Baby Going To The Uk On A Thai Passport

[Captain Haddock]

I'm planning to go to the UK for two weeks with Thai wife and 8 month old baby girl. On a teacher's salary here, so to save funds for the expensive UK I thought I could do this... and yes, I know twould be better to have a UK passport as well, but at 6k for one, and 8k for UK birth certs, it can wait till we return - more funds for the UK visit and plenty of time on return to Siam for UK passport application and consular birth certs.

So I plan to get a Thai passport for the baby and travel on that, with visa for the wife, who already has a Thai passport. Two week stay, no longer.

Do I need a visa for the baby, and if so, is it the same as the wife's in cost and procedure? I looked at the UK embassy for a long time, and am still a little unsure.

I know I will have to submit all the docs and more by post to the embassy, and therefore will not (hopefully) have to have an interview for the wife. As I live in the south, a trip to Bangkok with wife and baby is not my first choice...

Any ideas?

[the scouser]

Travelling on a Thai passport, your baby will need a UK visa. You could apply on her behalf for either a visit visa or a certifcate of entitlement to the right of abode. The latter is stuck in her Thai passport and, for the purposes of entering the UK, describes her as being British. With a CoE, your daughter would not need to get a visit visa each time you wish her to visit the UK. I can't remember precisely, but a visit visa is about £50 a pop and a CoE is a one-off payment of about £80.

Cheers,

Scouse.