fawinds

I am a citizen of Spain, but live between Spain and the UK and quite a few years ago, for business purposes I decided to change my name there by deed poll.

So I have been using for all purposes within the UK my new name: banking, HMRC, driving licence, etc.

Since I am not a British citizen I can't have a British passport and therefore the only official ID I have in my changed name is my UK driving licence.

As most of you know in Spain they usually ask to see your ID when you buy with a credit or debit card. I have my Spanish passport and National Identity Card, but the law in Spain does not allow for a change of name, hence they are in a different name than my UK cards.

So, what is your experience as a British citizen living in Spain. Do you always carry your passport when buying something with a credit card? What ID do you show?

I have used my UK cards here and when asked displayed my UK driving licence. No problem. But I have been told for a large purchase a driving licence will not be accepted, just a passport.

Of course I know the solution is to apply for British citizenship and get a British passport in my new name, which is something I will do, but due to residency requirements I will only be able to apply in two years.

Please comment.

Lynn R

I have never been asked for proof of ID when paying by credit or debit card in the UK, just the PIN number. If there was a need for additional security on occasion I have been asked to answer some security questions over the phone (eg after my card had been replaced following fraudulent use of my details by persons unknown!).

whitelinen

At first I didnt believe it was possible for this to happen, however having looked at the UK govt website it appears that anyone from assylum seekers to criminals can change their name by deed poll in the UK.

No wonder UK is in such a mess.

HBG

I use a miniaturised version of my passport and driving licence as proof.

It was interesting to read that you can't change your name in Spain; upon re-marrying my wife and I tried to regularise the many changes of name that the new marriage implied and took a large bundle of documents to an abagado here in Spain, one of the bigger ones.

After a week he returned the documents to us and said that it couldn't be done.

A gestor said that he could, for quite a large fee, but I knew him of old and knew that he didn't understand the forgery laws, or many other laws, and all those fancy little stamping machines he had locked in his safe were well out of date.

fawinds

Hopefully with the, new in Spain, chip and PIN cards showing ID will be something of the past.

It is not absolutely true you cannot change your name in Spain. There are a few circumstances under which you can do it. However the law is very limited and the only change allowed for most people is to put their surnames in different order. In Spain you have two surname, one form your father and one from your mother. Thus one Mr Jose Lopez Sanchez is Lopez form his father and Sanchez from his mother. Until a few years ago your surnames could only be Lopez Sanchez, but now, I believe due to equality laws, they can be shifted to Sanchez Lopez, that is, mother first and father second.

First or christian names can only be changed if you can prove you have been using one for quite a few years and people only know you under that name. You need documents and witnesses for that.

Definitely you don't change your name at marriage of for any other purposes. I guess if you come with a British passport where your name has already changed, Spanish authorities will take it, but if after getting an official Spanish document like a driving licence or residencia, padron, health card, etc. I guess you will find it very difficult to have your name changed further by Spanish authorities. If you go back to the UK and change your name in your passport I guess you will need to start from the beginning with the Spanish authorities.

fawinds

Being able to change one's name is just a sign of freedom. Wouldn't you like to change it if you didn't like what your parents chose for you?

If you are not a British citizen and change your name there it is no use abroad, thus a Russian criminal who lives in France would find no advantage in having his name changed in the UK.

Furthermore, if you are a British citizen and change your name in your passport, the Identity and Passport Agency will keep a record of your old and new names, thus authorities will always know who you are. Same for financial institutions, as your credit file will show your old an new names unless you decide to start from scratch, but that would be fraud.

fawinds

Lynn, thank for your replay. I didn't mean the UK, I meant Britons using cards in Spain what proof of ID you usually show.

I have never been asked for any ID in the UK, but in Spain they often do. Since there is no longer a residencia card for EU citizens, what do you use? Do you always carry your passport with you or a British driving licence is generally accepted in Spain for those purposes?

I have used mine a few times at Mediamarkt, Carrefour and some other places, but wonder if anyone has had problems with this. As a matter of fact I have seen some shops in Spain where they even want to see your ID for chip and PIN card purchases.

Fred James

Chip and PIN is a UK thing. None of my Spanish bank cards has a chip on it - the only card I have with a chip is my health card which is chipped to store prescription details.

Many stores don't have the ability to Chip and Pin. All stores normally require ID and usually insist on original ID - not a copy even if notarised. A UK licence should normally suffice.

Mercadona have a strange system where you have to sign your name on a small terminal - I have no idea what that proves as they never check your signature anyway.

VFR

Yes for a major purchase they are highly likely to want to see your passport & as you know most retail outlets will want to see some form of ID even though you have a card/pin.
Prior to my residencia card I would use the drivers licence or a shrunk down passport details, so in your case you are going to have a serious problem at some stage by what you say in post 1

VFR

Mercadona now have chip & pin units, if your card has this on (Ruralcaja do)

HBG

I must admit I've got a bit paranoid about using my credit card for anything other than drawing out cash from my own bank's cashpoint. I then pay cash for everything, especially restaurant meals or small purchases.

I would imagine that places like Mercadona and Carrefour are safe, but I would never use my card in those places, for one thing it makes the accounting much easier, and years of experience have taught me that it's more painful to hand over cash than merely a piece of meaningless plastic.

fawinds

Fred, that is wrong, Chip and PIN has been deployed across Europe. Spain is a bit late, but by January 2011 all cards issued by banks should incorporate the chip. My Spanish bank, ING Direct has began issuing Chip and PIN cards this summer. My mother has a Citibank credit card and they have just sent her a replacement card with a chip.

They are upgrading card terminals. Mercadona has now chip and PIN machines, as does Mediamarkt and some other places I can't remember now.

I agree with you and probably obtaining a British passport will solve it, but I can only apply for it when I meet the residency requirements of the Home Office, and that should be in three years from now at the earliest.

Anyway in case it would become too problematic, I could revert to my original name and get my UK banks issue my cards in that name, but it would cause problems to my business as my customers do not know me by that name.

Somehow I wish I had never changed my name 16 years ago.

You say you use your residencia card, but as far as I know the no longer issue them to EU citizens, so when it expires you will have to either carry your passport or your driving licence.

fawinds

I don't really either use cards too much, but some times they are necessary. I have a Citibank UK account in euros and another in Sterling and whenever I need cash I transfer the money to my euro account and withdraw it here from a cash machine, as they charge no fees.

JLFS

We have had a few incidents due to "name changes" too.

I never changed my name in the UK by deed poll, I just stopped using my second surname, as it was the easy option.
So did the rest of us, but my mum called herself by my dads surname, and had lots of ID in her "married surname" even though they were married in Spain before they came to the UK, so it should not have been changed to the husbands.

The main reason that she used and was known by my dads name was because she did not want to be classed as an unmarried mother or living in sin, which horrified her.

mikelincs

I found that a UK driving licence would be accepted in most places except my bank (BBVA), which insisted on my passport for ID, and not the shrunk one but the original, most shops accepted a shrunk passport, but Carrefour would not, DL was OK there though