Opening a bank account with Natwest

fawinds

wheelz wrote: »

Now that is interesting. The dutch government doesn't recognise a british deed poll. Deed polls are not valid so you can't change your passport which I thought you had to do.

The fact that you've done yours so long ago doesn't give me much hope tho as things have tightened up over the last 10 years.

I personally don't think and feel I am changing my name, I am not, staying the same, will continue to be called Laura it's just that the first 2 names have to be turned around in order not to be called maria by british organisations as that's the way it's done in this country.

So I could change my name by deed poll (if I don't bump into the requirement that you have to be a british citizen for that) and get a bank account in my real name. But the plane tickets still have to be the same names as on my passports. I can't see myself being at some obscure airport where I arrive with my english deed poll and my dutch passport and go no it's ok after all I have a deed poll which i got for £10 online in England?? Do you carry this deed poll as ID same as your passport then?

Hm food for thought, something doesn't seem right, esp as the dutch embassy web page says they're not valid, but you're right that is only if I officially want to change my name which I don't I just want bank accounts, salary slips etc to read my real name. I'm a bit hesitant.

I can't have 2 passports, dutch government won't allow unless I marry a brit which I'm not planning on doing as my boyfriend is Irish lol should I get married. Anyway dont need 2 passports 1 is fine.

Coming to think of it I would be much happier leaving my passport as it is and just 'use' the new name over here. I'm not so fussed about plane tickets.

No other EU government except possibly Ireland will recognise an UK Deed Poll, it is a matter of English common law vs continental civil law, where changing a person name is virtually impossible or can only be done under very few circumstances, like marriage. Of course English common law is much more flexible, that is why I am now a law student at the Open University

I simply use my UK name here for everything but flights where I have to show my non British passport. No problem at all. For a Deed Poll you do not need be a British citizen. The only two limitations I know for that is your inability to change name in a foreign passport and that you cannot enroll it on the Enrolment Books of the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is not a legal requirement and almost nobody does anyway.

Spain does not allow two citizenships either, but I know loads of people who have them and keep them by just not telling the Spanish government that you have become citizen of another country. The UK will not tell your country because they simply do not mind how many citizenships you have. I guess your situation would be similar and if you become a British citizen, simply by no means tell the Dutch government and they will not know.

By the way, the only issue I foresee with a situation like mine is when I get my law degree in the UK. I may have to ask the Open University to put my name on the degree as on my Spanish passport, unless I am a British citizen by then. I do not want the risk of having a degree in a name I cannot use everywhere. Enough trouble when I use my UK cards abroad and they ask me to see some ID. Fortunately I produce my UK driving licence and most people accept it as ID for a card purchase.

wheelz

Have you managed to change your driver's licence with the deed poll paperwork?

I sometimes go to the post office to collect a parcel and they point out that laura (on the parcel) is not my name (although it's clearly stated as my second name on my driver's licence).

I think I will just get a deed poll and hopefully the bank accepts that (without changing my passport). That's all I want really (for now anyway). Quite often I don't bother with all my 3 names and have given just 1 name to organisations so there aren't even many organisations I have to tell about my 'new' name.

You can change your name in the Netherlands through the courts, it's rare and I got advice and a quote from a lawyer (over there) yesterday for between 1000 and 1500 euros so I'll leave that.

Looking at deed poll websites some women change their names to mrs and their partner's name when not married, find that a bit bizarre and extreme.

fawinds

Yes, as a matter of fact I had my Spanish driving licence and exchanged it for the British one in 1993. Then I sent the deed poll and requested that my name be changed. They did it straight away. Two years ago I decided to get rid of the paper licence and get the photocard one. Since they ask for a photo id in order to issue a photocard driving licence, I send my UK paper licence in my "English" name, my Spanish ID card with my "Spanish" name and finally the deed poll so they could see that the name on my Spanish ID was changed to the one shown on my UK paper licence.

No questions asked and two weeks later I received the photocard driving licence in my "English" name, which is quite an useful piece of ID both here in the UK and, for a number of things, as paying with cards, abroad too.

By the way, do not spend a single pound in your deed poll. You can write the document yourself and have anyone witness it. I'd advice a solicitor as witness, and they will charge you some 5 pounds, but not really necessary, anyone can do it. The online deed poll services all they do is sending the document but you will need to sign it in the presence of a witness anyway.

PM me if you want me to email you the text of my deed poll, then just print it and get a witness to your signature. That is all, very simple indeed.

EarthBoy

A Deed Poll will definitely be accepted to change all UK documents, including a driving licence. As fawinds says, you can write your own Deed Poll for free, but I think it looks nicer when professionally drawn up. I used UK Deed Poll Service and was surprised how easy it was:

http://www.ukdps.co.uk/

It basically costs £33, but you can pay extra for what they call a "legal copy", this is basically what everybody else would call a "certified copy", i.e. a copy countersigned by a solicitor or some other authorised person as a genuine copy of the original. They do this for you, and it's very useful if you have to send it by post.

There are cheaper websites, but I liked the professional look of this one, and I can recommend them.

When I changed my name at the Nationwide, I walked in, told them what I wanted, and was given a form to fill in showing my old and new names, and old and new signatures (which were the same in my case, as I never used the name I was dropping anyway). They took a photocopy of my Deed Poll to attach to the form, and I was in and out in the space of 5 minutes. No fuss whatsoever.

wheelz

Thank you both very much. I will go ahead with this and let you know the outcome. A correct driver's licence would be so good. Bit hesitant sending that off to the DVLA as they have been losing categories (I ride a motorcycle) but I think I still have my pass certificate so that should be ok. Then Natwest will be happy too. Cheers guys. :beer:

Mrs_Ryan

just a point wheelz - I work with a Filipina who changed her surname by deed poll in this country and she said she had no problems so I dont see why you couldnt do it. I changed my surname myself and havent changed my passport so Im sure you'd be alright.

wheelz

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

just a point wheelz - I work with a Filipina who changed her surname by deed poll in this country and she said she had no problems so I dont see why you couldnt do it. I changed my surname myself and havent changed my passport so Im sure you'd be alright.

I hope you're right. Because I'm not changing my name for 'all purposes' (as can't change my passport) and the bank said get a deed poll and change your passport and drivers licence. I'm only turning the first 2 of my 3 'forenames' around. All my correspondence from nationwide says Laura instead of Maria (my second name) just checked a mortgage letter, I'd rather wish that natwest was as flexible and that I didn't need this palaver. I'd rather do things by the book, and changing a name with a piece a paper but not your passport might get confusing. It's not 'really' changing your name (for all purposes is the legal term I believe) which is what I looked into first.