surname name change for uk spouse settlement visa

[spiceman]

Hi, probably a stupid question but now I’m married to my Thai wife does she need to change her surname to my surname before she applies for her uk spouse settlement visa. Does she need to change all her passport, Thai ID card and whatever else before we start the process?

 

Thanks

 

 

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[theoldgit]

No there’s no requirement to take your name, but if she intends to do at some stage, it might be better to do so now, it will save work later on, it’s quite quick and, I suspect, a lot cheaper.


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[Denim]

No. As old git says, not necessary.

 

No advantages from changing surnames but could be disadvantages if thinking of retiring to Thailand in the future.

[spiceman]

No there’s no requirement to take your name, but if she intends to do at some stage, it might be better to do so now, it will save work later on, it’s quite quick and, I suspect, a lot cheaper.


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Thank you theoldgit
She says she would like to change her surname now, would I need to wait until her passport and Thai ID card name change have been completed before starting the visa application.

Your help appreciated.


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[theoldgit]

55 minutes ago, spiceman said:

She says she would like to change her surname now, would I need to wait until her passport and Thai ID card name change have been completed before starting the visa application.

Before submitting yes, both are a pretty quick process, when my wife got her passport and ID changed to her married name, as I recall the passport took about a week and her ID card was changed on the spot.

She has to get a name change certificate, I think that was done in her Amphur and on demand.

[BanMuangFarang]

Rules have recently changed for Thai people to change their surname if they have married a foreigner as I've recently found.

 

If you married in the UK, then you'll need to send your Marriage Certificate off to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes for it to be legalised, at a cost of £30.00. Then you'll need to post the legalised certificate or visit the Thai Embassy in London to get it verified by them. Then you can send the Marriage Certificate back to Thailand where your wife has to take it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok where they'll provide the necessary authorisation for their ID card to be changed. Once that's completed they can then get a new passport with their new surname.

 

Having recently married in the UK with a Thai national, I'm skipping this option for the time being whilst I concentrate on getting her 2.5 year spouse visa sorted.

[Denim]

7 hours ago, Benroon said:

What would the disadvantages be 

Possible problems if your wife wanted to buy land or property in future.

As you know , Thai laws are subject to change on a whim. At present , foreigners are not allowed to buy land. By taking a foreigners name it could make things more difficult in future .

 On the other hand , if there were some real solid advantage in changing names , all well and good , but as far as I am aware there are none. It doesn't make applying for a UK visa any easier for example.

 

There is of course the extra bureaucracy involved as well which other posters have mentioned.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by Denim