Immigrationboards.com

Hi everyone I have finally been approved (12th of June, application submitted online on the 18th of March). I have the ceremony in a few days’ time and after that I’m going to apply for the passport and have a couple of questions.

- I changed my name back in Italy (where I’m from) in 2009 after becoming a Buddhist as my previous name was VERY Catholic. As per Italian law, after the name change is approved your old name gets erased and you must apply for new docs in the new name. I haven’t used that name in ten years and never really used it in the UK. The naturalisation certificate had both my current name and my birth name as obviously I declared the change in the naturalisation application since my name at birth was different. My Italian passport only has my current name, my previous name is not mentioned at all because it’s gone. Will my British passport also have my old name? Like in the notes/additional info section (if there is one). I only have a photocopy of the name change document and if they do put my old name in the passport I’ll get questioned by every border authorities because I won’t be able to show them the original certificate making the British passport useless. In Italy you cannot get another original of the name change certificate unfortunately.

- does the referee need to have a valid British passport? One of my potential referees is British but his passport has expired.

Thank you so much!

1 - as you have used your current name in the AN application and your Italian passport is also in your current name I believe there is no issue. How is the certificate worded? i.e current name and previous name, like unmarried name?
2 - Referee doesn't need to have a current passport.

Hello and thank you

No I’ve been married but never took my ex husband’s name (this was also added to the cover letter for the AN application). That was my name at birth. I changed religion and wanted to get rid of my Catholic name. The certificate says that - following results of the investigations, this law, that law etc - this person [my old name] is allowed to modify her name to [current name] so that in the future she is known as [current name]. My old name is not even mentioned in the notes in my Italian passport.

As for the referee the website says current passport but wasn’t sure the expired passport would also be allowed

All that needs to happen is that the name in your current passport matches your name in your certificate of naturalisation, and this will be the name in your British passport.