Enter your given name and surname exactly as they appear on your government-issued identification or birth certificate. Even small differences can cause problems with travel, visas, or border control.
Follow your country’s passport naming rules
Each country has specific guidelines for how names should appear in passports. These rules often reflect local naming traditions while also meeting international standards. The key is consistency with official records.
United states and Canada
In the U.S. and Canada, the given name (first name) goes in the first name field, and the surname (last name) in the family name field. Middle names can be included in the given name section or entered separately if the form allows. Avoid initials unless they appear that way on all your documents. For double surnames, such as those from marriage or cultural practice, both names can go in the surname field with a space between them. For example, Maria Garcia Lopez can list 'Garcia Lopez' as her surname.
European Union
EU passports follow ICAO standards, which require the machine-readable zone to list the surname first, then given names, in all uppercase letters. However, member states handle name structures differently. In Spain, people often have two surnames—one from each parent—and both are included in the surname field. In Germany, married women may hyphenate their surnames, such as Müller-Schmidt, and this full form should be used.
Names in non-Western systems
Many cultures do not follow the Western given-name-then-surname model. Passport systems still require data entry into these fields, so adaptations are often necessary.
China and east Asia
In China, the family name comes first in both Chinese characters and pinyin. A person named 李伟 appears as LI WEI in the machine-readable zone, with LI as the surname. Even if you live abroad and use 'Wei Li' locally, your passport should reflect the correct Chinese order. Consistency with official Chinese documents is essential.
India and southeast Asia
In India, naming patterns vary by region. Some people use a given name followed by a father’s name or a community name. If you don’t have a traditional surname, Indian passport authorities typically require you to enter your given name in both fields or use a recognized placeholder. However, using outdated codes like FNU (First Name Unknown) should be avoided. Always follow the current instructions on the Passport Seva portal.
Malaysia and patronymic systems
In Malaysia, names like Muhammad bin Ahmad reflect a patronymic system, where 'bin' means 'son of.' Since there is no inherited family name, the full name is often entered as the given name, and the surname field may be left blank or filled with the father’s name. To reduce confusion abroad, some Malaysians now adopt a fixed surname for international travel documents.
Special cases: Iceland and Japan
Iceland uses patronymic surnames, so Anna Jónsdóttir means 'Anna, daughter of Jón.' Her 'surname' is not shared with siblings or spouses. In her passport, Jónsdóttir is entered as the surname to meet system requirements. In Japan, the family name comes first in domestic use, but the passport follows ICAO rules: the machine-readable zone lists the surname first, so Sato Taro appears as SATO