Infant going through Thai Immigration at the airport with a Thai and Canadian Passport

[rhino533]

Has anyone had any issues when going through Thai customs at the airport with their infant who is dual citizen? (Thai, Canadian). I have an 9month old son and it will be his first time leaving Thailand. My wife, son and I are going to Canada for a holiday. I'll be presenting his Thai Passport when going through Thai immigration and His Canadian when going through Canadian immigration. My son won't have a Canadian visa because he doesn't need one but will the Thai immigration ask why he doesn't have a visa? Will I have to show his Canadian passport as well as his Thai when going through Thai imm? If I do will there be any issues that he holds 2 passports and dual citizen? Thanks for any info you can give regarding this! Cheers

[beano2274]

Immigration do not ask, it would be at check in that you would be asked about why your son has no visa for Canada, this is when you show them the Canadian Passport.

At Thai immigration just show the Thai Passport.

Edited June 16, 2013 by beano2274

[rhino533]

Immigration do not ask, it would be at check in that you would be asked about why your son has no visa for Canada, this is when you show them the Canadian Passport.

At Thai immigration just show the Thai Passport.

Thanks for your reply!!!

[Pomthai]

Done exactly this except Thai / UK passport combo early May - first trip myself and daughter only - no issues at all. Thai passport out of Phuket UK passport in to the UK. UK passport shown departing UK and Thai passport upon arrival back in Phuket. Only time both passports shown was at check in.

Have a good trip.

[ripstanley]

Same with Thai / Australian. We traveled in March this year. Presented Australian at check in and Thai at immigration. No problems. Our boy was born in August last year. Both passports had never been used before. You will have no problems.

[Mossfinn]

No problem with dual nationality, just follow the advice above,

You'll be fine

[Businessman]

I have done Thailand/Canada round trip several time the first when my daughter was 3 mo old. Proceed exactly as you plan, use thai passport for Thailand and Canadian for Canada. Dual nationality is permitted by both governments (I've heard that Thai say the kids has to pick at some older age, not sure if that is true. )

Remember though that your kids arrival departure card is retention will be the opposite of yours. The arrival portion is stapled in her passport while he/she is abroad. You will have no card in your passport while abroad. So don't loose his/hers. He/She needs that portion when returning on his/her Thai passport.

Good luck and safe travels.

sent from my mobile

[sscsamui]

Take your sons Birth certificate with you, the Airline will ask to see it. This is only for his first trip out of Thailand... Have fun

[beano2274]

Take your sons Birth certificate with you, the Airline will ask to see it. This is only for his first trip out of Thailand... Have fun

his mum and dad are going with him not required, also he has a passport.

[Mario2008]

Flame and a reply to it removed.

[comserve]

Slightly different situation. I have a NZ & Australian passport. Last time I travelled to Australia, my Australian passport had expired so I was entering Australia showing my NZ passport (didn't have the Aus passport with me). Australian immigration were not impressed that I was using my NZ passport to enter the country!

[samran]

Slightly different situation. I have a NZ & Australian passport. Last time I travelled to Australia, my Australian passport had expired so I was entering Australia showing my NZ passport (didn't have the Aus passport with me). Australian immigration were not impressed that I was using my NZ passport to enter the country!

That is because entering on your NZ passport Australia would technically be granting you a visa. Visa's (even for NZ citizens) come with technical limitations on their conditions of stay. Simply, you can't, by rights, refuse entry to Australian citizens to enter their own countries, nor, can you provide them conditions for staying in their own country!

Thailand doesn't do this (ie you can enter Thailand on your foreign passport even if you are a Thai citizen), but you then are subject to visa rules in your own country. A strange world we live in!

[bkk_mike]

I have done Thailand/Canada round trip several time the first when my daughter was 3 mo old. Proceed exactly as you plan, use thai passport for Thailand and Canadian for Canada. Dual nationality is permitted by both governments (I've heard that Thai say the kids has to pick at some older age, not sure if that is true. )

Remember though that your kids arrival departure card is retention will be the opposite of yours. The arrival portion is stapled in her passport while he/she is abroad. You will have no card in your passport while abroad. So don't loose his/hers. He/She needs that portion when returning on his/her Thai passport.

Good luck and safe travels.

sent from my mobile

The child can choose to renounce their Thai Nationality. This is because some countries (Singapore, Belgium(?), etc.) don't allow dual nationality for adults, so you have to renounce one nationality. For UK/AU/US/CA/NZ, which allow adults to keep dual nationality, this isn't an issue. (Even countries that don't allow adults to be dual nationals usually allow it for children).

The second possible reason for doing it is to become ineligible for Thai National Service, but that's obviously only an issue if it's a boy.

If he's living in Thailand, it would make life difficult, but if he's living abroad, he'd be exempt from National Service anyway (although not sure if you have to worry about coming here on holiday, and getting drafted...)

I believe if they are renouncing their Thai nationality, I believe it has to be by their 20th birthday.

[Italian guy]

My daughter has double nationality and we haven't had any problem so far. You have to show both passport ONLY at the counter because they need to verify that the baby is allowed to enter the country of destination. To the Thai immigration show ONLY the Thai passport, they don't check the visa since it isn't their business. When you come back do exactly the opposite.

Hope this helps.

[Italian guy]

...forgot to add... Always carry your baby's birth certificate!

[EamonJ]

Interesting post my son will be one year this day next month but I still feel its too early to have him travelling to the other side of the world yet.Im going to give him another year to grow before I introduce him to stuffy uncomfortable aeroplanes and sub zero temperature.

Edited June 17, 2013 by EamonJ

[khunbillmex]

We do it with three passports: Thai US and Mexican and never had a problem. Airline is concerned at checkin because if they board someone w/out proper credentials they get fined.

[abrahamzvi]

All above comments are in practice correct. However, if one wants to strictly keep to the letters of the law , internationally in the case of dual citizenships, one can and should enter the country of which he/she is a citizen with that country's national passport. Please do remember that in Thailand one cannot avail him/herself to the protection of the British (or for that matter American, French, Australian etc.) consulates if one is a Thai, even if one holds in addition a British passport. The same situation applies in most, if not all, countries adhering to and practicing international laws.

[stevenl]

However, if one wants to strictly keep to the letters of the law , internationally in the case of dual citizenships, one can and should enter the country of which he/she is a citizen with that country's national passport.

Which are exactly the recommendations here.

[bkk_mike]

However, if one wants to strictly keep to the letters of the law , internationally in the case of dual citizenships, one can and should enter the country of which he/she is a citizen with that country's national passport.

Which are exactly the recommendations here.

It's not actually international law. It's down to the rules for individual countries.

i.e. The UK requires you to use your UK passport when entering if you're a dual national, and have a UK passport. (i.e. You can enter the UK with a foreign passport if you haven't applied for and been issued with a UK passport yet. Although depending on the country of the second passport you could need a visa, or a vignette from the Embassy confirming that you have the right to enter the UK).

Thailand doesn't seem to have the same restriction.

[sipidan]

Hello

Am I correct in reading all of the above posts in saying:

my 2year old Thai/British daughter can leave Thailand on her Thailand passport, then enter Australia on her British passport receiving a 3 month stamp as per normal

And on return to Thailand enter the Kingdom on her Thailand passport with no questions asked???

As I've been wanting to post this exact same question recently?

Thanks in advance

Great previous answers folks :-)

Life is good!

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[ripstanley]

You will still have to apply for an Australian visa for her travelling on the British passport but you can apply online. It is called an Electronic Travel Authority ETA

https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp

[sipidan]

You will still have to apply for an Australian visa for her travelling on the British passport but you can apply online. It is called an Electronic Travel Authority ETA

https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp

Thanks for the link Rip ;-)

Didn't know about the electronic visa!

Last time I entered Oz on my British was over 10 years ago & then it was just a 3 month visa on arrival!

That was before I became a PR there...

Life is good!

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[samran]

You will still have to apply for an Australian visa for her travelling on the British passport but you can apply online. It is called an Electronic Travel Authority ETA

https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp

Thanks for the link Rip ;-)

Didn't know about the electronic visa!

Last time I entered Oz on my British was over 10 years ago & then it was just a 3 month visa on arrival!

That was before I became a PR there...

Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

You might want to consider getting PR for your daughter, given you are a PR (assuming she was born outside of Australia). Take a while though....14 months according to the immigration website... http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/more-information.htm

If she happened to be born in OZ, she would have autmatically been an Australian citizen by virtue of being born to a parent who was PR.

[sipidan]

You will still have to apply for an Australian visa for her travelling on the British passport but you can apply online. It is called an Electronic Travel Authority ETA

https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp

Thanks for the link Rip ;-)

Didn't know about the electronic visa!

Last time I entered Oz on my British was over 10 years ago & then it was just a 3 month visa on arrival!

That was before I became a PR there...

Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

You might want to consider getting PR for your daughter, given you are a PR (assuming she was born outside of Australia). Take a while though....14 months according to the immigration website... http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/more-information.htm

If she happened to be born in OZ, she would have autmatically been an Australian citizen by virtue of being born to a parent who was PR.

Samran

Great minds think alike...I'd only just this minute mentioned to the misses that before we do anything else(tourist/visitor/partner visa.etc) we need to look into & ask about PR for our daughter(Macie).

That link is what we needed,daughter born in Thailand!

I don't suppose you know if my Thai girlfriend of over 6 years would also be eligible to apply along with our daughter for PR??

We really want to get Macie educated in Australia, she's eligible for Pre-school in exactly 3 years but i'm hoping the 3 of us can be settled in Australia within the next 24 months....

Thanks for your help amigo :-)

Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[samran]

You will still have to apply for an Australian visa for her travelling on the British passport but you can apply online. It is called an Electronic Travel Authority ETA

https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp

Thanks for the link Rip ;-)

Didn't know about the electronic visa!

Last time I entered Oz on my British was over 10 years ago & then it was just a 3 month visa on arrival!

That was before I became a PR there...

Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

You might want to consider getting PR for your daughter, given you are a PR (assuming she was born outside of Australia). Take a while though....14 months according to the immigration website... http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/more-information.htm

If she happened to be born in OZ, she would have autmatically been an Australian citizen by virtue of being born to a parent who was PR.

Samran

Great minds think alike...I'd only just this minute mentioned to the misses that before we do anything else(tourist/visitor/partner visa.etc) we need to look into & ask about PR for our daughter(Macie).

That link is what we needed,daughter born in Thailand!

I don't suppose you know if my Thai girlfriend of over 6 years would also be eligible to apply along with our daughter for PR??

We really want to get Macie educated in Australia, she's eligible for Pre-school in exactly 3 years but i'm hoping the 3 of us can be settled in Australia within the next 24 months....

Thanks for your help amigo :-)

Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

To be honest, not sure. Suspect a spousal visa would be easiest, but you should look to see if there is an equivalent defacto option...

[sipidan]

To be honest, not sure. Suspect a spousal visa would be easiest, but you should look to see if there is an equivalent defacto option...

Samran

Great helpful tips

Thanks :-)

Had a little look this morning & defacto option is definately the way foreword so now I need to read up & find out all we need to know for the both of them living in Oz!

Sorry we've gone off topic a little guys & girls

Lets get back on to child's passports:

just to clarify Thai immigration wouldn't be bothered if my thai girlfriend had an Australian stamp in her Thai passport & my daughter didn't have an Australian stamp in her thai passport on there return as its none of there business?

Cheers :-)

Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[breadbin]

It makes be laugh when someone asks a question about dual passports like this is something just introduced.

My kid had a Thai passport as it was new to me 10 years ago. Now, my wife who is now a UK citizen only has her British passport. She still has and renews her Thai ID card.

My British born kid also only has a British passport.

I can't see any benefit in having both.

Are there any real benefits?

[chris1dna]

Best part is you get to go thru the Thai national immigration line with your child when departing and arriving Thailand. No long waits in tourist lines anymore. Just use Thai passports when entering and leaving Los and Canadian when entering and leaving Canada. Easy breezy. We do it with our now five year old all the time. No big. And like I said. Use the Thai national line. Much shorter. My wife goes thru a different line than me and my son an waits on the other side.

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[chris1dna]

Yes bin there are BENIFITS. We travel to lao frequently from Los. He gets easy thru immigration with the wife. he stays in access of two months each time in Thailand so no visa runs for him. Is entitled to heir all property's of family lands. Etc ..

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