Maiden Married Name Question

[SkyeM]

Firstly I apologise if there is another post regarding this and I'm missing it. I have found a number of issues regarding the same thing but dated and criteria changes constantly. What I would presume is such a simple question like what is your married name and what is your maiden name and move onto the next question is complicated by the wording below:

1.5 Enter your surname or family name as you want it to appear on your certificate.
1.6 Enter your other names as you want them to appear on your certificate. For
example if your name is Taher Mohamed Hashim Al Hassan and you are known as
Mr Al Hassan then put Al Hassan in section 1.5 and Taher Mohamed Hashim in
section 1.6.
1.7 Your name at birth must be given on the application form, for identity purposes,
but may be omitted from your certificate of British citizenship if you have a special
reason for requesting this – for example because you were adopted or are no longer
living in the gender you were considered to have at the time of your birth.
The name that you give in sections 1.5 and 1.6 must be the same name that is on
your current passport, travel document or Biometric Residence Permit

All of my papers: biometrics life in the UK English Test etc are all in my maiden name. I was married in 2010 but it made no sense to transfer all these documents to my married name. In the meantime my South African passport has expired and I am here on ILR to 2024. I urgently need to apply for my naturalisation and get my British passport to go home to an emergency situation. I have filled in the AN form which is fairly straightforward except for this married maiden name issue. How can my my name for Section 1.5 and 1.6 be the same after you are married?

I would appreciate any advice before I submit my application as I don't want to make an error resulting in my application being declined based on this very tiny detail which providing a marriage certificate should be enough proof my surname has changed.

Many thanks
Skye

[SkyeM]

Can anyone offer advise please?

[CR001]

All of my papers: biometrics life in the UK English Test etc are all in my maiden name. I was married in 2010 but it made no sense to transfer all these documents to my married name.

There is a requirement to inform HO of a change of circumstance and get a new BRP card with your updated name.

In the meantime my South African passport has expired and I am here on ILR to 2024.

Does your expired SA passport have your married or maiden name?

I urgently need to apply for my naturalisation and get my British passport to go home to an emergency situation.

You won't get a result 'urgently'. Applications are taking between 3 and 6 months at present. You would do better to get an emergency SA passport and apply for a new passport back home.

I have filled in the AN form which is fairly straightforward except for this married maiden name issue. How can my my name for Section 1.5 and 1.6 be the same after you are married?

It all depends on what name is in your SA Passport. Your citizenship will only be granted (if approved) in the name that appears on your SA passport etc.

[SkyeM]

First of all thank you for response. When I was going through the process I was advised to keep all my immigration paperwork in my maiden name therefore I never updated my surname with HO as everything remained in my maiden name.

I completely understand that my urgent and that of the HO is not the same. I was hoping by sending my application I could get papers to travel in the meantime. I am guessing this is not the case? I did think going down the route of an emergency SA passport might be my best option but I have a young daughter who cannot be taken out of school and having to renew my South African passport from SA could take months leaving me hanging and not being able to return home in the meantime not being allowed to return on a temporary passport.

My expired SA passport is in my maiden name basically everything is except for my driving licence.
I think my best way forward is to apply in my maiden name which is what I was advised all along I was just concerned that when they ask in Question 1.6 another name I am known by (this is my married name and by saying my maiden name surely that is not legal)?

I appreciate your help.

Kind Regards,
Skye

[CR001]

First of all thank you for response. When I was going through the process I was advised to keep all my immigration paperwork in my maiden name therefore I never updated my surname with HO as everything remained in my maiden name.

That is fine. You should still have reported your marriage status though but as nothing changed name wise, you should be fine.

I completely understand that my urgent and that of the HO is not the same.

Yes, applies to all of us unfortunately

I was hoping by sending my application I could get papers to travel in the meantime. I am guessing this is not the case?

No, it doesn't work like that and you cannot get a UK travel document as you have another nationality that you can get a passport renewal. You need a passport, nothing else will be accepted in your circumstances.

I did think going down the route of an emergency SA passport might be my best option but I have a young daughter who cannot be taken out of school and having to renew my South African passport from SA could take months leaving me hanging and not being able to return home in the meantime not being allowed to return on a temporary passport.

SA passports in SA can take a couple of weeks, from posts seen by my friends and family. But yes, you could not return on an emergency passport. When did you passport expire?

My expired SA passport is in my maiden name basically everything is except for my driving licence.

Fine, your citizenship will be granted in the same name.

I think my best way forward is to apply in my maiden name which is what I was advised all along I was just concerned that when they ask in Question 1.6 another name I am known by (this is my married name and by saying my maiden name surely that is not legal)?

You can state your married name and provide a brief explanation in the 'additional information' page. Your British passport will also be issued in your maiden name by the way.

[mrgs1]

http://southafricahouseuk.com/passports ... psprt.html

[CR001]

http://southafricahouseuk.com/passports ... psprt.html

My daughters passport renewal took 6 weeks. But if you can get to SA on a temporary passport, they don't take long there at all.

[mrgs1]

http://southafricahouseuk.com/passports ... psprt.html

My daughters passport renewal took 6 weeks. But if you can get to SA on a temporary passport, they don't take long there at all.

You must of been lucky 3 times to get passport changed to married name, even though ID sent correctly first time, unabridged marriage certificate never sent, emergency passport for a friend expired by time it was received, temporary relatives residents permit 7 years later never processed. Let's hope they can deal with my renouncing of SA citizenship properly.

[CR001]

http://southafricahouseuk.com/passports ... psprt.html

My daughters passport renewal took 6 weeks. But if you can get to SA on a temporary passport, they don't take long there at all.

You must of been lucky 3 times to get passport changed to married name, even though ID sent correctly first time, unabridged marriage certificate never sent, emergency passport for a friend expired by time it was received, temporary relatives residents permit 7 years later never processed. Let's hope they can deal with my renouncing of SA citizenship properly.

It wasn't a name change, only a passport renewal and this is purely what I was advising the OP on.

[SkyeM]

Thank you again for taking the time to respond.

So to summarise, from what I understand, my best way forward is to send my application with both my maiden name in 1.5 and my married name in 1.6 and then state the reason why this is different from the name on my passport is because of marriage and provide marriage certificate. From what I understand and as you stated as well, applying this way would mean my British passport would be in my maiden name and I will then have to get a deed poll to change it.

My Life In the UK Test and English Test etc were all done in my maiden name and to change just my biometrics when I got ILR seemed like I was confusing matters and having these documents in mixed names which is one of the reasons I kept everything Maiden.

I also no longer wish to retain my South African citizenship so that should make it simpler?
Which is another reason I never renewed my South African passport which expired in July 2016 but I should have sorted this out ages ago but with raising the funds and going through a stressful house move it was put on the dusty shelf

I just want to get this behind me now its been a looonnnnnnnggggg expensive stressful procedure.

Thank you again,

Regards,
Skye

[SkyeM]

I have considered this option but just feel like its a gamble to take when so many things could possibly go wrong/missing. Which means I am then stuck in South Africa which is fine getting to spend all that time with my mom who needs me but it means I have an 8 year old here needing me. It also means I am changing my name to my married name and because all my documents are in my maiden name I wanted to keep my passport the same if that makes sense so I think my best way forward is to continue with naturalisation application and cross fingers and toes and everything inbetween.

[CR001]

For British citizenship you will need to submit evidence of residence from the date your passport expired (payslips, bank statements, tenancy agreement etc).

[SkyeM]

For British citizenship you will need to submit evidence of residence from the date your passport expired (payslips, bank statements, tenancy agreement etc).

oh wow and the list goes on thank goodness for you - I had no idea. I'm guessing that they wouldn't decline the application based on me not having submitting this and considering we've just moved I am so grateful you have told me this. I guess it would have delayed everything and they would have written to me requesting all that?

Many thanks again,
Skye

[CR001]

They would have likely written to you and it is normal to ask for proof of residence if your passport is expired, mainly to prove you have not been away from the UK using 'another' passport for example and have exceeded the absence limits (yes, you would be surprised what people do sometimes to flout the rules).

[SkyeM]

I appreciate all your feedback and will be happy to report down the line on a positive end result hopefully giving others the motivation to keep pushing forward with the process.

Kind Regards,
Skye

[SkyeM]

Thank you for your contributions and advise.

I thought I would send a quick word of inspiration to those applying that as long as you have your paperwork in order there is light at the end of the tunnel. I applied 4 weeks ago and today my letter arrived telling me my application has been successful - just the ceremony to go and I am on my way to applying for my British passport. It has been a VERY long road filled with many boulders and obstacles along the way BUT this is the result - all the hard work, all the paperwork, the tests and reading, the scrimping and saving, following up and making sure you have collected all the correct facts and filled in your application correctly it can take 4 weeks to go through and it is THEE best feeling I have had in a very long time.

All the Best,
Skye