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Hi everyone,

Got a quick question: I would like to "loose" my middle name on the naturalisation application/certificate as it is very difficult to spell and pronounce.

My middle name appears on both my current EU passport and national ID card.

When booking Life in the UK test one of the instructions stated that if you omit your middle name if it appears on your passport you will not be allowed to take the exam.

Is it also the case for naturalisation application i.e. if I omit my middle name are they going to be extremely strict and reject the application? Or they are with omitting it or are they going to just add it onto naturalisation certificate themselves?

Big thanks for your help.

AN form gives you choice to write your name as you'd like it to appear on Naturalisation Certificate.
You can provide your desired name there and a cover letter explaining why you are omitting middle name. Personally I would not do that, though. I would keep my full name in sync at all places. Because then its easy to corroborate, you can omit middle name in other documents, Naturalisation Certificate is perhaps the most important document you'd receive from Home Office.

Good point fwd079,

I will not be presenting naturalisation certificate around too much. However, I will be presenting the passport a lot.

Can I omit my middle name when applying for a passport (or would it require me to put the middle name exactly as it appears on the naturalisation certificate)?

RedMoon wrote:Good point fwd079,

I will not be presenting naturalisation certificate around too much. However, I will be presenting the passport a lot.

Can I omit my middle name when applying for a passport (or would it require me to put the middle name exactly as it appears on the naturalisation certificate)?

This link has information regarding passport name change, again, you can omit your middle name while introducing yourself. Many south indian asians have similar dilemma with their long three four word names, they just shorten it in day to day life, but Passports etc show full proper names.

Thanks fwd079,

The link you have pasted states that adding a middle name requires supporting documentation but removing it (at the point of application) just requires an explanation.

I am still considering removing it from naturalisation application as the argument of syncing only applies to synchronising with foreign documents (passport and ID card) in my case. I am not sure what is the benefit to that?

RedMoon wrote:Hi everyone,

Got a quick question: I would like to "loose" my middle name on the naturalisation application/certificate as it is very difficult to spell and pronounce.

My middle name appears on both my current EU passport and national ID card.

When booking Life in the UK test one of the instructions stated that if you omit your middle name if it appears on your passport you will not be allowed to take the exam.

Is it also the case for naturalisation application i.e. if I omit my middle name are they going to be extremely strict and reject the application? Or they are with omitting it or are they going to just add it onto naturalisation certificate themselves?

Big thanks for your help.

I have four names and on my LIUK letter (certificate) there's only two (first and last). However when I applying for the citizenship I entered all four because it has to match the name on my passport.

RedMoon wrote:Good point fwd079,

I will not be presenting naturalisation certificate around too much. However, I will be presenting the passport a lot.

Can I omit my middle name when applying for a passport (or would it require me to put the middle name exactly as it appears on the naturalisation certificate)?

My advice is use the name on the certificate for the passport. Once you get it change your name. If they see the names don't match with the naturalisation certificate then you are in big trouble. I might do the same after applying for the passport, but for now I am keeping all four names.

Hi navodwickra,

Given what fwd079 stated i.e. that form AN gives you the choice (name does not have to be exactly as in a foreign passport) I am leaning towards "shaking the middle name off" at that stage unless someone can tell me that it's not a good idea or that it can't be done.

In the above scenario passport aplication will match the naturalisation certificate.

Your suggestion would require 2 passports: one matching naturalisation certificate and then applying to change it. -I am not sure that would be very efficient (if it can be avoided)?

I am still considering removing it from naturalisation application

I would strongly advise not to leave your middle name off your application as HO will ask you for documentary proof that your name has changed (deedpoll) if it does not match your foreign passport.

I have had personal experience like this after leaving my daughters middle name off her application in error and if I could not provide the evidence, their letter said they would reject the application and the fee would be lost.

Thanks for sharing this experience CR001.

Looks like the case is solved:
1) apply for naturalisation certificate with name as it appears on foreign document.
2) after naturalising apply for a British passport stating that you don't want your middle name to be put into it.

Had anyone got an adverse experience of point 2) ?

Re point 2, HMPO might still ask for proof of name change (deedpoll).

If I was you, I would do the following :

1. Apply for naturalisation with the name as it appears on your foreign passport
2. Apply for a deedpoll to change your name/drop your middle name (inexpensive and relatively quick turnaround)
3. Once you receive the deedpoll, apply for your British passport with your 'new' name and submit your naturalisation certificate AND the deedpoll to prove the name change.

He he, I did not think that removing an unused middle name will be difficult.

I'm wondering why at the bottom of this page they say that you don't need to send any additional documents to remove the name: https://www.gov.uk/changing-passport-in ... me-changes

Am I correct that passport office will be more keen to add the middle name if they are not happy removing it and less keen to just "swallow" the fee rejecting the application?

i'm wondering why at the bottom of this page they say that you don't need to send any additional documents to remove the name: https://www.gov.uk/changing-passport-in ... me-changes

I would follow that then and refer to the link in your explanation in Section 8 of the passport form, when you get to that stage of course.

But for naturalisation, just follow strictly what your given names are per your foreign passport.

Good advice. I think that's the way to do it.

Definitely no messing around at the naturalisation stage then!

I think that the passport office would be much more keen to just add the middle name if they are not keen to remove it. Unless someone had some difficult experience with that?

Thanks CR001, appreciate the guidance.