Irish Holiday Visa

[robio7]

Hi Guys,

Hoping someone with experience can help me with some quick questions.

I'm an Irish citizen, born and living in Ireland and I'm looking to bring my thai grirfriend here for a holiday.

I have a lot of the information already but any tips and advice you have would be great.

One question I have is:

We will be travelling to Ireland from bangkok either via London or Abu Dhabi.

Is there anything she needs to do to be able to changes flights etc or will it be just the same as me when i change flights in london. I remember going through customs again in London when i change terminal. In abu dhabi I didnt.

Thanks.

[theoldgit]

If you and your girlfriend fly, Bangkok - Abu Dhabi and then direct th Dublin then there is no need for a transit visa.

As you would expect it's far less straightforward if you transfer in London. http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/doineedvisa/visadatvnationals

[Eff1n2ret]

For a Thai, the only real difference between transiting Abu Dhabi and London is that (as shown at the bottom of the link provided by the O.G.) the passenger will pass through Immigration in London, thereby entering the Common Travel Area of UK, Ireland and the Channel and other Islands. Providing that she holds a ticket for onward travel within 24 hours and a visa for Ireland, her passport will be stamped and she is unlikely to see an IO on arrival in Dublin. She doesn't need a UK visa.

[spongeman]

I had some Thai friends visit us last year and when they got to immigration in Dublin I received a quick call to confirm where they were staying, for how long, their names and how they would sustain themselves here. So be ready for that. Have your phone juiced up.

Edited December 11, 2010 by spongeman

[spongeman]

Sorry double post

Edited December 11, 2010 by spongeman

[robio7]

Thanks Everybody for the quick and useful responses. Every piece of information helps.

For a Thai, the only real difference between transiting Abu Dhabi and London is that (as shown at the bottom of the link provided by the O.G.) the passenger will pass through Immigration in London, thereby entering the Common Travel Area of UK, Ireland and the Channel and other Islands. Providing that she holds a ticket for onward travel within 24 hours and a visa for Ireland, her passport will be stamped and she is unlikely to see an IO on arrival in Dublin. She doesn't need a UK visa.

Sorry I'm a little confused, Thailand is in the list that requires a "transit visa" but am I right to think that because she is travelling to Ireland (common travel area) she doesn't need a transit visa?

So as she will have onward ticket, visa for Ireland and passport with her, UK immigration stamp her passport for Ireland in London rather than immigration in Ireland? Is UK IO more likely to give better results than Irish IO

I had some Thai friends visit us last year and when they got to immigration in Dublin I received a quick call to confirm where they were staying, for how long, their names and how they would sustain themselves here. So be ready for that. Have your phone juiced up.

I'll have my phone at hand but I'm also planning to make the journey with her so I'll be hopefully standing beside her when they ask those questions.

Might be better off booking Etihad and passing through Abu Dhabi rather than BA or Qantas via London

[jombom]

Strangely, the main question is '' Will she traveling on her own, or with you''??

On her own, I would suggest she avoid London ---- the Gulf and then Dublin would be better.

Traveling with you via London, should be ok.

[robio7]

Strangely, the main question is '' Will she traveling on her own, or with you''??

On her own, I would suggest she avoid London ---- the Gulf and then Dublin would be better.

Traveling with you via London, should be ok.

Yes she will be travelling with me, I dont want her to fly here alone.

Has anyone here done this recently?

[Eff1n2ret]

Strangely, the main question is '' Will she traveling on her own, or with you''??

On her own, I would suggest she avoid London ---- the Gulf and then Dublin would be better.

Traveling with you via London, should be ok.

Yes she will be travelling with me, I dont want her to fly here alone.

Has anyone here done this recently?

Just to answer your questions in #6, Thais are "visa nationals", but can benefit from the "TWOV" (transit without visa) concession if they have an onward flight within 24 hours and are clearly going to be accepted at their onward destination. It's at the IO's discretion, but genuine travellers don't normally have a problem. They get an entry stamp for 24hours. Other than that, i.e. they can't get a connection within 24 hours or their onward journey is overland, they should have a transit visa which would give them 48hours in the UK. The list of DATV (Direct Airside Transit Visa) nationals, which does not include Thailand, was created because so many people from those countries hit on the wheeze of booking a flight to somewhere transiting London and then claiming asylum when they got to London.

If Spongeman's friend was questioned by Immigration in Dublin, it's probably because they arrived on a flight from elsewhere than the UK. There's no formal immigration control between UK and Ireland, although the flights are monitored by Special Branch.

As others have advised, if you're travelling with your g/f, transiting London shouldn't be a problem. If she's on her own, she would find it easier to transit elsewhere.

[spongeman]

Strangely, the main question is '' Will she traveling on her own, or with you''??

On her own, I would suggest she avoid London ---- the Gulf and then Dublin would be better.

Traveling with you via London, should be ok.

Yes she will be travelling with me, I dont want her to fly here alone.

Has anyone here done this recently?

Just to answer your questions in #6, Thais are "visa nationals", but can benefit from the "TWOV" (transit without visa) concession if they have an onward flight within 24 hours and are clearly going to be accepted at their onward destination. It's at the IO's discretion, but genuine travellers don't normally have a problem. They get an entry stamp for 24hours. Other than that, i.e. they can't get a connection within 24 hours or their onward journey is overland, they should have a transit visa which would give them 48hours in the UK. The list of DATV (Direct Airside Transit Visa) nationals, which does not include Thailand, was created because so many people from those countries hit on the wheeze of booking a flight to somewhere transiting London and then claiming asylum when they got to London.

If Spongeman's friend was questioned by Immigration in Dublin, it's probably because they arrived on a flight from elsewhere than the UK. There's no formal immigration control between UK and Ireland, although the flights are monitored by Special Branch.

As others have advised, if you're travelling with your g/f, transiting London shouldn't be a problem. If she's on her own, she would find it easier to transit elsewhere.

Yes you are correct, my friends flew Ethiad BKK-ABU-DUB, as another poster pointed out above the Gulf is a good option.

On similar topic I remember bringing the Mrs back to live with me in 2000, we passed through London, the officer said that she did'nt have a transit visa, I said she was my spouse, He went away and came back saying that since we are neighbours he would let her through.

I have avoided Heathrow since.