Can My Wife Have A British Passport

[jeanclaude]

Hi forum,

My wife is Thai and she currently has Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. We will be returning to Thailand sometime next year as my company are sending me there. However, I am a little worried about her ILR. It states that if you are out of the UK for longer than two years it can be revoked. We have no plans to return to the UK but want the security of being able to come back for holidays, or, if anything goes wrong.

Can a Thai get dual nationality with Thailand & England? I am concerned (if we don't get a brit passport and just keep the ILR) the UK will ask questions when we come back to the UK for holls and, if we state we are now living in Thailand, they will refuse entry and the ILR will be cancelled. Will this be the case? I know if we get her a brit passport this can't happen but then I am worried about her Thai nationality over in Thailand. How can she travel on a Thai and British passport?

Please can someone advise.

Cheers

[Mossfinn]

Can a Thai get dual nationality with Thailand & England? How can she travel on a Thai and British passport?

Previous thread

[ThaiVisaExpress]

3 years from first entering the country tourist visa are included.

[7by7]

Both Thailand and the UK allow dual nationality.

The spouse of a British citizen can apply for naturalisation once they have ILR (or the equivalent) and have been legally in the UK for at least the last three years. During that three years they must have spent no more than 270 days out of the UK with no more than 90 days in the final year.

If your wife obtained her ILR before the introduction of the KoL requirement, then she will have to do this before she can apply for citizenship. If she has already done this for her ILR then she doesn't have to do so again for citizenship.

See Knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom (KoL) and How do I apply for naturalisation as a British citizen?

Once she is a citizen and has a British passport, the procedure for travel between the UK and Thailand is simple.

1) On checking in with the airline to leave the UK show both passports; so the airline knows she is legally in the UK and can enter Thailand without restriction.

2) If asked by UK passport control for her passport (unlikely at present) she shows her British one.

3) On arrival in Thailand she shows Thai immigration, and gets the entry stamp in, her Thai passport.

4) On leaving Thailand she shows the airline when checking in both passports as 1) above.

5) At Thai passport control she shows, and gets the exit stamp in, her Thai passport.

6) On arrival in the UK she shows UK immigration her British passport.

To put it more simply, in and out of the UK with British passport; in and out of Thailand with her Thai passport.

Edited August 22, 2009 by 7by7

[ajsp9]

Both Thailand and the UK allow dual nationality.

The spouse of a British citizen can apply for naturalisation once they have ILR (or the equivalent) and have been legally in the UK for at least the last three years. During that three years they must have spent no more than 270 days out of the UK with no more than 90 days in the final year.

If your wife obtained her ILR before the introduction of the KoL requirement, then she will have to do this before she can apply for citizenship. If she has already done this for her ILR then she doesn't have to do so again for citizenship.

See Knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom (KoL) and How do I apply for naturalisation as a British citizen?

Once she is a citizen and has a British passport, the procedure for travel between the UK and Thailand is simple.

1) On checking in with the airline to leave the UK show both passports; so the airline knows she is legally in the UK and can enter Thailand without restriction.

2) If asked by UK passport control for her passport (unlikely at present) she shows her British one.

3) On arrival in Thailand she shows Thai immigration, and gets the entry stamp in, her Thai passport.

4) On leaving Thailand she shows the airline when checking in both passports as 1) above.

5) At Thai passport control she shows, and gets the exit stamp in, her Thai passport.

6) On arrival in the UK she shows UK immigration her British passport.

To put it more simply, in and out of the UK with British passport; in and out of Thailand with her Thai passport.

Are you 100% sure?

Although what you posted appears to be the 'Norm' for those with 2 passports and is commonly used to suit entry into countries by the passport holder, I always thought this was illegal.

I understood that on a trip you had to travel on 1 passport alone. You cannot pick or choose (by law) although most do as its more convenient and hassle free for the traveller

[samran]

Both Thailand and the UK allow dual nationality.

The spouse of a British citizen can apply for naturalisation once they have ILR (or the equivalent) and have been legally in the UK for at least the last three years. During that three years they must have spent no more than 270 days out of the UK with no more than 90 days in the final year.

If your wife obtained her ILR before the introduction of the KoL requirement, then she will have to do this before she can apply for citizenship. If she has already done this for her ILR then she doesn't have to do so again for citizenship.

See Knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom (KoL) and How do I apply for naturalisation as a British citizen?

Once she is a citizen and has a British passport, the procedure for travel between the UK and Thailand is simple.

1) On checking in with the airline to leave the UK show both passports; so the airline knows she is legally in the UK and can enter Thailand without restriction.

2) If asked by UK passport control for her passport (unlikely at present) she shows her British one.

3) On arrival in Thailand she shows Thai immigration, and gets the entry stamp in, her Thai passport.

4) On leaving Thailand she shows the airline when checking in both passports as 1) above.

5) At Thai passport control she shows, and gets the exit stamp in, her Thai passport.

6) On arrival in the UK she shows UK immigration her British passport.

To put it more simply, in and out of the UK with British passport; in and out of Thailand with her Thai passport.

Are you 100% sure?

Although what you posted appears to be the 'Norm' for those with 2 passports and is commonly used to suit entry into countries by the passport holder, I always thought this was illegal.

I understood that on a trip you had to travel on 1 passport alone. You cannot pick or choose (by law) although most do as its more convenient and hassle free for the traveller

Not illegal in either country.

Thai law was liberalised in 1992, making it possible for Thai spouses to take on their partners nationality, without forefieting their Thai nationality.

[Eff1n2ret]

To put it more simply, in and out of the UK with British passport; in and out of Thailand with her Thai passport.

Are you 100% sure?

It's standard practice for many thousands of Thai/Brit dual nationals, and is perfectly legal at both ends of the journey.

[jeanclaude]

Thank you for your help and advice guys - it is muchly appreciated!

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Good luck.