We have applied for a visa for my mother in law the travel start date is the 17th dec 2013, If the visa is granted will the start date be from that date? If not can it be changed so that it will start from that date?

Thank you very much for any advice.

You need to specifically request for a visa to be post dated, and it can be post dated for up to 90 days.

If you don't request that a visa be post dated, then it becomes valid from the date of issue.

ECO's will not automatically date a visa from the proposed date of travel.

If you need to change the dates then a fresh application is required.

OK thank you for that.

Be careful, there are 2 time periods associated with a visa - the validity of the visa and the length of stay in Thailand.

For example, a single stay tourist visa is valid for 3 months after the date it is issued. This is usually the day the passport is returned to the applicant with the visa. The visa can then be used for a 60 day visit to Thailand. The visit has to start within the validity period of the visa. This can be on the very last day. So if you have a visa issued on 1 October, you can start the visit on 31 December and stay until 1 March.

@richjo, you're talking about Thai Visas, this thread is about visas to the UK.

Be careful, there are 2 time periods associated with a visa - the validity of the visa and the length of stay in Thailand.

For example, a single stay tourist visa is valid for 3 months after the date it is issued. This is usually the day the passport is returned to the applicant with the visa. The visa can then be used for a 60 day visit to Thailand. The visit has to start within the validity period of the visa. This can be on the very last day. So if you have a visa issued on 1 October, you can start the visit on 31 December and stay until 1 March.

It's not a visa for Thailand it is a visa for the UK

After a email to VFS Thailand who forwarded it to the visa section the visa start date got delayed for 90, so can only say thank you to the staff at the VFS centre and British embassy.

Thanks for posting that.

We hear, rightly, complaints when they get it wrong, nice to hear someone giving them a pat on the back when they get it right.