Moving to Singapore? Ask our regular expats in Singapore questions on relocation and their experience here. Ask about banking, employment pass, insurance, visa, work permit, citizenship or immigration issues.
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Saracen
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by Saracen » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:15 am
I've received the IPA from MOM for my EP and family's DPs, but they have written our surnames first. Is this normal? Employer said it would be as it is on the passport. A UK passport lists surname under one heading, then forenames under the next. I'm worried this will get confusing when I try to transfer various UK entitlements (Driving license, Amex, etc.) over. Can I get this rectified? Or perhaps the EP has separate surname, firstname sections?
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Strong Eagle
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by Strong Eagle » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 7:40 am
It's always confusing and don't worry about it. US passports list surname first, so my bank account is SURNAME, MIDDLE NAME, FIRST NAME, although the bank will take a check made out toWayne Herbert.
But, just as most expats are aware that the norm for Chinese names is surname first, many Singaporeans are aware that the norm for European and US expats is first name first, so, the call me Mr. Wayne.
I tried at length when I first got here to get the taxi company to change me from Mr. Wayne... it will never happen.
If it ever actually matters at all, just capitalize or underline your surname. This is a common practice because people from all over the world do it differently.
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merichan
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by merichan » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 8:18 am
Just double checked to be sure... I have surname first on my DP just as on my passport ( swiss)
Here I noticed a lot of people ask to underline the surname to make sure which is which...
As a rule anyway, I tended to capitalize the surname and not the first name to help give an hint

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sundaymorningstaple
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by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 9:10 am
I just tell 'em to call me anything but late for dinner!

SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
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econoMIC
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by econoMIC » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 2:13 pm
When I lived in Singapore last time my STP and driving license had my surname, first name, middle name.
When we got married, they put my wife's name down in the format: surname, first name and mine in the order first name, middle name, surname.
When I got my PR and new driving license everything is in the order of first name, middle name, surname.
They keep changing things around but it is not uncommon to have your surname first. It doesn't matter in the end though as long as you give them the right NRIC/FIN number.
a.k.a. littlegreenman
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Asdracles
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by Asdracles » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 2:22 pm
And in my documents, is even worse. As spanish, I have 2 surnames (the first one of my father and the first one of my mother). Both of them, together with my given name, have appeared in 5 of the 6 possible combinations you can make with them in SG documents.
Waiting for the 6th one, no luck still!
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beppi
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by beppi » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 2:27 pm
In my daughter's birth cert I am listed surname first and she's the other way 'round, although we share the same surname!
When I pointed this out to the officer, she just shrugged and said it doesn't matter ...
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Saracen
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by Saracen » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 5:57 pm
I can see that getting under my skin; I'm a bit of a stickler for this sort of stuff. Will I be able to push for a change when going to pick up my pass?
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Strong Eagle
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by Strong Eagle » Thu, 22 Oct 2009 8:04 pm
Saracen wrote:I can see that getting under my skin; I'm a bit of a stickler for this sort of stuff. Will I be able to push for a change when going to pick up my pass?
Who knows? But what a waste of time. You think you're special? Got every nationality and race here... every combination of first and last... IF they have two names... names with so many letters they don't fit in the boxes... so many names there aren't enough lines... special boxes for Chinese characters.
But... if you're a prig have at it.
prig
–noun
a person who displays or demands of others pointlessly precise conformity, fussiness about trivialities, or exaggerated propriety, esp. in a self-righteous or irritating manner.
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