Joint Applications And Times

[Captain Haddock]

I'm going to apply for a UK passport for my baby, and a tourist visa for my Thai wife.

I've read that the UK Embassy will take about one month to deal with the passport, and they require both marriage and the baby birth certs (translations as well, right?), plus my birth cert. Does this mean I will be without these docs for the month they're processing the passport? Only I'll need the wedding cert to apply for the wife's tourist visa! The embassy suggests that the tourist visa should be processed in a matter of days, if everything needed is sent by post, so as I plan to go to the UK at the start of March, will I have enough time to wait for the passport application and the return of my docs, and then apply for the tourist visa?

Or should I just apply for tourist visas for both baby and wife, if it is possible to send one set of docs (with translation) for two related visa applications, and time looks too short?

Any info - cheers!

[vinny]

If your child has dual British-Thai nationality, I would not get him/her a tourist visa for the UK. I would get the child:

1. Thai Passport with a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode placed in the Thai Passport by the British Embassy; or

2. Thai Passport and British Passport

For Thai Passports, see Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand

For British Passports, see: Passport Services

For British Passport photo requirements, see: Vital information for all customers on Photograph standards and, in particular, Passport Photo Guide. One photo has to be countersigned by someone acceptable who knows you or your wife for at least 2 years.

See also Dual Nationality Kids for more opinions and experiences.

Edited December 14, 2005 by vinny

[Captain Haddock]

Thanks for the links and info, vinny. My daughter already has a Thai passport, and I'm going to try and get her a UK passport.

Only thing is, I need a Thai-English translation service that has a licence - do you know of any in Bangkok? There seems to be nothing here in NST in the South.

[vinny]

We used the Interlanguage Translation Center in Bangkok. I'm not sure if they are licenced or not but the British Embassy accepted the translation. A birth certificate translation from Thai into Engish costs 300 Baht. You can call them on 02 254 1677, 02 252 3877, fax 02 255 1998, for their nearest branch most convenient to you. You can fax them the Thai Birth Certificate beforehand and collect the translated one when they are finished. Don't forget to write down the correct names of Father, Mother and Child in English for them.

Edited December 14, 2005 by vinny

[Lawnmower]

When you get the translations done (marriage and birth) is it just the one coloured certificate page for each that is needed ?

[vinny]

We just had the birth certificate translated. They translated only the front of the birth certificate.

Edited December 15, 2005 by vinny

[Captain Haddock]

Many thanks vinny!