For my dry run of filling out the form, I added my middle name after my first name, in the same box. That seemed to work to the point of printing it out at least.
My greater concern is whether IRN or AIMA will balk at a mismatch between documents that include it (birth certificate) and documents that don’t (residence card etc.) I have a bit of time left so I’m going to start updating documents for consistency if possible.
I cannot answer that because my residence card includes my middle name.
edit: I can surmise from the residence card that the middle name is considered part of the first name because it is in the same case and on the same line as the first name, but not the same as the last name.
You can correct names in Aima. Use the contatenos platform, it has an option related to “name’s correction”. I think it’s the best way to solve the problem.
I believe the fee to issue a card with corrected name is the same as a renewal so quite pricey with GV. Unless you have the cheaper D2 card.
I guess there’s a period where your old card is expired (or expiring) where you could have the name corrected and they won’t issue a new card? But when you renew the new card will have the correct name.
According to the renewal portal there’s an option to change the address, so I’m guessing that it should be possible to change the name too at this stage somehow (even though there’s no explicit option for it in the contact form).
@gwytb Not that I’m familiar with these kinds of intricacies, but I’m a bit surprised that your lawyer didn’t insist on including your middle name as a first name when applying for ARI in the first place (assuming your middle name is listed in your US passport).
Does anyone have experience of changing the name when applying/acquiring the PT citizenship? For instance, if someone wants to have six names (I.e. the maximum allowed in PT) instead of his/her original three?
If you already obtained PT citizenship, changing name/sex is easy. All can be done in IRN.
Link is here:
I do not think you can add another name in Portugal. Some countries (my home country is one of them) might allow to have two different names. But I have not found a way to have two names in Portugal. Basically, you only can have one name on your Portuguese Passport.
Thanks, so if it’s only after the acquisition of citizenship, is it yet another 3-4 years?
Sure, I cannot imaging having two different names in one country of Portugal. I am not sure what this even means 
But when you say ‘one name’ I guess you refer to the full name which in itself may consist of maximum six (2 first names and 4 family names), as far as I am aware.
Yes, only after acquisition of portuguese citizenship. So basically you will be able to do it after 3-4 years.
I think two different names are convenient to avoid racism and it makes life easier when doing business in the country. For example, if you have a crazy long japanese/arabic name, it makes things harder in Portugal because people cannot even spell your name and by looking at your name they have no idea you are a man or woman. The same thing applies when you have a name Andrea/Vieria and you live/do business in Japan/China.
My first name has only 3 letters but 90% of the times the portuguese people write it wrong in emails/documents. I always have to check immediately and correct it. I have no idea why. But something does not click between portuguese brain and my name.
My home country allows to have two different names in passport . If one has a second name, it is written on the second page of the passport i.e. this person is also known as XYZ.
