What does 'title' mean on a form?

Forms use short labels that made sense to the person who designed the database in 1998. Here are the ones that stop people, in plain words.

The name fields

• Title: Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Dr, Mx. Not your job title.
• Salutation: the same thing, or the greeting at the top of a letter. If it is a dropdown, it is the same as title.
• Forename or given name: your first name. If you have several, the first one.
• Surname or family name: your last name.
• Middle name: your second given name. Leave blank if you do not have one.
• Maiden name: the surname you had before marriage. Leave blank if it does not apply.
• Preferred name: what you want to be called, if it differs from your first name.
• Name at birth: used on identity and citizenship forms. It is not a trick, it is a matching field.

The ones about your situation

• Nationality: the country you are a citizen of. Not where you were born and not where you live.
• Country of residence: where you live now, legally.
• Marital status: single, married, divorced, widowed, or civil partnership. Choose the closest if yours is missing.
• Dependant: a person who relies on you financially, usually a child or a cared-for adult.
• Next of kin: the person to contact if something happens to you. Not necessarily who you live with.
• Occupation: your job. 'Retired', 'student', and 'unemployed' are all valid answers.

The ones that trip people up

Reference number is usually already on the letter that sent you the form. Copy it exactly, including any letters, and do not add spaces. Previous address means the one before your current one, and it usually wants the date you moved. Signature is a pen, not your name typed. Printed name is your name typed next to the pen.

The date format

If the form says DD/MM/YYYY, then 03/04/2026 is the third of April. If it says MM/DD/YYYY, it is the fourth of March. When you are not sure which one the form uses, write the month in letters next to the boxes and check the example line if there is one.

When the options do not fit you

Choose the closest option and, if there is a box for additional information, say so in one line. Do not leave a required field blank to make a point, because the form will usually be returned without being read. If the field is not required, leaving it blank is a legitimate answer.