Gap Required Between Thai Marriage & Settlement Visa?

[Derkerdog]

Hi,

I have lived in Thailand for two years and I am planning to marry my Thai girlfriend of 18 months and take her back to settle in the UK.

Does anyone know if a minimum period of time has to elapse between getting married in Thailand and then submitting the spouse visa application? (We are hoping to go around June this year)

Many thanks for all the useful info on this site

derker

[CharlieB]

Hi,

I have lived in Thailand for two years and I am planning to marry my Thai girlfriend of 18 months and take her back to settle in the UK.

Does anyone know if a minimum period of time has to elapse between getting married in Thailand and then submitting the spouse visa application? (We are hoping to go around June this year)

Many thanks for all the useful info on this site

derker

No, there is no minimum time between the two. Some people do them both in the same week. Just make sure you supply enough proof that you have had a relationship for the preceding 18 months.

[ShugNorris]

If you're really organised you can get married and submit the application in on the same day !

Only time consuming part is the Affirmation Certificate which you have to wait to pick up the next morning, at least that was the case from the British Embassy.

You can only apply for a Settlement Visa up to three months in advance. We applied for 1st April and had to change it to 1st March.

[Orac]

Because my wife wanted to take my surname after we were married there were an extra few days needed to change her documents. If she had kept her own name it would have been much quicker but, after we married in Bangkok, we had to go up to her local Amphur first to get her ID card changed and then had to submit her passport to MFA in Bangkok which took three days. When we got her passport back we then had to book for a TB check (next day).

One bit of info that nobody told me was that when we arrived in the UK she had to show the TB Test Certificate at Immigration before they would let her through (or take another test there and then) so as well as submitting it with your visa application make sure the TB cert is in your hand baggage when you come back to the UK as you go through immigration before getting your checked baggage.

[CharlieB]

Because my wife wanted to take my surname after we were married there were an extra few days needed to change her documents. If she had kept her own name it would have been much quicker but, after we married in Bangkok, we had to go up to her local Amphur first to get her ID card changed and then had to submit her passport to MFA in Bangkok which took three days. When we got her passport back we then had to book for a TB check (next day).

One bit of info that nobody told me was that when we arrived in the UK she had to show the TB Test Certificate at Immigration before they would let her through (or take another test there and then) so as well as submitting it with your visa application make sure the TB cert is in your hand baggage when you come back to the UK as you go through immigration before getting your checked baggage.

They don't always ask to see the certificate. We had my wifes TB certificate in our hand baggage, but they never asked to see it.

[Orac]

Because my wife wanted to take my surname after we were married there were an extra few days needed to change her documents. If she had kept her own name it would have been much quicker but, after we married in Bangkok, we had to go up to her local Amphur first to get her ID card changed and then had to submit her passport to MFA in Bangkok which took three days. When we got her passport back we then had to book for a TB check (next day).

One bit of info that nobody told me was that when we arrived in the UK she had to show the TB Test Certificate at Immigration before they would let her through (or take another test there and then) so as well as submitting it with your visa application make sure the TB cert is in your hand baggage when you come back to the UK as you go through immigration before getting your checked baggage.

They don't always ask to see the certificate. We had my wifes TB certificate in our hand baggage, but they never asked to see it.

It did seem a bit over the top to me since it is a requirement to get the visa which had been issued two weeks before and therefore would have been checked in BKK.

[ShugNorris]

How long is the TB test certificate valid for?

[Orac]

How long is the TB test certificate valid for?

6 months

[Derkerdog]

Thanks for the helpful info.

We've got emails photos going back 18 months so hopefully they will be enough. I didn't know about that three month rule – we'll have to hold back our application till March in that case.

My girlfriend wants to change her surname too. Her passport has expired, so it seems the best way to proceed would be: get married – renew her ID card with name change – renew her passport with name change – submit the visa application.

We are both working full time and don't want to inform work or arouse suspicion until we have the visa, so we're trying to squeeze everything into the odd days we can get off. The TB certificate can apparently be obtained on the same day providing you book an early appointment at the clinic then get back from the hospital with the test certificate no later than 3 pm (the fee has apparently gone up to 2,600B). I'll keep it handy when we travel.

Thanks again for your replies

[mariner29]

No minimum time is required at all.

[cookyboy]

Because my wife wanted to take my surname after we were married there were an extra few days needed to change her documents. If she had kept her own name it would have been much quicker but, after we married in Bangkok, we had to go up to her local Amphur first to get her ID card changed and then had to submit her passport to MFA in Bangkok which took three days. When we got her passport back we then had to book for a TB check (next day).

One bit of info that nobody told me was that when we arrived in the UK she had to show the TB Test Certificate at Immigration before they would let her through (or take another test there and then) so as well as submitting it with your visa application make sure the TB cert is in your hand baggage when you come back to the UK as you go through immigration before getting your checked baggage.

They don't always ask to see the certificate. We had my wifes TB certificate in our hand baggage, but they never asked to see it.

they asked to see my wifes certificate then asked for our daughters, i said the british embassey told us our daughter dont need one as she is only 4 and they said well our doctor will have to check your daughter out here in the airport in london, so my daughter and my wife went into a room for about 5 mins come back out and i asked her what did the doctor say, she said all they asked me was do we have a house phone number, what is that number and that was it, what was all that about

It did seem a bit over the top to me since it is a requirement to get the visa which had been issued two weeks before and therefore would have been checked in BKK.

[CharlieB]

Thanks for the helpful info.

We've got emails photos going back 18 months so hopefully they will be enough. I didn't know about that three month rule – we'll have to hold back our application till March in that case.

My girlfriend wants to change her surname too. Her passport has expired, so it seems the best way to proceed would be: get married – renew her ID card with name change – renew her passport with name change – submit the visa application.

We are both working full time and don't want to inform work or arouse suspicion until we have the visa, so we're trying to squeeze everything into the odd days we can get off. The TB certificate can apparently be obtained on the same day providing you book an early appointment at the clinic then get back from the hospital with the test certificate no later than 3 pm (the fee has apparently gone up to 2,600B). I'll keep it handy when we travel.

Thanks again for your replies

If you want to do it all in one day, make sure you get the appointment as early as possible and go straight to the hospital. You'll find the worst part is the wait when you get back to the centre. You have to take a number and they work down the list and believe me, it can be quite long. We were lucky that we had out 6 month old there and she was crying so they did ours seperately!

[Derkerdog]

If you want to do it all in one day, make sure you get the appointment as early as possible and go straight to the hospital. You'll find the worst part is the wait when you get back to the centre. You have to take a number and they work down the list and believe me, it can be quite long. We were lucky that we had out 6 month old there and she was crying so they did ours seperately!

In that case I might take a baby along too!

Failing that, I'll just start crying myself - if I'm not already by then

Edited January 17, 2009 by Derkerdog