Child’s first UK passport application

[Jools99]

Hi,

 

We need to apply for our child’s first UK passport in Bangkok. Does anyone know if the child and mother need to be present for the interview - there is no information on the web site and just automated email responses. We don’t live in Bangkok, so would need to plan our travel carefully. 

 

Also, do you have to register the birth first if British father with Thai mother?

 

many thanks. 

[sanemax]

I dont believe that anyone gets interviewed , you just submit the application form . Registration at the Embassy isnt required

[richard_smith237]

I dealt with it all myself. 

Along with everything else on the list   You only need photocopied of mums passport (colour) or her Thai ID Card - mum doesn't  need to be present.

 

Note: you need ex your full length birth cert.

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

What interview? And no they don't have to be present.

 

As for registering the birth, surely you would have already done that?? If you mean with the British embassy then no you do not need to.

[CharlieB]

2 hours ago, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

What interview? And no they don't have to be present.

 

As for registering the birth, surely you would have already done that?? If you mean with the British embassy then no you do not need to.

Although there is no need to register the birth with UK authorities, I decided to do this as an insurance policy. It’s not prohibitively expensive and your son/daughter will then have their birth registered in the UK system and have a UK birth certificate for future use. If the certificate is lost it will be much simpler for them to be able to apply for a copy from London than Bangkok.

 

You only have to think of the recent issues with the Windrush people from the 60s and the issues some people are having with registering in preparation for Brexit. Future circumstances may require that they have proof of entitlement to residence in the UK. In times when they are asked for their birth certificate, having the UK one may be very important and simplify things for them. Imagine 20 years in the future when your child is in the UK applying for something and is asked for their birth certificate and all they have is their Thai one, or they realise they have lost their Thai birth certificate. They are then going to have to get it translated and certified or send for a copy from Thailand. 

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

3 hours ago, CharlieB said:

Although there is no need to register the birth with UK authorities, I decided to do this as an insurance policy. It’s not prohibitively expensive and your son/daughter will then have their birth registered in the UK system and have a UK birth certificate for future use. If the certificate is lost it will be much simpler for them to be able to apply for a copy from London than Bangkok.

 

You only have to think of the recent issues with the Windrush people from the 60s and the issues some people are having with registering in preparation for Brexit. Future circumstances may require that they have proof of entitlement to residence in the UK. In times when they are asked for their birth certificate, having the UK one may be very important and simplify things for them. Imagine 20 years in the future when your child is in the UK applying for something and is asked for their birth certificate and all they have is their Thai one, or they realise they have lost their Thai birth certificate. They are then going to have to get it translated and certified or send for a copy from Thailand. 

My kids DO have translated Thai birth certs AND they are certified,  Besides, who loses their birth certs anyway. They also have British passports.

 

Anything else I should be worried about?

[sanemax]

15 hours ago, CharlieB said:

Although there is no need to register the birth with UK authorities, I decided to do this as an insurance policy. It’s not prohibitively expensive and your son/daughter will then have their birth registered in the UK system and have a UK birth certificate for future use.

Iam sure that only UK born kids can get a UK birth certificate

[Hotrats]

49 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Iam sure that only UK born kids can get a UK birth certificate

That's not strictly true. My son was born in Thailand, Thai mother and British father. Through me, the British father, my son is a British citizen by descent. The same as CharlieB, I obtained a UK birth certificate for him. I obtained this from the British Embassy in Bangkok. Admittedly, this was 10 years ago, so I have no idea if the Embassy still provides this service. However, when he was born, even though the Embassy guidelines stated that it was not required, I decided to get the birth certificate for him as it was his right and very easy and not expensive to do. 

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, Jools99 said:

Also, do you have to register the birth first if British father with Thai mother?

You don't have to, but I did a Brit Passport and Consular Birth Certificate for my son at the same time.

Same as the guys previously posting, better to have it now, than have problems after mom or I are dead.

He's in the system, even if he never wants to go there.

Edited September 18, 2019 by BritManToo

[brewsterbudgen]

That's not strictly true. My son was born in Thailand, Thai mother and British father. Through me, the British father, my son is a British citizen by descent. The same as CharlieB, I obtained a UK birth certificate for him. I obtained this from the British Embassy in Bangkok. Admittedly, this was 10 years ago, so I have no idea if the Embassy still provides this service. However, when he was born, even though the Embassy guidelines stated that it was not required, I decided to get the birth certificate for him as it was his right and very easy and not expensive to do. 

It cannot be done any more. Only kids born in the UK can get a UK birth certificate. Kids born in Thailand just need a translated Thai birth certificate to get a UK passport, assuming they meet the other conditions.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

3 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It cannot be done any more. Only kids born in the UK can get a UK birth certificate. Kids born in Thailand just need a translated Thai birth certificate to get a UK passport, assuming they meet the other conditions.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

Which clearly suggests that there will not be a possible 'problem' down the road as some here are suggesting, as they would not have scrapped the option it if it could cause problems for Brits later on.

 

Now I will wait for the know it all's to label me naive and refer to windrush ????

[BritManToo]

Just now, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

Which clearly suggests that there will not be a possible 'problem' down the road as some here are suggesting, as they would not have scrapped the option it if it could cause problems for Brits later on.

I didn't get a British marriage certificate for my Thai marriage under that very same assumption.

Then later, couldn't use my 'freedom of movement' rights to take my Thai wife into Europe as they wanted a British marriage certificate (no longer available), of a British certified translation stamped by the British consulate (which they refused to do).

 

Glad I got my kid the Consular birth certificate when I could.

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I didn't get a British marriage certificate for my Thai marriage under that very same assumption.

Then later, couldn't use my 'freedom of movement' rights to take my Thai wife into Europe as they wanted a British marriage certificate (no longer available), of a British certified translation stamped by the British consulate (which they refused to do).

 

Glad I got my kid the Consular birth certificate when I could.

I got dizzy reading that. Let's not compare apples and oranges though mate as they are entirely 2 different things.

 

I didn't get a Brit marriage cert and have never heard of anyone here that has got one.

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I didn't get a British marriage certificate for my Thai marriage under that very same assumption.

Then later, couldn't use my 'freedom of movement' rights to take my Thai wife into Europe as they wanted a British marriage certificate (no longer available), of a British certified translation stamped by the British consulate (which they refused to do).

 

Glad I got my kid the Consular birth certificate when I could.

I got dizzy reading that. Let's not compare apples and oranges though mate as they are entirely 2 different things.

 

I didn't get a Brit marriage cert and have never heard of anyone here that has got one.

 

Anyhow i just checked, I did do for my first but didn't bother for my second. So it's def too late now yea?

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

Anyhow i just checked, I did do for my first but didn't bother for my second. So it's def too late now yea?

Seems so.

You do understand you kids probably won't be able to pass on their Brit citizenship to their own kids.

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Seems so.

You do understand you kids probably won't be able to pass on their Brit citizenship to their own kids.

Yes fully aware, can only hand down citizenship once. Of course this won't be the case of the child is born in the UK.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Seems so.

You do understand you kids probably won't be able to pass on their Brit citizenship to their own kids.

British citizenship is not automatically awarded to children of a British Citizens who was born overseas.

 

Assessment is required, which is a bit different than 'probably won't'... 

 

i.e. my son was born in Thailand, his children would need to be born in the UK to guarantee British citizenship. If my sons children are born outside of the UK their application for British citizenship would be assessed.

 

 

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

British citizenship is not automatically awarded to children of a British Citizens who was born overseas.

 

Assessment is required, which is a bit different than 'probably won't'... 

 

i.e. my son was born in Thailand, his children would need to be born in the UK to guarantee British citizenship. If my sons children are born outside of the UK their application for British citizenship would be assessed.

 

 

Would be assessed? Sounds very vague, assessed on what exactly, and where did you hear this? If seems pretty straightforward to me ie citizenship by descent can only be handed down once.

[sanemax]

15 hours ago, Hotrats said:

That's not strictly true. My son was born in Thailand, Thai mother and British father. Through me, the British father, my son is a British citizen by descent. The same as CharlieB, I obtained a UK birth certificate for him. I obtained this from the British Embassy in Bangkok. Admittedly, this was 10 years ago, so I have no idea if the Embassy still provides this service. However, when he was born, even though the Embassy guidelines stated that it was not required, I decided to get the birth certificate for him as it was his right and very easy and not expensive to do. 

You are probably getting mixed up .

Birth certificates state the Country that you were born in and they are issued by that Country .

  You cannot get a UK BC for a kid born in Thailand , the kid would have a Thai birth certificate

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

5 minutes ago, sanemax said:

You are probably getting mixed up .

Birth certificates state the Country that you were born in and they are issued by that Country .

  You cannot get a UK BC for a kid born in Thailand , the kid would have a Thai birth certificate

So what did the British embassy issue then, as they definitely gave you something I'm sure?

[sanemax]

12 hours ago, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

So what did the British embassy issue then, as they definitely gave you something I'm sure?

Dont think they give you anything

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

2 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Dont think they give you anything

Must admit I can't remember.

[Hotrats]

11 hours ago, sanemax said:

You are probably getting mixed up .

Birth certificates state the Country that you were born in and they are issued by that Country .

  You cannot get a UK BC for a kid born in Thailand , the kid would have a Thai birth certificate

Sorry, but I am not "getting mixed up". My son has TWO birth certificates. One issued by the Thai authorities as he was born here. The other issued by the British Embassy as he is a British citizen (by descent). 

[brewsterbudgen]

Sorry, but I am not "getting mixed up". My son has TWO birth certificates. One issued by the Thai authorities as he was born here. The other issued by the British Embassy as he is a British citizen (by descent). 

The one issued in the UK must a certificate of citizenship. If he wasn't born in the UK he can't have a UK birth certificate as it wasn't a UK birth!

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[sanemax]

On 9/18/2019 at 3:42 PM, Hotrats said:

Sorry, but I am not "getting mixed up". My son has TWO birth certificates. One issued by the Thai authorities as he was born here. The other issued by the British Embassy as he is a British citizen (by descent). 

Unless the kid was born twice , your son cannot have two birth certificates from two Countries .

[Mattd]

On 9/22/2019 at 6:54 PM, sanemax said:

Unless the kid was born twice , your son cannot have two birth certificates from two Countries .

Not sure why you think that?

Both of my children were born in Thailand, both have British passports, a birth certificate issued by the Thai authorities AND a birth certificate issued by the UK authorities, this is up to the parents, if you so wish, the UK can register the birth with GRO (for outside of Scotland) and you can get a BC from that registration.

Legally speaking, a Thai birth certificate would be accepted in the UK, so long as it is translated and certified.

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Mattd