The name in the passport can be written differently: in which cases is it allowed to change the transliteration

When applying for a foreign passport, Ukrainians may in certain cases request to change the standard spelling of their name or surname in Latin. This may be relevant if the surname is already written differently in previous documents, documents of another state, or passports of family members.

As a general rule, the name and surname in a foreign passport are transliterated in accordance with the official rules of Ukrainian transliteration. However, there are cases when a person may request to use a different spelling.

When can you request a different spelling

At the written request of the applicant, the name or surname in Latin can be indicated in the same way as in documents issued earlier.

The grounds for this may be:

a passport of a citizen of Ukraine in the form of an ID card;

a previously issued foreign passport;

documents issued by the competent authorities of another state.

Foreign documents may include, in particular, a birth certificate, a marriage or divorce certificate, and an ID card.

Thus, if a person has been using a certain Latin spelling of their name in official documents for years, when applying for a new passport, they can request to keep this particular variant.

The surname can be coordinated with the documents of relatives

A separate rule applies to the spelling of the surname.

In the passport, it can be indicated in accordance with the spelling of the surname of the child, parents, one of the parents, or husband or wife in their passports.

This rule can also be applied when the relevant family member is a foreigner, and the required spelling is contained in the passport of another state.

What to do

A verbal request when applying for the document is not enough.

To change the transliteration, you must submit a written application of any form and documents confirming the desired spelling of the name or surname.

If a foreign passport is issued abroad, such an application is submitted to the relevant embassy or consulate together with previously issued Ukrainian or foreign documents that already contain the desired spelling.

How to check the transliteration in advance

If a person does not request a different spelling, the transliteration is carried out according to the rules established by the state.

The future spelling of the name and surname can be checked in advance through the official service of the State Migration Service.

This is especially worth doing before issuing a new document if the name or surname is already used in foreign documents. Different spellings of personal data in documents can create additional inconveniences when using them abroad.