill in the document, only to realise that due to them taking 2 months to get back to me(yes I did try to chase them up), my birth certificate document is now no longer valid as it is just over 6 months old!!!! What a waste of time.

So I re-order my birth certificate, I order 2 of them infact! However, 4 months later and they have still yet to arrive!!!

So at that point I decided I don't care about my EU benefits, what is the point of a powerful Spanish passport if I cannot even renew it! I decide I will just apply for British citizenship and revoke my spanish one, however I am now having trouble even booking the life in the uk test as my passport is expired.

If my UK drivers license is not accepted as a valid form of ID, then I suppose I have no choice but to continue to deal with the incompetent spanish embassy and try and renew my passport, even if it takes another 2 years, which I can honestly see happening at this point.

My dad has also had the same problem with the embassy, he never even received his birth certificate in the post, so he has given up and just gone and applied for UK citizenship, he is old enough to not need to do the life in the uk test.

Do you not have an EU Identity Card?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... s_v8.2.pdf

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 08, 2023 11:09 am

Do you not have an EU Identity Card?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... s_v8.2.pdf

It expired when I was 14. Since living in the uk since 2004, the spanish embassy told my parents we dont need to renew it since we are living in the UK and can renew our passport without this. I doubt I can renew this without a valid Spanish passport.

EJCAMARA wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 08, 2023 10:59 am

Finally it arrives and I go to the embassy, but then I'm informed that when I turned 18 I was supposed to declare that I want to keep my Spanish Citizenship, so there is a whole process I have to go through to do this. This is despite the fact that I am now 33 years old and have renewed my Spanish passport 3 times in the UK with no mention of this at all!

Perhaps the last time you renewed your Spanish passport you were 21 years old - or around that age?

Any Spanish citizen born after the 9th of January 1985 and living outside Spain must declare their desire to keep the Spanish nationality to the consular office. This declaration has to be done once the citizen is 18 years old and before turning 21 years old. (see: Spanish nationality Conservation Act - it's in Spanish but I guess that's not an issue for you).

You have been in the UK since you were a minor and likely were not familiar with Spanish law when turned 18, so it was your parents responsibility to do the declaration on time. It seems they didn't do this for themselves. This is something that also naturalized Spanish citizens living in the UK and acquiring British citizenship - or any other - must do.

I understand that any paperwork in Spain can be very bureaucratic and time consuming - typical Hispanic way to do things - but I would suggest you do all the paperwork to keep your Spanish passport (and nationality). Despite all the hurdles, many people successfully do this on a daily basis so it's not impossible.

I can tell you might be regretting in the future if you decide to renounce to it.

lolo2 wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 08, 2023 11:48 am

EJCAMARA wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 08, 2023 10:59 am

Finally it arrives and I go to the embassy, but then I'm informed that when I turned 18 I was supposed to declare that I want to keep my Spanish Citizenship, so there is a whole process I have to go through to do this. This is despite the fact that I am now 33 years old and have renewed my Spanish passport 3 times in the UK with no mention of this at all!

Perhaps the last time you renewed your Spanish passport you were 21 years old - or around that age?

Any Spanish citizen born after the 9th of January 1985 and living outside Spain must declare their desire to keep the Spanish nationality to the consular office. This declaration has to be done once the citizen is 18 years old and before turning 21 years old. (see: Spanish nationality Conservation Act - it's in Spanish but I guess that's not an issue for you).

You have been in the UK since you were a minor and likely were not familiar with Spanish law when turned 18, so it was your parents responsibility to do the declaration on time. It seems they didn't do this for themselves. This is something that also naturalized Spanish citizens living in the UK and acquiring British citizenship - or any other - must do.

I understand that any paperwork in Spain can be very bureaucratic and time consuming - typical Hispanic way to do things - but I would suggest you do all the paperwork to keep your Spanish passport (and nationality). Despite all the hurdles, many people successfully do this on a daily basis so it's not impossible.

I can tell you might be regretting in the future if you decide to renounce to it.

Just checked, and my passport was issued in 2018, so I was 28 the last time I renewed my passport, but had zero issues that time. Perhaps could be a brexit thing, I dunno.

I've got no choice but to continue with the Spanish citizenship it seems, I've just ordered another birth certificate document, all I can do is pray it arrives in 3 months time. I'm still speaking to them to chase up the last document I ordered 4 months ago that never arrived.

I will try and call the British home office on Monday to see if I can somehow still do the life in the UK test, if there is a chance I can switch to British I will jump on it to not have to deal with Spain ever again, my wife is British and I have no intention of moving out of the UK anyway, I've already lived in Spain and would never want to go back unless it's for a holiday.

The Home Office "helpline" might not be that helpful with this query, in your case it would be better calling the LIUK test centre directly to ask if they're happy to accept your expired Spanish passport. The guidance mentions that it must be "valid" (not expired), but you don't lose anything by asking. I don't think a driving licence is an accepted proof of ID, but again that's just my suspicion.

Regarding your birth certificate, you can ask someone living near the register office where you were registered at birth for them to request this document in person on your behalf. That might speed up the process considerably.

Keeping your Spanish nationality goes beyond having a "powerful passport", the right to reside in the country or going for holidays. However that's a personal decision I guess.

UK Photo Driving Licence used to be an acceptable ID for LITUK test. Maybe that's changed now. It used to be either passport, BRP or DL.