Home Arrow FAQ Arrow What if my name is too long or includes special characters? How should I type my name or how should my name appear on the e-Visa?

What if my name is too long or includes special characters? How should I type my name or how should my name appear on the e-Visa?

Among the most common questions that travelers ask when filling out the e-Visa application form is how to enter their full name, especially when it is long or has special characters like accents, dashes, apostrophes or non Latin characters. E-Visa systems tend to be rather automated and standard and the correct form of your name may save you time wasted in line or even a denial or a headache at the border.

This is a convenient checklist that will help you enter your name properly and make it coincide with the official travel documents.

Machine-readable zone (MRZ) of your passport

The bottom two lines on the data page of your passport are the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ). This format is the standard that is usually followed by the immigration systems and e-Visa platforms in terms of names.

  • Always enter your name exactly as it appears in the MRZ, not as printed with accents.
  • Replace each ‘<’ in the MRZ with a space when typing into the e-Visa form.

Example:

  • Full name printed: Nguyễn Văn Hòa
  • MRZ name block: NGUYEN<
  • Correct e-Visa entry: NGUYEN VAN HOA (replace ‘<’ with space)

Correct e-Visa entry:NGUYEN VAN HOA

Replace special characters with standard latin letters

Use the MRZ as the source - do not guess. If you must type manually, common MRZ transliterations include:

  • é → e
  • ö or ø → o
  • ç → c
  • ñ → n
  • Đ → D
  • Ä/Æ → AE
  • Ö/Ø → OE
  • ß → SS
  • Å → AA
  • Apostrophes (e.g., O’Connor) → remove: OCONNOR
  • Hyphens (e.g., Anne-Marie) → remove or replace with space: ANNE MARIE

Hyphens and punctuation appear as ‘<’ in MRZ; when typing online, replace ‘<’ with a space unless the form allows ‘<’.”. This ensures your name matches the system’s ASCII-only input format.

Use UPPERCASE letters only

Many e-Visa forms ask for capital letters. Use UPPERCASE to match the MRZ (systems are typically case-insensitive, but uppercase is safest).

Correct: PHAM THI LAN

Incorrect: Pham Thi Lan

No extra titles or middle name abbreviations

Do not include:

  • Titles (Mr., Dr., Ms.)
  • Abbreviated middle names
  • Nicknames

Only enter your full legal name as per the MRZ of your passport.

What if my name is too long?

If your name exceeds the field limit, enter it exactly as in the MRZ in the same order (surname before ‘<<’, then given names), truncated at the end if necessary. Do not invent abbreviations; match the MRZ format (replace ‘<’ with spaces).

Final tip: Name must match exactly

The name on your e-Visa must match the MRZ representation of your name (with ‘<’ replaced by spaces), not the accented/printed version on the data page. A slight mismatch, even when it comes to missing letters, reversed order or special symbols, can lead to:

  • Rejection of your visa application
  • Denial of entry at immigration checkpoints

Double-check everything before you submit.

Summary

Always write your name exactly as in the MRZ (replace each ‘<’ with a space). Use UPPERCASE. Do not add accents, hyphens, or punctuation, and do not self-transliterate beyond what the MRZ shows. If in doubt then an official visa agent or support service should be used to avoid delays or costly mistakes.

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