Getting a UK passport for my newborn half Thai child

[phuket2013]

Just got an email saying my son's passport is ready for collection, I applied July 16th so that made ours approx. 6 weeks turnaround.

[stevomaesot]

Pleased for you mate, thinking of going to BKk October or November, do think we should apply for the appointment now? Waiting for the countersigned photo to come back from the Uk which makes us a little nervous about booking one

[phuket2013]

When I made the appt., I emailed them 2 weeks in advance of the requested appointment date, and got a reply confirming my appt. the same day. You need to give them 3 different date options and they confirm for one of them.

Good luck with it, super stressful getting everything in order but worth it in the long run

Have you thought about having the photos sent recorded from the UK? My mate has sent the baby parcels before that have arrived within 4 days! Might be worth the extra fee for less of a worry about when the pics will arrive?

[stevomaesot]

Cheers mate, good advice

[Alexuk]

Hello all I'm a bit confused here! Goin thailand October all paper work ready Including passport form ! As countersign I'm going to get my friend to sign it ( who knows me past 11 years and know my daughter but he never been in thailand ) he is local business owner! My miss send me photos all ready! And Thai birth certificate translate going to be done in Bangkok when I get there!

My question is if my friend sign this form and photos! Is it going to be ok? And as my adress I put uk adress is it ok ? Has Anybody done it same as me?! And payment bit how is I should put down ? I put my debit card details! Can anybody advise me pls!!

[StateSix]

Just to clarify, I do not need to take my son along to the appointment to submit the documents for his passport application.

Do I have to provide proof of address for myself and wife, as her Tabian Baan is for a different address?

[phuket2013]

State six - how old is your son? I think it depends on the age from memory? If he is a baby you do not need to take him - you go and apply on his behalf. I did this and our passport took 6-7 weeks to come back.

Also, if you are applying on his behalf u dont need your wife's proof of adress - just you as the applicant. I asked my work to type up a letter confirming my adress and period of employment, and they stamped it with some official looking Thai stamp. This was satisfactory.

[Alexuk]

Pls can somebody help me on this ! I'm trying to book appointment for my daughters passport! Who is name I should book the appointment !?? My name or my daughter name ? Pls I need quick respond

[StateSix]

phuket2013, on 11 Sept 2014 - 19:17, said:

State six - how old is your son? I think it depends on the age from memory? If he is a baby you do not need to take him - you go and apply on his behalf. I did this and our passport took 6-7 weeks to come back.

Also, if you are applying on his behalf u dont need your wife's proof of adress - just you as the applicant. I asked my work to type up a letter confirming my adress and period of employment, and they stamped it with some official looking Thai stamp. This was satisfactory.

He's 18 months. I didn't take my daughter when I did hers at the embassy a couple of years ago.

We are not married (officially!!) so my wife has to apply on his behalf. I have got a letter on company headed paper, signed by someone here, confirming addresses so hopefully that is fine.

[Richard W]

You are right; if the birth is registered in the country where it took place there is no need to register it again in the UK.

From the link provided by evadagib

Consular birth registration is an optional service and is only available to those born overseas who have an automatic entitlement to British Nationality at birth. There is no legal requirement for a consular birth registration and a local birth certificate with a certified translation if necessary should be sufficient for all purposes in the UK including applying for a passport.

Do note the word should. A birth certificate from overseas cannot be used as part of a set of documents to provide an employer with an excuse against a hefty fine for employing an illegal worker.

[Apiwan2]

I recently did it for our son, he was born in Thailand, I'm British - 37 years old, the wife is Thai, I went to The British Embassy in Bangers with the relevant passport photos of little Ellis, my A4 size original birth certificate and the money, I got a mate to complete the writing on the back of the photo and he also had to fill out his address details on the application form, we hadn't done that and I was made to call him from The Embassy to get those details, we paid a few baht more to get the application sent to our house in Pattaya, it turned up about a month later. We registered the birth at a later date - we should have done it at the time, you don't need to do this but I wanted a UK style birth certificate for him, you have to pay for that as well, it's not a requirement to get the passport though.

Hope that helps.

Jimmy

I didn't know you got a UK birth certificate.

Only a paper stating certificate of registration??

[brewsterbudgen]

phuket2013, on 11 Sept 2014 - 19:17, said:

State six - how old is your son? I think it depends on the age from memory? If he is a baby you do not need to take him - you go and apply on his behalf. I did this and our passport took 6-7 weeks to come back.

Also, if you are applying on his behalf u dont need your wife's proof of adress - just you as the applicant. I asked my work to type up a letter confirming my adress and period of employment, and they stamped it with some official looking Thai stamp. This was satisfactory.

He's 18 months. I didn't take my daughter when I did hers at the embassy a couple of years ago.

We are not married (officially!!) so my wife has to apply on his behalf. I have got a letter on company headed paper, signed by someone here, confirming addresses so hopefully that is fine.

So if I'm not married to the (Laos) mother of my child, I cannot apply for a British passport?

[elvisp1977]

You do get to find out about your application reference number when you get an email from Liverpool passport office requesting additional evidence!!

Cheers

[KunMatt]

You do get to find out about your application reference number when you get an email from Liverpool passport office requesting additional evidence!!

Cheers

Exactly! If they had never emailed me for extra documentation I would never had known my reference number.

Good luck emailing them back though and expecting an answer from a normal human.

[elvisp1977]

Just a heads up if you are coming across from the UK to do this...take some good documentation of your adress in the UK if you are only in Thailand for a limited time....also if your child is very young look at submitting some additional family photo's alongside your application...they can and do sometimes ask for every page of your wife's passport in colour too...it might just save your wife a 2 day trip to Bangkok with your child and mother in law....

Cheers...

[stevomaesot]

Hi can anyway confirm that there are places near the Trendy building where we can get all our documents officially translated. If so can anyone recommend a company.

Many thanks

[Alexuk]

Hi can any one confirm that there are places near the Trendy building or pattaya where we can get all our documents officially translated. If so can anyone recommend a company.

Many thanks

[stevomaesot]

Well wish us luck, off to Bkk today to apply for my sons British passport. Still not 100% clear on what docs will need translating so taking everything we got ..... also gonna to find out if the Trendy Building is as bad as every one says it is .....

[fishism]

Good luck, I will be going through the process soon and need all the help I can get as my sons visit visa was turned down.

I used a translation service called Master Class Translation, the receipt says ground floor but I think it was the first floor. It cost 450 baht plus 100 baht for a second copy. It took 20 minutes for the birth certificate. (Nothing to do with it being refused)

[KevWaters]

I see some of you opted to get Visitor Visas for your wife and child and then apply within the UK rather than within Thailand.

How much did these Visitor Visas cost? Did you apply for the Child Visitor Visa for your child, and a General Visitor Visa or the Family Visitor Visa for your wife? (They have the same costs listed on the Gov.UK website so I can't see that it makes all that much of a difference which we choose although with the Family Visitor Visa there is the additional requirement of proving that she can support herself or I can support her). I'm led to believe they cost a minimum of £83 application fee plus £300 for the 1 year minimum stay that has to be split into two 6 month stays (but this is not clear). Is it not possible to stay for less than one year and not pay the £300? It doesn't say so anywhere on the gov website, but surely you didn't pay the 383 twice for both your wife and child? If so you must REALLY hate the new procedure here in Thailand.

Fees

It costs £83 to apply.

Long-term visit visa fees are:

• 1 year - £300
• 2 years - £300
• 5 years - £544
• 10 years - £737

I was born in 1984 and therefore need the original birth certificates of my parents sending over to Thailand. It seems a bit ridiculous that I wouldn't need them if born over 12 months earlier. Why not just do away with this rule as it can't be all that important.

I plan on getting the wife a visitor visa in July anyhow, but if I need to pay the 383 for my son's too it makes more sense to just go ahead and get his UK passport here in the meantime.

Would be grateful if someone could clarify their experience regarding visitor visas and costs for your family members.

Cheers

[KevWaters]

Oh, also... I know that registration is not essential as he gets automatic citizenship entitlement if a parent was born in the UK. But did you need to register your Child's birth with the British Embassy in order to get the Passport from within England, rather than Thailand?

[Apiwan2]

Oh, also... I know that registration is not essential as he gets automatic citizenship entitlement if a parent was born in the UK. But did you need to register your Child's birth with the British Embassy in order to get the Passport from within England, rather than Thailand?

As I know.

If you want to get the kids passport in UK .

The kid has to be physically in the UK .

And not in another country

[Daffy D]

Last time we got UK Passport and UK birth certificate the same time for our child from the Embassy.

What is the process now?

Can we still apply for the UK birth certificate at the same time as Passport at Visa Application Center or make a separate application to the Embassy?

Trying to understand the new system and paperwork involved I feel like giving up before even starting

[KevWaters]

Can anyone answer the question about how much you paid to get the visa to get your son over to England to apply there? £83 or £383?

[stevomaesot]

Well not sure if my case is a one off or not. Just been through the process of applying for a British for my half Thai son. We had the appointment on the 22n Oct, arrived 2 hours at the Trendy building got seen and was in and out within 20 minutes.. Then received a call from HMPO Bangkok saying his passport is ready for collection.. Didn't expect that, under 3 weeks ...

[fishism]

Stevo, are you married to the mother?

[elvisp1977]

3 weeks is very good especially when all the documentation needs to go back and forth between Liverpool and Bangkok...i'd be happy with 3 months!!!! 3 days to go! I needed to send additional documentation.

Cheers..

[stevomaesot]

Yes mate married to the mother

[Thaibolo]

I also am in the process of getting a passport for my Thai/British son. I was told by a lady who works in the main passport office in London, when picking up a new passport for myself that you could not apply for a British passport for my son with a regular application. I would have to down load a specific one regarding my situation.

Easily found online.

I hope my information can be of some use, as I have been very confused by this whole process.

Good luck and chock dee!!

[elvisp1977]

Still waiting as of 24.11.14... ...submitted on 14th August...there was a gap of two weeks till early October before my wife submitted additional information that i had sent her from the UK.....she was submitting a visa application and i did not want her to have to travel twice to Bangkok from Khon Kaen with our child.....her visa to the UK for 6 months begins on 1st December....i cannot plan holidays and cannot book any flights until we receive the passport...i have emailed Liverpool passport office and rang the helpline within the past 12 days...am allegedly waiting for a manager to contact me from saturday morning....not happy...

Cheers..