UK passport if foreign passports with multiple names

[misermzu]

Long-time lurker (6 years to be exact) / first time poster. Thank you to all the moderators for the good work. I've read thousands of your posts over the years, on every imaginable subject just in case it may have some relevance to me. Hence never registering as I always found the needed answer.

But now I find myself in perhaps a very unique situation: I am a holder of four different nationalities/passports by birth-right. All four countries have different naming conventions, which means that I have four passports with four technically different (but very similar names -- ones with middles names, others with patronymic names, others with double-barreled surnames in different orders, etc.). None of which can be changed through the equivalent of deed polls in each respective country.

This leads me to my very specific dilemma. I am waiting for my citizenship approval, but already looking to plan ahead for a hopefully-eventual approval and passport application. I can submit the passport linked to my ILR, and which I have used to apply for citizenship. I also plan to use this passport and official name for my UK passport application and for all official purposes in the UK (all bank accounts, NI, employment, pension, lease agreements, etc. in this same name).

I have the following questions:

1. How does one manage will multiple citizenships (i.e., more than one other foreign passport) with different names? Can I just submit the one non-UK passport that is linked to my ILR and apply that way? This foreign passport/my legal identity in the UK will then match the UK passport, but the other three passports will not (though they will not have been submitted).

2. If HMPO rejects my application given that I have several foreign passports with different names that technically don't match (in very insignificant ways), does this mean that I will never be able to apply for a UK passport even though I would be a British citizen? Again, I must reiterate there is NO way I can legally change my name in most of these other countries. I've already enquired in these countries.

3. I understand a letter of support from a foreign country stating that there is no way for a name change is one potential pathway. However, I've read that HMPO sometime still insists that the foreign name be changed to match. And in any event, even if I got supporting letters from all four countries, I'm not sure what the optics would look like that I have four different names... (and again, all very similar that most would waive it away as the same person with slight variations, but I appreciate that from a purely legal sense, they are all different).

3. I know I have to cut up and return my ILR BRP. If I can never apply for a UK passport, this is theoretically fine for me as my other passports allow visa free travel to the UK, which I can readily use to enter the country. Will this be a problem to repeatedly enter the UK (as I live here permanently) on a foreign passport where entry is based on visa free status (rather than my actual UK citizenship)?

4. I know there is a Certificate of Entitlement that I can also apply for, but given that it's ridiculously expensive and expires with my passport, it's really not a great long-term solution.

Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom! Cheers.

[Zerubbabel]

Hello

You need to keep it as simple as possible.

When I applied for the British citizenship, it was my third citizenship. I sent to HMPO one passport only. The one I always used for my immigration and it was linked to my permanent residence. A couple of weeks later, I got my British passport, no questions asked.

[misermzu]

Thanks, Zerubbabel! That's perfect and what I was hoping would be possible.

I just wasn't sure as the instructions seem to imply we have to submit every single uncancelled passport. But perhaps I can just send for the one country I've always used for immigration as you suggest. Thanks!

[misermzu]

Hi Zerubbabel -- just one follow-up question.

I presume you mentioned your two other nationalities in your nationality application? But then only sent the passport linked to your ILR to HMPO. Does that mean there's no need for concern that HMPO will double check with HO and the nationality application?

Thanks!

[Zerubbabel]

Agreed.

When I submitted my application for Citizenship, I mentioned by 2 others nationalities: EEA + non-EEA.

However, all my immigration documents where associated with my EEA nationality.

Then, when I applied for passport with HMPO, I sent only a single passport: the EEA one. My previous EEA passport, (the one I used to enter the country), I didn't send because the consulate took it from me when I renewed my passport.

And voila! They sent me my British passport without further question or anything.