Names on Passport and marriage in Jordan

Hi all,

hope you're doing fine. I'm new here but seems I'll be able to use this forum a lot more in the near future..perhaps also to help out with my own experiences :)

I'm a male from Belgium, getting married to a Jordanian girl. This appears to be very unusual but hey, it's happening! :)

One of the things we recently were wondering ourselves was names on the passport. It seems to be common that in Jordan, a person has several names on his/her passport, but those names are in order, your name, your dad's name and your grandfather's name.

In Europe - at least in Belgium - we don't have that practice.. kids can get a few names, irregardless of what their parents names are/were. Those names are then written on the passport.

So, on my passport there's just my given names (as it's written there). On her passport there's her name and father & granfather's names.

Can this cause any problems? Because they might assume that my second and third name is also my father and grand father, and on the marriage contract (if it's mentioned at all ? ) there would be my second and third name written for father and grand father.

That could be a problem when the marriage contract will be translated and legalised in Belgium. Because it's not correct... . My father name is different.

Any experience with this?
Any insights about how important those names on the passports are?
Any people you can ask this to?
I don't think I will get anywhere calling the court as they barely speak English and I don't want my fiance to be bothered and worried about this... .

Thanks!

Cedric

Hallo Cedric,

Welkom on board to this site and welcome in Jordan.
I had the same experiences as you and I can assure you that you don't have to worry at all.

In my Jordanian passport are behind my first name the names of my father and grandfather, this is normal here and you can't change it. While in my Dutch passport there is my first and middle name and of course my last name.

Beside the translation from the marriage contract you can also ask at the court or at the government for internal affairs for an English document. You have to go with that document to the Belgium Embassy to legalized it. This is also the perfect place for your questions.

When you are ready to ask for a Jordanian passport (if you want this) than you have always use the Jordanian passport to travel out and into Jordan and use your Belgium passport to travel into and out of Belgium.

Hi Primadonna,

Thanks for your answer. Can you confirm that I can just tell them to put the correct names on the contract without referring to what's on the passport?

I think so because I have my birth certificate officially translated by sworn translator and legalized completely but just checking to be 300% sure.

I'll also seek confirmation with the embassy of Belgium.

Thanks,

Cedric

The contract is based on the names on your passports.
Let an other person read the Arabic translation and make sure that all the names are correct. Otherwise you can have huge problems with that.

My fathers name was not correct and it took me several trips to the court to correct it.
An mistake by the employer of the government is easy made but to correct it afterwards is a whole different story.

Hi Primadonna,

I need to ask again, can I then use my birth certificate which has the correct information?
Because the given names on my passport are "my names", and are not related to my father or grandfather.

Any institution that could confirm this via a phone call you may know?

Thanks,

Cedric

Yes, you can use your birth certificate but they shall ask you about your fathers and grandfathers name to put them behind your first name.

If you are still in Belgium I advise to contact the Jordanian Embassy in Belgium.

You mean they will ask me to change my passport so that my father and grandfather's name are behind my first name?

I don't think that's possible at all... the communes in Belgium won't have that possibility.
Complicated stuff..tomorrow I'll have to call both Belgian and Jordanian embassy..and I already expect I'll be pointed to the other embassy by both..

No, if you apply for the Jordanian passport (after 5 years of marriage) they will add your fathers and grandfathers name behind your name in the Jordanian passport.

I never said that they will do it in the Belgium passport.

I called and mailed the embassy of Belgium in Amman today to get some clarification. I'll update you when I have the definite answer.. :)