# NWOHR passport name fields **URL:** \ **Category:** Dual Nationality\ **Created:** [November 3, 2026, 6:02am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/nwohr-passport-name-fields/260602 "2026-11-03T06:02:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hayashi](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/439d5e/32.png) [@Hayashi](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Hayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 6:02am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/nwohr-passport-name-fields/260602/1 "2026-11-03T06:02:09Z")
I have a question about how to fill out the name fields in the NWOHR passport application. The recent [thread about name aliases](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/changing-your-a-k-a-in-taiwanese-passport-to-an-english-alias/251424) got me wondering about my own situation. The NWOHR passport application form (sample link below) has three sub-entries for the Name field: 1. Chinese name Name must match that on National ID Card or household registration certificate 2. English name (Surname first) (Please fill in the column in capital letters.) This should be the same with the previous passport. Please present certificate(s) when not using transliteration of Chinese name. 3. Also Known As (Please fill in the column in capital letters.) Please present certificate(s). Let’s take a hypothetical example, similar to my situation. Assume that the passport applicant: - Was born overseas with the legal name CHEN, WILLIAM - Has a foreign passport with the name CHEN, WILLIAM - Was told by parents and Taiwanese relatives that his Chinese name is 陳偉傑 - Has no legal Taiwanese documentation of the Chinese name 陳偉傑 – due to overseas birth, the birth was (probably) not registered in Taiwan - Has registered the Chinese name 陳偉傑 as a legal alias in a foreign country, with foreign documentation My questions are about what to enter in the NWOHR passport application form for the 3 fields: 1. For “Chinese name”, I assume 陳偉傑 is acceptable? The only legal documentation available for this is the foreign ID card with the legal alias (陳偉傑) printed on it in Chinese characters. Again, there is no Taiwanese documentation showing this Chinese name. 2. For “English name (Surname first)”, this must be “CHEN, WILLIAM” because the application form states this must be the “same with the previous passport”, and the foreign passport is in the name “CHEN, WILLIAM”. However, this is NOT a transliteration of the Chinese name – see next point. 3. For “Also Known As” – what, if anything, should I enter here? The transliteration of the Chinese name would be “CHEN, WEIJIE” – but this transliterated name has never been used in formal documents, and there is no legal documentation containing it. The field says “present certificates” – which I assume to mean legal proof that this name exists – but no such proof exists. Should this field be left blank, or should the transliterated Chinese name be entered? Thanks in advance for any advice! > **[Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of...](https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-143-6774-bf58e-2.html)** ---
**Author:** ![qwert\_zuiop](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/qwert_zuiop/32/87708_2.png) [@qwert\_zuiop](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/qwert_zuiop)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 12:03pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/nwohr-passport-name-fields/260602/2 "2026-11-03T12:03:53Z")
> [@Hayashi](#): > > I assume 陳偉傑 is acceptable? I would think so: Taiwan allows foreigners with no prior Chinese name to choose an arbitrary Chinese name. In addition, it’s perfectly legal to change one’s Chinese name, too - for both foreigners and nationals. You might need to make a declaration, sign a document or something that you chose that name. Or they might - depending on circumstances - require prior steps before accepting an application for a passport. Those prior steps could then involve choosing a Chinese name. > [@Hayashi](#): > > 1. because the application form states this must be the “same with the previous passport” AFAIK that only refers to a previous TW passport. You can use your foreign passport as a proof of English name - but there’s no requirement to use the same name. > [@Hayashi](#): > > 1. The transliteration of the Chinese name would be “CHEN, WEIJIE” – but this transliterated name has never been used in formal documents, and there is no legal documentation containing it From my understanding, that field is optional. You could leave it empty. Also, it won’t make it into the machine readable area of the passport - so it can be considered of limited use… It might be helpful if some company / bank / … in TW issues an English document with your transliterated Chinese name and you need to prove that you’re the same person… Think about a bank statement which you want to use for a visa application or something. ---
**Author:** ![Hayashi](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/439d5e/32.png) [@Hayashi](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Hayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/nwohr-passport-name-fields/260602/3 "2026-11-03T12:25:18Z")
> [@qwert\_zuiop](#): > > It might be helpful if some company / bank / … in TW issues an English document with your transliterated Chinese name and you need to prove that you’re the same person… > Think about a bank statement which you want to use for a visa application or something. This is exactly the situation I’m worried about and hoping to avoid. Continuing the hypothetical naming as described above: I have only ever used CHEN, WILLIAM (foreign passport) and 陳偉傑 (foreign legal alias). I have never used the transliteration of the Chinese name CHEN, WEIJIE. But your comment seems to imply that nevertheless some Taiwanese agencies or companies might nevertheless issue documents using the transliterated name _ **even if I never specified one** _? My thinking is mixed on this issue: 1. If I specify under “Also Known As” the never-before-used transliteration of CHEN, WEIJIE, that seems like an invitation to Taiwan agencies/companies to use this transliteration, which actually I don’t want – it’s a third name I now have to keep track of. 2. On the other hand, if Taiwanese agencies anyway will issue documents using transliterations of the Chinese name CHEN, WEIJIE (and not my foreign passport name CHEN, WILLIAM) – then as you say, it might be prudent to preemptively establish proof for this potentially problematic future scenario. Put another way: are there disadvantages to specifying the never-before-used, and hope-to-never-use transliteration of the Chinese name CHEN, WEIJIE in the “Also Known As” field? > You can use your foreign passport as a proof of English name - but there’s no requirement to use the same name. What would be the advantage of this? It just seems like more confusion to me to use a different alphabetic name (like the transliteration CHEN, WEIJIE, or even some totally different alias like CHEN, WILLY) than the one on my foreign passport (CHEN, WILLIAM). But I suppose some people might want to keep their passport names separate for… reasons? ---
**Author:** ![RandomName](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@RandomName](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/RandomName)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 4:44pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/nwohr-passport-name-fields/260602/4 "2026-11-03T16:44:35Z")
Isn’t the ‘english name’ field just the transliteration of the chinese characters. CHEN, WEIJIE why would you think they meant a foreign passport by previous passport… would think they are referring to any previous ROC passport. Then the also known as field is the english, french german whatever name. CHEN, WILLIAM, and for someone without a chinese background the surname would be different too…for instance Brown, William.