Already a dual citizen and applying for British citizenship. Documents needed help please.

[Cami77]

I’m a Brazilian citizen and hold an ILR. I also have a Chilean citizenship as one of my parents is from that country, but I have an expired passport and ID with my single surname on this passport, which the only difference is that it lacks my husband’s last name.
I’ve never really used this passport for anything but I’m worried that because of the surname difference, I’ll have a problem with my citizenship application. Would I have to send both passports as supporting documents?
Any help will be very appreciated as I’m not finding anything online.

[AnotherUUID]

As far as I recall, the application for BC only has one field for your current nationality and does not ask about other nationalities that you may have. So far as I am aware you only need to provide one document / passport in your name, ideally the one you used in previous applications and frequently use to enter/leave the UK. This should also match the name on the application form as that name will appear on your naturalisation certificate. That said, input from other tri-nationals that have gone through the process would certainly carry more weight than mine.

However, if you later decide to apply for a British passport after naturalisation, HMPO will require you to send all uncancelled passports that you currently hold (even if expired) and you will hence need to send your Chilean one as well. At this point they are likely to refuse to issue you a British passport if the name across your passports does not fully match. Your options are to either cancel your Chilean passport before you apply to HMPO for a British passport or, ideally to avoid future issues, update the name on your Chilean passport to match that of your Brazilian passport. Note that HMPO seem to require applicants to send all uncancelled passports that they hold even for renewal of a British passport (i.e. after having applied for your first British passport). So not having a matching name is not a one-off issue.

If I were you, I would personally go for the latter and change the name on the Chilean passport to match before applying. Is this something you might be able to do at an embassy, or would you have to travel to Chile?

[Cami77]

Thank you for your reply!
I’m doing the online application and they do ask to add all the nationalities I have.
I think that, as you said, to avoid problems later is better to fix this at the consulate. Or maybe I can just cancel the passport as I don’t really use it, and update my name on my ID.
Hopefully someone with the same issue will reply

[Morava]

I am a dual national too and I applied for British citizenship at the end of last year.

As the main citizenship I used the one from previous applications for consistency and included my other one in the application form. I also needed to include the national ID number.

In the document check list only my main passport was listed, that’s what I took to Sopra Steria. I uploaded the photo page of my second passport in the optional documents section.

My main passport includes my maiden name. I don’t want my maiden name on the naturalisation certificate, so wrote an explanatory letter as part of my application. Good luck!

[joeano353]

Thank you for your reply!
I’m doing the online application and they do ask to add all the nationalities I have.
I think that, as you said, to avoid problems later is better to fix this at the consulate. Or maybe I can just cancel the passport as I don’t really use it, and update my name on my ID.
Hopefully someone with the same issue will reply

My personal opinion since factors differ. I would renew the passport even if I don't use it and submit it. You could not mention anything about that passport but its illegal so your choice.
The reason they ask the passports is to ensure that the name on all passports is the same.
The cost of renewal is the only thing you will lose and saving that sum would entail losing the nationality by cancelling it. I think the ID card would have to cancelled too if you renounce the nationality by cancellation.

[Cami77]

I am a dual national too and I applied for British citizenship at the end of last year.

As the main citizenship I used the one from previous applications for consistency and included my other one in the application form. I also needed to include the national ID number.

In the document check list only my main passport was listed, that’s what I took to Sopra Steria. I uploaded the photo page of my second passport in the optional documents section.

My main passport includes my maiden name. I don’t want my maiden name on the naturalisation certificate, so wrote an explanatory letter as part of my application. Good luck!

I’ve called the Chilean embassy and they said that in Chile they don’t change the surname when people get married, so It shouldn’t be a problem as I couldn’t change the name even if I wanted to. When I apply for the passport I’ll explain that. I could travel to Chile with my other passports so I won’t bother as I rarely go there.
Also, checked with the HO and they said just to send the main passport, as you said.
Thank you!