Spot the differences
As I may or may not previously have reported in this space, I recently gained a second nationality! Below I provide for your enjoyment a (slightly doctored) image of each of my passports. If I had PricklePoints to offer, there'd be a prize to the one who noted the most discrepancies...
As it is, I'm forced to clue you in on the one that irks me most: the Dutch government has simply ignored my second middle name (fka my maiden name) in all their official registries. This happened when we first moved here and it's very difficult to reverse: I basically have to file for a name change. Which will, naturally, make my passport invalid. The basic principle here is, either you keep your maiden name, or you don't. Apparently the concept that you keep it and add your husband's name is, well, foreign. Whereas in the US, as I recall, when I got married they simply asked, "What do you want your name to be afterwards?" And so I told them.
posted by AlleyCat | 16:21
2 Comments:
details mevrouw ;-)
I was under the impression that the Dutch were way more open than that. Isn't it right that as a husband you can choose the last name of your wife?
Ha ha! They are very liberal, yes. In the sense, I could choose if I wanted my passport to state, "Exxxx, wife of Exxxx" -- like that would add a lot of value -- how do they think I ended up with this crazy name in the first place?!?! -- or just Exxxx.
But seriously, I'm sure they let you choose whatever name you want as long as you don't try to make a middle name from a last name, or have three last names in a row, or anything too creative like that...
By the way did you know the Dutch have no concept of middle name? They only have first names, but: you can have as many of them as you like.
Post a Comment
<< Home