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I need advice on what I should do, I have been naturalised as a British citizen however I came to the UK from Zimbabwe as an infant my mum used a passport to get me hear that has now been expired a long time however this passport has the name given to me at birth on it, my name has been changed but since the passport hasn’t been renewed and I’m unable to renew it, it still has my birth name on it. But all my other day to day ID has my changed name, HMPO has sent back my application saying I can’t have a British passport due to the expired Zimbabwean one having a different name but I can’t change it or renew it?

R1mcr wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2024 6:16 pm

since the passport hasn’t been renewed and I’m unable to renew it,

Why?

Also, how or what process was followed to change your name?

meself2 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2024 6:59 pm

R1mcr wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2024 6:16 pm

since the passport hasn’t been renewed and I’m unable to renew it,

Why?

Because I left Zimbabwe as a child and didn’t have my finger prints taken so the embassy said I need to go back there to get them done and then I can renew the passport

CR001 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2024 7:16 pm

Also, how or what process was followed to change your name?

Statutory declaration, write up by a solicitor I think my mum did this also when I was in high school.

R1mcr wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 27, 2024 12:09 am

meself2 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2024 6:59 pm

R1mcr wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2024 6:16 pm

since the passport hasn’t been renewed and I’m unable to renew it,

Why?

Because I left Zimbabwe as a child and didn’t have my finger prints taken so the embassy said I need to go back there to get them done and then I can renew the passport

I doubt that will be an acceptable reason for you not to renew your passport, I'm afraid.

I don't know any provisions in Zimbabwean law regarding dual nationality at the time (and you didn't give us any dates to go off of), but I assume you're still considered a citizen of Zimbabwe, so you are expected (by HMPO) to keep your name aligned. Even people that had their citizenship renounced by obtaining British one had issues with holding a passport in different name (see for example british-citizenship/passport-refused-un ... 83170.html) and you're still Zimbabwean. You can try to negotiate with the embassy if at all possible or travel to Zimbabwe and apply for a passport there.

I do not know if renouncing your Zimbabwean citizenship is an option; you can consider it as a last resort but it may have severe implications.

How come you never encountered this as an issue before? Have you ever left the country? Or held a passport in your own name?

No I’ve never left the country and the passport I entered UK with has since expired and this is the one I’m struggling to renew. It has been an issue for some time and unable to find a solution.

Have you spoken to the Zimbabwean embassy to understand if they can make any concessions?