UK Passport renewal - proof of residence.

[nahkit]

My son has had a British passport since he was 2 months old, he's now 28 and has previously renewed it without any problem up until now.

 

This time he used an agent in Pattaya rather than doing it in person and he has since received an email from the passport office in Liverpool denying his renewal as they say he has not provided them with sufficient proof of where he lives. 

 

The problem has arisen due to his Thai ID being in his Thai name (Thai first name, English Surname) but his passport has always been in his English first name, English surname. They are asking for proof of residence in his English name but any bank accounts, bills etc that he has are all in his Thai name.

 

I'm wondering if it would be acceptable for him to get a paper either from the Amphur or local police stating his name English and where he lives to satisfy their requirement? Another alternative might be to go the British embassy and make a sworn statement there?

 

Anyone had a similar experience that can advise?

[Eff1n2ret]

Your son may have a bit more of a problem than proof of address. Presumably he is a dual national, and also has a Thai passport. If so, he should have submitted it along with the UK passport, and for the last few years the requirement has been that the names in both passports must be the same. I'm just guessing but that may well be at the root of the Passport Office's objections.

My wife ran up against this when we renewed her UK passport three or four years ago, which was in her married surname, while her Thai passport was in her maiden name. The only suggestion on the Passport Office instructions is that the name in the foreign passport must be changed to match the UK one. Because we are settled in Thailand and she has little official footprint remaining in the UK and it would have been a real workup to change everything she has in Thailand, we changed her UK name by deedpoll to her Thai name and submitted the passport application with that evidence.

You might try an affidavit from the Embassy, but if the Passport Office became aware that your son has a Thai passport in a different name they may well refuse the application anyway.

[nahkit]

4 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Your son may have a bit more of a problem than proof of address. Presumably he is a dual national, and also has a Thai passport. If so, he should have submitted it along with the UK passport, and for the last few years the requirement has been that the names in both passports must be the same. I'm just guessing but that may well be at the root of the Passport Office's objections.

My wife ran up against this when we renewed her UK passport three or four years ago, which was in her married surname, while her Thai passport was in her maiden name. The only suggestion on the Passport Office instructions is that the name in the foreign passport must be changed to match the UK one. Because we are settled in Thailand and she has little official footprint remaining in the UK and it would have been a real workup to change everything she has in Thailand, we changed her UK name by deedpoll to her Thai name and submitted the passport application with that evidence.

You might try an affidavit from the Embassy, but if the Passport Office became aware that your son has a Thai passport in a different name they may well refuse the application anyway.

There's nowhere on the passport renewal application that asks if you have another passport from a different country and he's never been asked if he has one or if its in a different name. I appreciate your answer and the heads up but I'd rather not address that problem unless the passport office specifically asks the question.

[Eff1n2ret]

It's in the small print - see Page 5 Section 2 of the Guidance notes:-

6.4824_HMPO Overseas Guidance Booklet_Applying outside the uk (publishing.service.gov.uk)

I'm surprised the agent submitted this application without spotting the discrepancy between the passport name and whatever address documents were submitted. Your son would be justified in asking for his money back.

Edit: See also Section 3  "Passports issued to you by other countries"

[howerde]

It is now a criminal offence not to declare another  passport, there is a box to tick on the application form then you have to copy the pages to accompany the new application, and yes names must match in both passports, these changes came about in 2016

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/965566/Names_-_aligning_names_on_foreign_documents.pdf

 

page 34 and 35 are worth reading

[nahkit]

9 minutes ago, howerde said:

It is now a criminal offence not to declare another  passport, there is a box to tick on the application form then you have to copy the pages to accompany the new application, and yes names must match in both passports, these changes came about in 2016

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/965566/Names_-_aligning_names_on_foreign_documents.pdf

 

page 34 and 35 are worth reading

From page 34

 

"You must take no more action and deal with the application, in line with current guidance, if the:

• customer tells you they do not have another passport and they live in the country they were born in

• customer tells you they have a British passport and it’s the one they sent with their application (or reported lost) regardless of where they live

 

Looks to me like the statement I've highlighted covers him, but as I previously wrote, no-one has actually  asked him if he has a second passport.

 

Thanks for the information.

[Upnotover]

42 minutes ago, nahkit said:

There's nowhere on the passport renewal application that asks if you have another passport from a different country and he's never been asked if he has one or if its in a different name. I appreciate your answer and the heads up but I'd rather not address that problem unless the passport office specifically asks the question.

Here;

[nahkit]

Page 14 is also interesting.

 

"There are exceptions when we will issue a passport using a customer’s name on their passport application, even though it’s different to the name on their foreign document. We will take into account:
• the legal, cultural, social and technical restrictions of other countries that stop customers from changing the name on their foreign document"

 

The Thai government office refused to allow him to use his English name as his first name on his Thai registration, they insisted on him having a Thai first name. 

[howerde]

16 minutes ago, nahkit said:

Page 14 is also interesting.

 

"There are exceptions when we will issue a passport using a customer’s name on their passport application, even though it’s different to the name on their foreign document. We will take into account:
• the legal, cultural, social and technical restrictions of other countries that stop customers from changing the name on their foreign document"

 

The Thai government office refused to allow him to use his English name as his first name on his Thai registration, they insisted on him having a Thai first name. 

27 minutes ago, nahkit said:

From page 34

 

"You must take no more action and deal with the application, in line with current guidance, if the:

• customer tells you they do not have another passport and they live in the country they were born in

• customer tells you they have a British passport and it’s the one they sent with their application (or reported lost) regardless of where they live

 

Looks to me like the statement I've highlighted covers him, but as I previously wrote, no-one has actually  asked him if he has a second passport.

 

Thanks for the information.

Does you son hold a Thai passport or did he ever hold one? if he did/does what name is in it, even if it is expired

[nahkit]

17 hours ago, Upnotover said:

Here;

I actually had to read that 3 times before the "or otherwise" part sunk in. He supplied his old British passport with his renewal application.

[Eff1n2ret]

18 minutes ago, nahkit said:

I actually had to read that 3 times before the "or otherwise" part sunk in. He supplied his old British passport with his renewal application.

It's a fair point, they could have worded it better, but the British Civil Service no longer excels at clear precise English.