Name Issue in the Passport
Dear Lawyer, I am facing issue at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with regard to my passport application. I had applied for change in particulars including addition of spouse name, change in address and correction in my name. However, while rest of the things are OK with the passport division, issue arose because of the change in name I had requested. Let me give you the background and the reason behind my request for correction in my name.
My actual name, which is MOHD FAHAD RIAZ, exists on all of my official documents issued until today by any authority in India. It includes:
1. BIRTH CERTIFICATE
2. AADHAAR CARD
3. PAN CARD
4. DRIVING LICENSE
5. ALL EDUCATIONAL CERTIFICATES LIKE TENTH, INTERMEDIATE, UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AND POST GRADUATE DEGREE.
My passport, however mentions my name as MOHAMMAD FAHAD RIAZ which I believe is because of the rule* as stated by the passport officer at the time when passport was first issued. Hence, I had no other option but to allow the passport department to mention my name as MOHAMMAD.
* That passport shall carry full/expanded name of the individual and there will be no short forms mentioned.
Because of this, now my passport carries my name as MOHAMMAD instead of MOHD. I have stated and tried to explain multiple number of times to the passport officer (via call initiated by the passport verification officer on the 11th of October) that my name is MOHD (pronounced as ‘Mohad’) and that MOHAMMAD is an added liability to me. I do not intent to call myself as MOHAMMAD.
The other main reason for such a change of name is that I am facing issues when applying for immigration or for higher studies abroad. The point of identification for immigration and studies across the globe is the passport and to my bad luck my passport and my educational certificates carries different name. It is difficult to convince the authorities outside who would not care to put their energies and effort in looking into my peculiar case.
I would request for a possible consultation with lawyer in India to resolve this issue of mine.