Registering Birth UK Citizen in Thailand - Unmarried

[milkycheese]

Hi TV PLL,

I would like information on the following, I would like to Register my Thai child in Bangkok and also apply for UK passport at UK Embassy. My name is on birth certificate but the surname is from her mother (thai). Please could someone explain the up to date steps and needed documents/information to undertake this.

Thanks All.

[7by7]

Yes, you can register the child at the British embassy.

This is not a legal requirement and the Thai birth certificate should be acceptable for all purposes in the UK.

However, many people consider it worth doing as it will provide the child with a British style birth certificate which may be useful in the future.

See this page (I made up the child's birth date to get to that page!).

See here for how to apply for the child's first passport.

Remember to get the child a Thai passport as well. S/he should then use their Thai passport to leave and enter Thailand and their British passport to enter and leave the UK.

Both Thailand and the UK allow dual nationality.

[richy2201]

Just been to the British Embassy on Tuesday to apply for my 2 month old daughter's first UK passport. In and out within 15 minutes. Ironically it nearly took us longer to get signed into the Embassy (due to a long line of builders/workers in front of us) than it did to submit and pay for passport application. Anyway, for its worth here was what we brought as evidence (myself and my Thai partner are not married though the child's surname is taken from me)

1. My UK passport and my Thai g/f Thai passport (Thai ID card required for entrance to embassy as well) - my G/F went with me and they asked for (a copy of) her passport as evidence of having seen her (we both signed our respective passport photocopies)

2. My ORIGINAL long UK birth certificate

3. Completed C2 form with COUNTERSIGNED photo

4. Original Thai birth certificate for baby and English translation copy as well

5. Payment was around 5,300 baht all in (this includes DHL delivery)

I've read countless threads from different websites and was 'worried' about 2 things. The first was the baby's photograph. Oh what fun this was to get done...not, especially out in Thailand as trying to explain the requirements to the photographer did at times seem futile, no more so than when I got home to find he had cut the photos too small. I would strongly advise to read the requirements for a UK passport photo from the UK Gov website as this can and will delay an application if you get it wrong, though some of these requirements are somewhat relaxed with infants e.g. eyes do not have to be open. The second thing was the translation of the Thai birth certificate, as some people say it has to be 'certified' etc etc and I was unsure of what Translater to bring it to. After reading a thread on TV, I left my hotel at 7.30am, got to Express Translation Service & Travel Co., Ltd., 888 Mahatun Plaza Building, near Ploenchit BTS - 5 minute walk from British Embassy at 7.50am and this was translated by 9am noting it was stamped by the translation firm and we did NOT get this certified at MFA. We the went straight to Embassy - finished around 9.45.

Apart from having to get the photos done twice, this was a relatively easy process - thanks mainly to the helpful hints and advice from other TV members!

Good luck....

[Jay Sata]

All the paperwork will now be processed in Hong Kong.

Any questions will come from there including phone calls.

[milkycheese]

Hi All,

Thanks for all your links and replies. Very much appreciated for your advice!

[Jay Sata]

You could have done the photo's yourself, cropped and printed at home.

Good luck with the baby.