How To Get A New Thai Passport In The Uk While On A Settlement Visa?

[samuzza]

My partner needs to renew their Thai passport early next year, so how is the UK settlement visa transferred from the old passport to the new one?

Is it just a case of going to the Thai Embassy in London and getting a new passport? Or does it involve doing anything (filling out a form, etc.) with the UKBA?

Thanks in advance.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Transferring your visa to a new passport

Regards Paul

[7by7]

Your partner will need to make an appointment with the RTE in London to renew their passport and have biometrics taken etc.

See Passport หนังสือเดินทาง

Note that once they have the new passport they can either transfer their visa to the new passport, and pay an outrageous fee to the UKBA for so doing (£250 by post, £635 in person!!!), or simply carry both old and new passports when leaving and entering the UK. The visa will not expire just because the passport the bit of paper is stuck into has.

See Paul's link above for more details.

[samuzza]

Cheers for the info. paul and 7by7.

[Desertexile]

Does't the visa have an expiry date typed into it which is also the expiry date of the passport?

[VisasPlus]

Does't the visa have an expiry date typed into it which is also the expiry date of the passport?

The visa, a settlement visa, is issued with a validity of 27 months, irrespective of the expiry date of the passport. The visa grants leave to enter the UK for the purpose of settlement, and this is, basically, for 2 years. Leave to enter, or remain, does not rely on the expiry date of the passport.

[samuzza]

My partner has an appointment to get a new passport at the RTE in London next week. RTE said they can stamp the new passport to confirm that visa in the old passport is still valid - cost £5. But from what I've read on the UKBA website this seems unnecessary. Is the RTE in London just trying to make a little extra cash from the overcautious or unwitting? Or is it advisable to have this stamp in the new passport?

Cheers in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

[7by7]

It is not up to the RTE to confirm whether a UK visa is valid or not.

Save your £5.