New Thai Passport In Married Name -- Australian Visa In Old Passport

[tig28]

My Thai wife has a current Australian 12 month Multiple entry visa in her old passport. She recently went to the trouble of changing her surname and obtained a new passport reflecting this.

An email to the Australian Embassy in BKK re this resulted in a most unhelpful reply.

Can she still travel to Australia using the visa in the old passport --- despite the change of surname in the new one??

[edwinclapham]

Under normal conditions, you can take the old passport together with the new passport and the visa should satisfy the authorities, but seeing there has been a name change I would obtain a stat dec re the name change and a translation of the marriage certificate and obtain a duplicate visa from the embassy for the new passport.

[overherebc]

Under normal conditions, you can take the old passport together with the new passport and the visa should satisfy the authorities, but seeing there has been a name change I would obtain a stat dec re the name change and a translation of the marriage certificate and obtain a duplicate visa from the embassy for the new passport.

Don't know the location of the OP but at the passport office in BKK, Bang-Na road, under Big C they will put a stamp in the new passport on the lines of--- previously travelled under the name of xxxxxx in passport no xxxxx.----. It costs either 100 or 200 baht and gives a paper trail that makes it easy for airport immigration people to follow.

If you go to the office don't wait in the usually very long queue, just go in the door and sharp left you will see two or three glass fronted booths, ask there and they will give your wife a couple of sheets of paper to fill in and sign. Whole thing takes 10 to 15 minutes.

[edwinclapham]

Cheers Overherebc, thats always very useful for other members to know.

This is the beauty about forums, a mine of information on many occasions.

Cheers

Eddie

[overherebc]

Cheers Overherebc, thats always very useful for other members to know.

This is the beauty about forums, a mine of information on many occasions.

Cheers

Eddie

Forgot to mention that she can get a stamp in her old passport that says---cancelled-all visa still remain valid.---, at the same place.

[edwinclapham]

I have run out of "likes" cheers again!

[Will27]

OP

Stat decs, new visas and stamp's aren't necessary.

As long as she travels with both passports, she will be ok.

When she get's to Oz, take her to DIAC and get a new visa

evidenced to reflect the change in name.

Regards

Will

Edited May 25, 2012 by Will27

[tig28]

Thanks to all contributors -- I posed the question here as my initial responce from the Australian Embassy was inadequate.

I did follow up with them by phone and was informed that as things stood my wife could not travel. I asked them to advise in writing the requirements -- here is the relevant portion of that reply -- received this afternoon:

"Please submit both of Mrs tig's passport (old & new) and a copy of Name/Surname Changed Certificate at the Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) as we need to update her new details into our system. Her tourist visa will then be valid until 26/09/2012 with the same condition (12 months, multiple entry).

Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Australian Embassy, Bangkok"

I hope this information may assist others in the same situation.

[Will27]

Thanks to all contributors -- I posed the question here as my initial responce from the Australian Embassy was inadequate.

I did follow up with them by phone and was informed that as things stood my wife could not travel. I asked them to advise in writing the requirements -- here is the relevant portion of that reply -- received this afternoon:

"Please submit both of Mrs tig's passport (old & new) and a copy of Name/Surname Changed Certificate at the Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) as we need to update her new details into our system. Her tourist visa will then be valid until 26/09/2012 with the same condition (12 months, multiple entry).

Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Australian Embassy, Bangkok"

I hope this information may assist others in the same situation.

Far be it from me to disagree with the Embassy but that's not correct.

It's what they would prefer to happen which is understandanble but to

say she cannot travel on the visa is wrong IMO.

If it's easy for you to do and would make you feel more at it ease, go ahead,

but, like I've said, she can travel with bost ppt's, gain entry into Australia and then

get it evidenced there.

It happens all of the time.

Regards

Will

Edited May 26, 2012 by Will27

[tig28]

Far be it from me to disagree with the Embassy but that's not correct.

It's what they would prefer to happen which is understandanble but to

say she cannot travel on the visa is wrong IMO.

If it's easy for you to do and would make you feel more at it ease, go ahead,

but, like I've said, she can travel with bost ppt's, gain entry into Australia and then

get it evidenced there.

It happens all of the time.

Regards

Will

Hi Will

Remember the 2 passports are in different names.

When spesking to the Embassy my first question was if my wife was able to travel as is --- their answer was pretty clear. I did push it a little explaining that I may be forced to return to Australia on very short notice & did not wish to travel without my wife.

Again replying in the negative "She will be denied boarding in BKK"

My intent here is not to convince anyone of anything --- simply to report what I have learned.

"Up to you"

[overherebc]

Far be it from me to disagree with the Embassy but that's not correct.

It's what they would prefer to happen which is understandanble but to

say she cannot travel on the visa is wrong IMO.

If it's easy for you to do and would make you feel more at it ease, go ahead,

but, like I've said, she can travel with bost ppt's, gain entry into Australia and then

get it evidenced there.

It happens all of the time.

Regards

Will

Hi Will

Remember the 2 passports are in different names.

When spesking to the Embassy my first question was if my wife was able to travel as is --- their answer was pretty clear. I did push it a little explaining that I may be forced to return to Australia on very short notice & did not wish to travel without my wife.

Again replying in the negative "She will be denied boarding in BKK"

My intent here is not to convince anyone of anything --- simply to report what I have learned.

"Up to you"

You are lucky you even got an answer from the embassy

Here is a copy of the stamp you can get,as I said it gives a paper trail of name change and new passport/ old passport details. We did this because my wife had 3 or 4 years left on her USA visa

[tig28]

You are lucky you even got an answer from the embassy

Here is a copy of the stamp you can get,as I said it gives a paper trail of name change and new passport/ old passport details. We did this because my wife had 3 or 4 years left on her USA visa

Thanks for that!

Whatever I choose to do will be started on Monday. Unfortunately we live well away from BKK.

"You are lucky you even got an answer from the embassy "

Never a truer word!! The front line email responses from the Australian Embassy are pretty unhelpful.

I really "loved" their first email response (the mistake they made was to include a name/phone number.) Once I rang and spoke to an individual all flowed smoothly.

[Arkady]

Thanks to all contributors -- I posed the question here as my initial responce from the Australian Embassy was inadequate.

I did follow up with them by phone and was informed that as things stood my wife could not travel. I asked them to advise in writing the requirements -- here is the relevant portion of that reply -- received this afternoon:

"Please submit both of Mrs tig's passport (old & new) and a copy of Name/Surname Changed Certificate at the Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) as we need to update her new details into our system. Her tourist visa will then be valid until 26/09/2012 with the same condition (12 months, multiple entry).

Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Australian Embassy, Bangkok"

I hope this information may assist others in the same situation.

This doesn't sound too unhelpful, if you want the updated details to be in the Oz immigration computer when she arrives in front of them.

[shanahan]

OP

Stat decs, new visas and stamp's aren't necessary.

As long as she travels with both passports, she will be ok.

When she get's to Oz, take her to DIAC and get a new visa

evidenced to reflect the change in name.

Regards

Will

Will is absolutely correct. My wife did exactly what Will has suggested with complete success.

[electau]

There is no problem entering or leaving Australia, as long as she carries both passports.

However when boarding in Bangkok at the check in desk the airline may require that the visa is in the current passport. This is an airline requirement.

This occured with my wife in Bangkok in Feb 2012, The airline was Cathay Pacific.

Top clear the matter up they contacted DIAC in Canberra and it was all solved in about 30 minutes.

To solve this problem get DIAC to transfer the visa to the new passport, they will insert a printed label if you ask, otherwise it will be electronic.

Edited May 28, 2012 by electau