My ex wife renewing her UK passport has been told to send her Thai passport with the UK application. I can't think of a single reason why that is necessary. Has some strange rule come into place where dual nationals in the UK need to show their national passport when renewing their UK passport?

It’s been necessary for some applicants for years and nothing to be concerned about.

This is the advice from the Passport Office “For applicants with a foreign passport, HM Passport Office may require you to submit it as part of your renewal application. This is to verify your identity and ensure that there are no discrepancies between the information on your British and foreign passports. It helps prevent fraud and maintains the integrity of the passport issuance process”.

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

It’s been necessary for some applicants for years and nothing to be concerned about.

This is the advice from the Passport Office “For applicants with a foreign passport, HM Passport Office may require you to submit it as part of your renewal application. This is to verify your identity and ensure that there are no discrepancies between the information on your British and foreign passports. It helps prevent fraud and maintains the integrity of the passport issuance process”.

That could be an issue then. In the UK she goes by her married name and her passport is in her married name. Her Thai ID card and I assume her passport are in her maiden name.

As for preventing fraud, fraud will continue as fraudsters know how to circumvent the system. It just makes it difficult for ordinary people. Example when opening a bank account in the UK that need all sorts of ID to confirm who you are. So how can bank fraudsters get away with it. The Banks ""must know"" who the fraudsters are. If they followed the correct procedures when opening the accounts of course.

This is the published Operational Instructions to UKPA staff
 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/names-aligning-names-on-foreign-documents/names-aligning-names-on-foreign-documents-accessible

Based on that looks like she is screwed. I can't see her changing her name in the Thai passport to align with the UK one. That will means she has to change the ID card, bank accounts, property and God know  what else. I suppose she can change the the UK one but then the same problem, she has to change all her bank accounts, credit cards and God know what else. Looks like her holiday in October will have to be cancelled. 

@Geoff914If she is travelling to the UK she can enter using an expired UK Passport and maybe try and renew whilst in the UK, her passport may have expired but her British Citizenship hasn't.

 

It's not without risk as some airline staff may not be aware of the actual rules, but it's not uncommon.

27 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

@Geoff914If she is travelling to the UK she can enter using an expired UK Passport and maybe try and renew whilst in the UK, her passport may have expired but her British Citizenship hasn't.

 

It's not without risk as some airline staff may not be aware of the actual rules, but it's not uncommon.

She lives in the UK. Her passport expires in Feb 2026 but as she was going to Italy in October and know what the EU says about having less that 6 months valid on a passport suggested she renewed it now. I was unaware of this new rule. I wonder what would have happened if she just kept her mouth shut about having another passport. I did see something in the link that you sent that said keeping a passport in another name could be accepted if you have to travel to the other country to change it. Not sure if the Thai Embassy in London can do that or at short notice. May be she can use that as an excuse, on costs alone, just to flit over the Thailand to change the passport and ID card. If it does become an issue then she should change the UK passport. But then flights are already booked in her married name.

 

There is a bit of confusion over the passport rules for the EU following Brexit and Boris Johnson’s insistence that we are treated as third country, even amongst a few airline staff, but there is no six month validity requirement.

 

A UK Passport holder must meet two conditions when entering the EU, on the day of entry the passport must have been issued less than ten years earlier, that’s a relic from the days where passports where given any outstanding validity from their previous passport, and there must be three months validity remaining on the intended exit date from the EU, not six months.

 

So providing her passport is less than ten years old and she’s not traveling for a long period her current passport will be valid for travel.

 

Also she needs to be aware that the new ETIAS will be introduced at some stage.

 

You may not wish to follow my advice on the subject, so maybe look up Simon Calder the travel correspondent from the Independent who is quite vocal on the issue.

 

 

 

 

On 8/20/2025 at 5:28 PM, Geoff914 said:

That could be an issue then. In the UK she goes by her married name and her passport is in her married name. Her Thai ID card and I assume her passport are in her maiden name.

My wife faced the same problem a few years ago when renewing her UK passport. Rather arrogantly. HMPO states that the name on the foreign passport should be changed to match the UK one. However, since retiring to Thailand nearly 16 years ago she no longer had a UK bank account or very much else tying her to the UK and it would have been a real pain to  change all her Thai identity, so we changed her UK name by deed-poll to her Thai name and submitted that with the application, which was accepted without question. I also notified the DWP about the name change, and she has been drawing the State Pension since last year.

The deed-poll application was all done online and fairly quick and easy. I can't remember much of the detail, there was a topic about this at the time. But the last time I looked at the passport application form I didn't see the stipulation about matching names which was there when my wife applied. Is it still a requirement?

18 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

My wife faced the same problem a few years ago when renewing her UK passport. Rather arrogantly. HMPO states that the name on the foreign passport should be changed to match the UK one. However, since retiring to Thailand nearly 16 years ago she no longer had a UK bank account or very much else tying her to the UK and it would have been a real pain to  change all her Thai identity, so we changed her UK name by deed-poll to her Thai name and submitted that with the application, which was accepted without question. I also notified the DWP about the name change, and she has been drawing the State Pension since last year.

The deed-poll application was all done online and fairly quick and easy. I can't remember much of the detail, there was a topic about this at the time. But the last time I looked at the passport application form I didn't see the stipulation about matching names which was there when my wife applied. Is it still a requirement?

Yes it is still a requirment, i am a dual citizen and recently had to change my non uk passport at renewal  to match the UK one, the difference was a middle name was not on the foreign passport

It's often easier to change your UK name to match your Thai name. You can do this for free using an unenrolled deed poll.

 

Once you have changed your UK passport, use this to change your UK driving license.

 

Then use your unenrolled deed poll, UK passport and UK driving license to change everything else, such as banking, bills, pensions, etc.

 

Remember you don't have to rush about doing everything at once. Just do one thing at a time and make progress.

On 8/20/2025 at 8:37 PM, Geoff914 said:

She lives in the UK. Her passport expires in Feb 2026 but as she was going to Italy in October and know what the EU says about having less that 6 months valid on a passport suggested she renewed it now. I was unaware of this new rule. I wonder what would have happened if she just kept her mouth shut about having another passport. I did see something in the link that you sent that said keeping a passport in another name could be accepted if you have to travel to the other country to change it. Not sure if the Thai Embassy in London can do that or at short notice. May be she can use that as an excuse, on costs alone, just to flit over the Thailand to change the passport and ID card. If it does become an issue then she should change the UK passport. But then flights are already booked in her married name.

 

Isn't her maiden name on your marriage certificate? If she has that, and her birth certificate, that would provide proof that she is the same person .