After many years I finally am British and received my Naturalisation Certificate. Unfortunately they seem to have incorrectly marked my surname and I'm wondering what to do.
My name from my original citizenship / passport is in the format:
(FIRST NAME) (SURNAME) (MIDDLE NAME 1) (MIDDLE NAME 2)
e.g. BRUCE LEE KA SHING
This (confusingly) is the norm for Chinese names in Malaysia, where I hail from.
Since moving to the UK many years ago, I adopted a more conventional format of:
(FIRST NAME) (MIDDLE NAME 1) (MIDDLE NAME 2) (SURNAME)
e.g. BRUCE KA SHING LEE
The above is in all my UK documents, my BRP, my driving licence, my bank accounts, everything. I applied for naturalisation in this format, naturally.
I received an email from the HO a few weeks prior to getting my naturalisation approval email, asking me if I wanted my certificate to show either of the above options, and advising me that I should have it in the (FIRST NAME) (SURNAME) (MIDDLE NAME 1) (MIDDLE NAME 2) format as the Passport Office would only issue me a passport in that name. I reluctantly agreed.
Unfortunately when I received my certificate, it was neither of the above. They had somehow thought (MIDDLE NAME 2) was my last name, since it appears last in my Malaysian passport, and hence issued a certicate:
*SHING* BRUCE LEE KA
I have read of the various posts here about dual nationals / naming guidance etc. I have no intention of keeping my Malaysian citizenship / will not renew my Malaysian passport. It would be far too difficult also to get my Malaysian name changed / Malaysian passport changed so that is not an option.
What would the best thing for me to do?
Can I just apply for a passport now and state LEE is my currect last name, and explain the issue when (if) they contact me?
If my British Passport is issued as BRUCE LEE KA SHING will this cause me more problems in future, given that my driving licence and other UK identities are all as BRUCE KA SHING LEE?
Or can I just do a deed poll later to change my name and then renew / reissue the passport?
Many thanks for your help!