Translation Of Marriage Certificate; Uk

[killblues]

Hi All,

Can anyone confirm for me wether we need a stamp from the Thai ministry of foreign affairs on our English translation of our marriage certificate (original is in thai).

My wife is in the uk on a two year spouse visa and will be applying for ILR in a few months time. I have been trying to keep ahead of the game with regards to evidence, visa rules etc and thought that I had everything covered until a friend of my wifes said that her translated document was refused by UKBA for not having said stamp on it. She then had to return to Thailand to obtain the stamp.

Can anyone tell me if this is the case?

Many Thanks.

P.S. The same cerificate was used to obtain her spouse visa so I cant see why it wouldnt suffice for ILR but thought it would be a good idea to make sure!!

[7by7]

For UK purposes all that is required is a certificate on the translation giving the name, address and contact details of the person who translated it and the signature of that person confirming that it is a correct translation. This person should be a professional translator.

Other countries are different. For example, to apply for a Schengen visa the translation does need to be certified as correct buy the Thai MFA, or local Thai embassy if outside Thailand.

However, if you look at section 11B of form SET(M) you will see that before it asks for the marriage certificate it says

If you are applying as a spouse civil partner but your existing leave to enter or remain in the UK was granted as an

unmarried or same-sex partner, in addition to the relevant documents in 11A you must provide the following documents

So as you married in Thailand and she entered the UK as your spouse she does not need to submit your marriage certificate. They saw it when she applied for her spouse visa and don't need to see it again.

Topic title amended to show country; PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE POSTING

[Thongkorn]

I got ours translated in Bangkok it took a few minutes, It has an official stamp on it. maybe you can get it done in England at a Thai Embassy

Edited August 1, 2012 by Thongkorn

[7by7]

I repeat, for UK purposes having the bureau who did the translation certify that it is correct is sufficient; no need to have it certified again by the Thai MFA or the Thai embassy.

This is so whether the translation was done in Thailand, the UK or anywhere.

However, other countries do require the translation be certified by the MFA, such as the Schengen states.

But for an ILR application for someone who first entered the UK as a spouse the marriage certificate is not required anyway.

There is a similar topic to this running here, so I'm closing this one.