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First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 3:37 pm
by londoner2015
Have just received my First Adult passport after Naturalisation.

Observation page says:
The holder has a Russian passport, number XXXX issued on XX/XX/2016 in the name of <FIRST NAME> <PATRONYMIC> <LAST NAME>. This passport is due to expire on XX/XX/2016.
The passport office managed to make not one - but three mistakes in one sentence.

1. Russian passport expiry date is wrong. It should be 2026 not 2016
2. Russian passport number XXXX is wrong (missing first two digits)
3. That Russian passport actually does NOT list my patronymic. It's only there in Russian but not in English - like it usually is on Russian passports. Only place where I submitted my patronymic in English (a mistake I'm seemingly going to regret :D ) was NHS back in 2015.

To begin with, I don't understand why I have this observation in the first place. My wife recently received her Brisih passport (she also had a patronymic written in Russian on her original passport) - no observations at all.

And then - how worried should I be about these observations containing wrong information? Is this something that I have to fix (and get my passport replaced :cry:) before travelling?

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:16 pm
by AmazonianX
londoner2015 wrote:
Tue Feb 21, 2023 3:37 pm
Have just received my First Adult passport after Naturalisation.

Observation page says:
The holder has a Russian passport, number XXXX issued on XX/XX/2016 in the name of <FIRST NAME> <PATRONYMIC> <LAST NAME>. This passport is due to expire on XX/XX/2016.
The passport office managed to make not one - but three mistakes in one sentence.

1. Russian passport expiry date is wrong. It should be 2026 not 2016
2. Russian passport number XXXX is wrong (missing first two digits)
3. That Russian passport actually does NOT list my patronymic. It's only there in Russian but not in English - like it usually is on Russian passports. Only place where I submitted my patronymic in English (a mistake I'm seemingly going to regret :D ) was NHS back in 2015.

To begin with, I don't understand why I have this observation in the first place. My wife recently received her Brisih passport (she also had a patronymic written in Russian on her original passport) - no observations at all.

And then - how worried should I be about these observations containing wrong information? Is this something that I have to fix (and get my passport replaced :cry:) before travelling?
Raise the matter with HMPO and get the required corrections done.

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:37 pm
by londoner2015
Raise the matter with HMPO and get the required corrections done.
I am travelling in 10 days. Is this likely to mess up my plans?

Also how do I get in touch with them? Is this the right form to fill out?
https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outrea ... iries.ofml

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:40 pm
by alterhase58
londoner2015 wrote:
Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:37 pm
Raise the matter with HMPO and get the required corrections done.
I am travelling in 10 days. Is this likely to mess up my plans?

Also how do I get in touch with them? Is this the right form to fill out?
https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outrea ... iries.ofml
Yes

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:49 pm
by londoner2015
Yes
Lesson learned - never ask more than one question in a single post :lol:

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:09 pm
by alterhase58
Oops….
Not familiar with the official observations but they have a specific policy on this https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... accessible
The observation are not specifically part of the personal data. Informational only. I can imagine a curious immigration official could ask a question but your passport is valid so can only guess this should not create issues even with errors.

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:17 pm
by londoner2015
alterhase58 wrote:
Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:09 pm
Oops….
Not familiar with the official observations but they have a specific policy on this https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... accessible
The observation are not specifically part of the personal data. Informational only. I can imagine a curious immigration official could ask a question but your passport is valid so can only guess this should not create issues even with errors.
That's very useful to know! Thanks a lot :)

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 10:16 pm
by Deryck
londoner2015 wrote:
Tue Feb 21, 2023 3:37 pm

3. That Russian passport actually does NOT list my patronymic. It's only there in Russian but not in English - like it usually is on Russian passports. Only place where I submitted my patronymic in English (a mistake I'm seemingly going to regret :D ) was NHS back in 2015.

To begin with, I don't understand why I have this observation in the first place. My wife recently received her Brisih passport (she also had a patronymic written in Russian on her original passport) - no observations at all.
I can’t find caseworker guidance in relation to this but maybe they ignore English name on foreign passports and transliterate the original name themselves. That would explain where your full name comes from because I doubt passport office used your NHS record.

They may have forgotten to do it for your wife and just looked at the English name which matched hence no observation. Or whoever prepared your passport did more than they should have.

Re: First Adult passport after Naturalisation - Official Observation doesn't make sense

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 10:57 pm
by meself2
Found this guidance from '16:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... t_2016.pdf
6.6 Subject to the applicant being able to satisfy the following requirements, a passport may
be issued in the name requested even where it differs from the name on the passport issued by
another country. The following categories may be given exceptional consideration:
i. The law in the applicant’s country of origin restricts or prevents a change of
name. Where there is such a restriction, the applicant will be required to
provide evidence from their country of origin that a change of name is not
permissible;
ii. The country of origin does not permit dual nationality meaning alignment of
documentation will not be possible, the applicant will be required to provide
confirmation from the country of origin that their citizenship has been
cancelled;
iii. Where there is a requirement for the person to travel to their country of origin
in order to change their name, and due to exceptional circumstances in their
country of origin, they would be placed at a high level of risk;
iv. The applicant has changed their name as a result of a change of gender and
the law in the applicant’s country of origin does not recognise or permit a
change of gender;
6.7 In the case of points (i) and (iii) above, a (British) passport may be issued and an
observation placed in the passport saying:
“The holder has a [country] passport, number [ ] issued on [date] in the name of [ ]. This
passport is due to expire on [date].”
[...]
6.13 The British passport will not routinely contain an observation of other passports held by a
dual national unless by exception (see paragraph 6 above) it is in a different name. It is a matter
for the passport applicant to raise at the point of application whether providing details of existing
or previous overseas passports causes any particular concern.
6.14 However, HM Passport Office retains the right to use the passport observation page to
include any information considered relevant to assist in the identity of the passport holder.
Possibly the dilligent HMPO worker just went with 6.14?