I was born Anne Taylor in Rio de Janeiro. My parents got me a Brazilian passport at birth, as was legally necessary, and also registered me as British at the Embassy. I didn't need a British passport right away, but was quite proud to have the dual citizenship. I traveled to the UK for university on my British passport, and returned to Brazil on my Brazilian. No problem.
I got a job teaching in Brasilia as Anne Taylor. When I got married I went to the British Embassy there and they issued me a new passport as Anne Jahnke. The Brazilians make it much more difficult to change your name and I was forced to leave my Brazilian passport in my maiden name. It didn't bother me then because I was on my way to Europe for my next job as Anne Jahnke. My first son was born there to Anne Jahnke.
The problems began when, as a twist of fate, I returned to live in Brazil. As my son, Jake needed a Brazilian passport, but he was registered as the son of Anne Jahnke. As that is not my name there, I couldn't prove he was my son, and they wouldn't issue him a passport. They wanted me to return to England and reissue the birth certificate in my maiden name. I refused, and Jake never got to claim his Brazilian heritage. Then I had two Brazilian sons whose mother is Anne Taylor.
I applied for a Green Card in Brazil and they issued it in my maiden name. However, in the US, they seem to understand that people get married and change their names, so they issued my identification documents in my married name. I became Anne Jahnke, the American resident.
But my name problems were not behind me. My next job took me overseas to a location where they would only hire me as the name on my visa. So I became Anne Taylor again in the Marshall Islands and had to travel in and out on my Brazilian passport.
My Brazilian passport needed renewing, and when I applied for a new one, they rejected the application on the grounds that I had not voted in the last general elections in Brazil. They insisted I go to Brazil and pay the fine in order to get a new passport. I pointed out that I couldn't travel without a passport, and they issued me a temporary one.
I never did go back to Brazil to pay the fine because my next job took me to Europe. I became Anne Jahnke again, a EU citizen.
Now I needed to renew my EU passport. My application was rejected on the grounds that I held another passport in a different name. I cannot explain what it is like to find out that you will soon be without any passport. Apart from not being able to travel, I was suddenly without a country, a name or an identity. How can someone live like that.
Fortunately, I was able to get a passport. By some miracle, I made an appointment in London and my application was handled by a man who was married to a Brazilian. He must have understood my plight and, despite being aware of my second passport because I am in the system, he turned a blind eye and approved my application.
I don't think I will be so lucky with my Brazilian passport, and that one will have to go away. Then I can finally say goodbye to Anne Taylor.
