Indian names on Dutch forms

No surname, initials, or a name that changes after marriage: how to avoid trouble.

Dutch systems assume one or more given names and one fixed surname. Indian names do not always fit. In South India the father's or village name is often an initial before the personal name, many Sikhs are called Singh or Kaur without a family name, and some people have only one name.

The municipality copies your name as it appears in your passport and birth certificate. If there is no surname, your only name may be registered as the surname, which later causes confusion with banks, employers and airline tickets. So make sure your passport, birth certificate, diplomas and marriage certificate use the same spelling before you leave, and have the Indian passport amended first if necessary.

In the Netherlands your name does not change through marriage: you may use your partner's name, but officially you keep your own. For a child, the parents choose a surname when registering the birth; read beforehand how this works out if Indian law also applies.

Useful links

• Dutch government: law on names rijksoverheid.nl
  Choosing a surname, name use and name changes (in Dutch).
• Passport Seva passportindia.gov.in
  Changing the name in an Indian passport.