Triple national child: 3 different names

[dualworld]

I am a Hungarian-British dual national and with my Chilean wife (who is currently holding an EEA family member residence card) we are expecting a child. Our child will automatically inherit our 3 citizenships.

The problem is that Hungary, the UK and Chile have different laws regarding names, which cannot be aligned. I'll explain it using invented names.

My name: János József KOVÁCS-SZABÓ
My wife's name: María Isabel GARCÍA SÁNCHEZ

If we have a son in the UK, we might name him "Alexander Francis". However, he will also have a passport that says his given names are "Sándor Ferenc" (in Hungarian) and another that says his given names are "Alejandro Francisco" (in Spanish).

On the other hand Hungary doesn't allow triple barrelled surnames, only double barreled ones, while in my wife's country both paternal and maternal surnames are used obligatorily. Thus our son will have a Hungarian pasport as "Sándor Ferenc KOVÁCS-SZABÓ" and a Chilean one as "Alejandro Francisco KOVÁCS-SZABÓ GARCÍA".

However, UK passport office insist on their "one name policy" and will not issue a passport for our son as "Alexander Francis KOVACS-SZABO" in spite of putting that on his British birth certificate. Or, if we apply for a British passport for him before registering his birth in our 2 countries of origin, the UK will not renew his British passport, because he will have 2 other passports with 2 different names. Aligning his surname would be totally impossible as my country of origin does not allow triple-barreled surnames and my wife's country insists on using maternal surnames as well and doesn't allow dropping one part of the paternal surname either.

We don't know what to do. Thank you.

[vaza]

I think there are two separate issues here:

1. Family names (Surnames) are prescribed in national law and you have no control over them. I believe HPO accepts this with supporting documents and/or explanation. The forum describes cases like this and the passport application guidance explains that too. I also suggest checking if Hungary and Chile will accept exception to the rules you mentioned for foreign born children and if the name on the primary birth certificate is used in some way.

2. First/Given names are not prescribed but are your choice for cultural or personal reasons (err, some countries forbid certain names, but I assume you don't have that problem). HPO won't tolerate differences there as I understand. Countries in general are getting tougher (anecdotal evidence) on this, even when there are different alphabets involved and names are just transliterated sometimes stupidly. Presumably Chile and Hungary would use the primary birth certificate for the name, then you won't have a choice anyway. They might not though.

HPO also now disallows accents on letters as you must have discovered, but that's yet another thing.

I believe 1 can be resolved. 2 is your personal choice.

My personal opinion follows as an idea: I can see two options: pick one spelling OR choose a different name that is spelled the same and sounds good in all three languages and respective nations. Also, consider for a moment your child having to spell their name their whole life ... in all these countries.

[dualworld]

You are right, there are 2 separate issues here.

As to the surnames, this issue might be sorted with an observation in our child1s British passport.

As to the given names: You are right again, and perhaps the easiest thing would be giving our child an "international name", like Alex or something like that. However, we don't think that our choice of name should be limited by the Passport Office just because our child happen to have other nationalities as well. Hungary and Chile are fine with having the Hungarian and Spanish equivalent, respectively, of the English given names in our son's Hungarian/Chilean documents. Our purpose is exactly that that our son be able to live a normal life in all 3 countries as he may wish, without being a stranger with odd names, but at the same time without renouncing his heritage.

I wonder if there is a way out of this mess. Perhaps the Passport Office could mention the other given names as an observation?