Every child born in Mexico is given two first names and two last names at birth. This rule comes from the traditional system of given names and surnames in Spanish-speaking countries, where citizens have at least two given names and two surnames. Over time, this tradition acquired the force of law.
Let's talk about last names. The first surname goes to the child from the father (apellido paterno), and it is also the first surname of the father. Second surname — maternal (apellido materno), aka — mother's first surname. For example, the child's surname Enrique Ernesto Arriola Hernandez combines the father's first surname (Arriola Adame) and the mother's first surname (Hernandez Sauza). This reflects the equality of parents in passing on their surname to their children. Please note that in Spanish, last name endings are by no means considered masculine or feminine.
A child born in Mexico can have one surname only if he does not have a father. To put it simply, if the father is not indicated on the birth certificate, although then the mother, if she wishes, has the right to transfer both of her surnames to the child. No one is interested in the fact that foreigners have the right to have the same surname. Are you giving birth in Mexico — This means that according to the law, a child must have two surnames. By the way, there may be one or two names, but last names — only two.
Recent changes in legislation make it possible to swap surnames: the first name can be the surname inherited from the mother. But in this case, the birth certificate must clearly indicate that the first — apellido materno. This is only permissible for the first child in the family. All subsequent children in the family will also have the first surname from the mother, and the second from the father. Read about changing the order of parents' surnamesHere.
Let us add that in Mexico a woman does not change her last name when she gets married. For this reason, she should not prove that this is her child: both in the child’s birth certificate, and in his passport, and in the mother’s passport, they will be united by the same surname.
Now let's take a few specific examples. A child born in Mexico to parents Ivan Ivanov and Elena Petrova will receive the surname Ivanov Petrova. Let's say the full names of the children will be:
- boy — Andrey Ivanov Petrova,
- girls — Olga Ivanov Petrova.
From the point of view of Russian grammar, which requires that the endings of surnames as nouns change depending on the gender, it sounds wild. Moreover, when a child receives the citizenship of his parents, the same endings of surnames will be transferred to his second, non-Mexican passport. Correctly it should be:
- boy — Andrey Ivanov Petrov,
- girls — Olga Ivanova Petrova.
But on the child’s birth certificate, the parents’ surnames are transferred exclusively as they are indicated in their passports. It is useless to ask the civil registry office (Registro civil) to change one letter in the child’s last name; they act strictly in accordance with Mexican law. They don’t understand at all why the surname should change depending on gender, because in Mexico there is no such thing.
This misunderstanding can be corrected by contacting the consulate of your state in Mexico. There they will issue a certificate confirming the correct spelling of a specific surname in Spanish in accordance with the rules of the Russian language. You will have to fly to Mexico City to get the right one, and then provide it to the registry office when registering the child (because then making corrections to the already issued birth certificate is still a headache). The registry office will first send the papers to the state central office (specifically, from Cancun — to Chetumal), from where approval will come in a few days, and a birth certificate will be issued with the correct last name.
But here another problem arises: the child and one of the parents will now have different surnames, even if they differ by only one letter. You will have to constantly confirm your relationship with a birth certificate, and in some cases you will also need copies of certificates from the consulate.
The international passport, which the child will be given at the consulate when he takes on the citizenship of his parents' country, will also have two surnames and no patronymic. Another option for changing the child's last name — upon returning home, contact the local registry office and initiate a last name change. You even have the opportunity to leave only one last name, as is customary in your country. But you are not able to make changes to the birth certificate — it is issued in Mexico once and for all, and there will always be two surnames on it. This means that the child will always have to have with him another document confirming the change of surname. Moreover, this change of surname (and the child’s second passport) will be valid anywhere, but not in Mexico. In some cases, this may cause other problems, but in general you must follow the following procedure: In Mexico, use a birth certificate + a Mexican ID or passport in your home country — birth certificate + certificate of change of surname + local passport, in third countries — at your choice.
Imagine the situation: a child grows up, receives some documents in his name in your country (the country of his second citizenship), and then decides to come to Mexico with these documents. For Mexico, these papers will be issued in the name of a completely different person. If the child wishes to pass on his Mexican citizenship to his children — your non-Mexico-born grandchildren will also have a problem with this because their birth certificate will list a completely different person as their parent than their Mexican birth certificate. For Mexico, the main document — birth certificate, all other papers — ID cards and passport — must match the birth certificate. The logic that citizens of a country can change their personal data outside of Mexico does not work well inside Mexico.
In our experience, the less manipulation with surnames, the fewer problems in the future. There is nothing wrong with a double surname, and in the modern world any spelling of a surname is acceptable. The main thing is that the papers are in order.