Getting an Irish visa for the Thai wife

[Jo12Jo]

Hello all, first post here.

So myself and the Thai wife will be heading to the UK for around 3-5 months.

Then we're heading to Ireland for 3-6 months, so my question is below;

Does the wife have to apply and get the Irish visa here in Thailand from the Irish Embassy before we leave Thailand ?

or

Can she do it whilst in the UK?

Many thanks for any help

[7by7]

Thailand is one of the countries included in The Irish Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme.

This means that a Thai national who holds a UK visit visa can use that visa to enter the Republic for up to 90 days or until their UK visit visa expires; whichever is the shorter.

Note, though, that they must enter Ireland from the UK.

If this does not suit your plans, and from what you say it doesn't,, then your wife will need to apply for an Irish visa. As far as I am aware, like most European countries, she will have to apply in her country of residence, i.e. Thailand.

See Visa Services from the Irish consulate in Bangkok and the appropriate link on the left of that page; depending on your nationality and the purpose of the visit.

Edit; Just seen here that the maximum she can stay in the Republic as a visitor is 90 days.

Edited July 6, 2014 by 7by7

[CiaranO]

_{check out this link}

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_{http://inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Visa%20Waiver%20Programme}

[Jo12Jo]

Thanks for the quick replies, I did see about the new thing for entering Ireland from the UK but it won't match up for our plans so I guess we will just get the correct visa before leaving Thailand as we need the visa to join the EU family member - Class D Long Stay visa.

One other question, which I've searched around already but there are a few answers;

Does the wife need to show a return ticket when leaving Thailand or can we just get a single to the UK for her?

I read about getting an e mail from the UK Border control people before hand saying it's not needed, just in case we got told she couldn't check in at BKK

[CiaranO]

I would think she would need to show outward travel from the UK to satisfy the visa conditions. Hardly a problem with tickets as cheap as they are for uk Ireland lights.

From the point of view of airlines I recently flew home with my wife - Phuket - Dublin then return was Paris - Phuket. No one asked to see flights in between that and Irish Immigration didn't ask either.

A quick tip - when your travelling into Ireland accompany your wife though immigration - it makes things so much easier.

[7by7]

All the UK immigration rules actually say in this regard is

41. The requirements to be met by a person seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom as a general visitor are that he:
(vii) can meet the cost of the return or onward journey;

Which means that if asked to do so by an immigration officer they must be able to show that they either have a return or onward ticket or the means with which to purchase one.

I, too, have heard of airlines giving people difficulties on checking in for flights to the UK, or even refusing to board them at all, if they have not had a return/onward ticket.

This is because airlines are subject to large financial penalties if they knowingly carry a passenger who does not have the proper entry clearance for their destination.

However, if the airline is aware of the rules, as they should be, then you wont get this difficulty; or at worst will overcome it if asking to speak to someone more senior.

It may be worth carrying an email from UKVI; if you can obtain one.

Edited July 7, 2014 by 7by7