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Changing first name (UK resident, but foreign National)

Hi, I have a small query. I'm way passed the age of 16, 18 in fact, and I'm considering changing my name. I'm Swedish, but have lived in the UK for about 5 years now, but I'm not a citizen, just a resident. However, according to Deedpoll, this shouldn't be a problem:

2. If you are a foreign national:
• If you live in the United Kingdom
You can apply for a Deed Poll but before you submit your application, we advise you to check with the consular services section of your country's high commission or embassy in London to see if they will issue you with a passport in your new name using your Deed Poll as documentary evidence of your change of name. If your Deed Poll will be accepted, there may be special requirements, for example, the Irish Embassy requires its nationals to have the signing of their Deed Poll witnessed by a solicitor, while the Danish Embassy requires its nationals to have their Deed Poll legalised [What is legalisation]. If you cannot get your passport changed to your new name, you are advised not to change your name by Deed Poll because it is likely that your Deed Poll will not be accepted by all UK companies and organisations on the grounds that your are not changing your name for "all purposes."

I have read everything on their website and understand everything fully (including the application process), however, my dad is convinced that you can only do it through a seperate Swedish system, with a form (in Swedish) provided by the embassy as opposed to Deedpoll. So I'd just like to ask, if this is true or not, as I'm quite sure that I'm correct. Obviously, we will have to consult it with the Swedish embassy in London first, but I don't think we are obliged to use a form provided by the embassy and perform the name change through a completely different system than that of Deedpoll.

I'm just generally confused right now, could anyone help me sort this out? That would be great.

edit: sorry doesn't need to be anonymous.

Reply 1

L i b

It's hardly the sort of think someone's going to coincidentally know.

Ask the embassy. That's what they're there for. I imagine if its easy to change your name in Sweden then they won't impose any conditions on you.

Reply 2

9mm

Yes, I said I will definitely contact the embassy in London about it, but it's not something I can do now over the weekend lol.

edit: the thing is, you can do it through the Swedish system or through Deedpoll (and the UK system), where by it will probably have to be legalised anyway. It's just that he says Deedpoll is not an option, and is not the genuine way of doing so...

sorry, anyone?

Like Lib North said, I doubt this is really the right forum for this sort of thing. People aren't going to know it off the top of their heads.

What are you changing it from/to, btw?

Reply 5

9mm

FyreFight

Like Lib North said, I doubt this is really the right forum for this sort of thing. People aren't going to know it off the top of their heads.

What are you changing it from/to, btw?

I understand, in that case I'll just have to wait until next weekend since I'll be in London anyway (or I can just phone them up some time during the week). However, surely there must be some people here who have used/know something about Deedpoll to tell me whether or not it's valid.

I'm thinking of changing it from Sascha to Vaughn.

Reply 6

Hylean

what's wrong with sascha? lovely name that, apparently short for Alexander, though no idea how.

vaughn is nice too, though.

Reply 7

9mm

lol cheers, well I have my reasons (several in fact).

And after coming up with a lot of different names, most people said I should change it to Vaughn if anything, so there you go. I just want to get it sorted before uni.

Reply 8

Seanisonfire

Sascha is quite a girly name :ninja:

As said before, embassy etc.

Reply 9

9mm

Seanisonfire

Sascha is quite a girly name :ninja:

As said before, embassy etc.

aha that was one of the reasons (since most people assume I'm a girl before they've met me, and once I even received a letter titled Miss), and a few other reasons... :p:

Anyway, I can't seem to get onto the swedish embassy's website, but I'll phone them up on Monday.

Reply 10

made_of_fail

you know changing your first name can possibly have unintended psychological consequences, or so i read somewhere. do people already address you as vaughn, or something other than your given name?

Reply 11

9mm

made_of_fail

you know changing your first name can possibly have unintended psychological consequences, or so i read somewhere. do people already address you as vaughn, or something other than your given name?

what sort of psychological consequences? 0.o I know it takes time to get used to a new name, and at the start it may feel awkward, but over time I'll get used to it. And friends already call me by a different name (more of a nickname).

Reply 12

OnlyMe!

Aristoteles

aha that was one of the reasons (since most people assume I'm a girl before they've met me, and once I even received a letter titled Miss)

That made me laugh out loud.

Sorry. :p:

Reply 13

9mm

OnlyMe!

That made me laugh out loud.

Sorry. :p:

Anyway, I contacted the embassy yesterday and they said I need to change it through a seperate form provided by the embassy, as they won't accept it through Deedpoll.

Thread can be closed now. : )