New UK passport dual citizenship observation
I just received my renewed UK passport and one detail really troubled me. On the first page, they printed all info regarding my second passport, complete name, number, expire, issue date etc. During the online procedure they ask if you currently hold a foreign passport, I of course didn't lie. So they request a full foreign passport copy in colour. The details are under OFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS.
Why??? Why expose me this way to every foreign govt? Perhaps the officer in charge didn't like me or had a whimsical wish that day, but I haven't heard of anyone else having this done to them, and I think it is weird for the UK to publicly publish info on their citizens. Any ideas? The only problem I had was that my photo uploaded online wasn't great. It passed, but the system complained about contrast or something. So in the process I added a hand written letter plus 2 professionally done passport photos.
Tnx cheers
Best Answer
HM Passport Office will place this observation in your passport when your name in your British passport is different to the name in your other nationality passport, and it is believed to be difficult or impossible for you to change the name in the other nationality documents to match your official name in your British documents.
Section 6 in Annex A: use of names in passports of UK change of name guidance for official documents covers this scenario in depth and you may wish to read it in its entirety; the sections most pertinent to your question are:
6.5 There are individual categories of applicant who may experience restrictions on their ability to meet the identity requirements of one name for all official purposes. These are primarily people who have dual nationality and who hold, have held or can obtain in the future a passport issued by another country.
6.6 Subject to the applicant being able to satisfy the following requirements, a passport may be issued in the name requested even where it differs from the name on the passport issued by another country. The following categories may be given exceptional consideration:
i. The law in the applicant’s country of origin restricts or prevents a change of name. Where there is such a restriction, the applicant will be required to provide evidence from their country of origin that a change of name is not permissible;
ii. The country of origin does not permit dual nationality meaning alignment of documentation will not be possible, the applicant will be required to provide confirmation from the country of origin that their citizenship has been cancelled;
iii. Where there is a requirement for the person to travel to their country of origin in order to change their name, and due to exceptional circumstances in their country of origin, they would be placed at a high level of risk;
...
6.7 In the case of points (i) and (iii) above, a (British) passport may be issued and an observation placed in the passport saying: “The holder has a [country] passport, number [ ] issued on [date] in the name of [ ]. This passport is due to expire on [date].”
...
6.13 The British passport will not routinely contain an observation of other passports held by a dual national unless by exception (see paragraph 6 above) it is in a different name. It is a matter for the passport applicant to raise at the point of application whether providing details of existing or previous overseas passports causes any particular concern.
My guess would be that you have two surnames (apellidos) in your other nationality and that the name the UK considers your official name lacks one or more of those names.
Pictures about "New UK passport dual citizenship observation"
Do you have an observation page in your passport?
The Official Observations page is where HM Passport Office prints observations that show information about the passport's holder, usually relating to their nationality, their immigration status, whether or not they are employed by the diplomatic or official services or why their passport might expire sooner than others ...Can I leave the UK on one passport and return on another?
There are no real restrictions or definitive rules on which passport you use to book a flight, or any other form of international travel whether via ferry or train. For example, the British passport may allow visa-free entry to more countries than your other passport.Do you have a completed observation page in your passport ie one that reflects a change from the information on your passport biographical page )?
No. The Observations page is for authorised immigration officials to make notes (observations) that may be useful for other immigration officials to know later. Things which would influence entry decisions and which should be seen quickly without flipping through and checking entry/exit dates on every page.Can I have 2 passports UK?
United Kingdom allows their citizens to hold second UK passport alongside their current passport. Individuals are allowed to use both these passports simultaneously. It should be noted that these passports will have two different passport numbers, and they are considered totally unique to each other.Dual Citizenship: How Anyone Can Get a Second Passport
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ethan Wilkinson, Ericson Fernandes, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Olga Lioncat