Hi

Me and the wife have been living together in the UK for some time now, she wants to go visit the family in Thailand and her passport expires soon, does the UK have one of those rules like other countries where your passport must be valid say 3 or 6 months from when you arrive?

example - would they let her back in with only 2 days left to run on her passport? my head says no.

Thanks

What's her status in the UK?

Why doesn't she get a new passport in Thailand, it only takes about a week?

She's on a settlement visa,

I was thinking she could get a new passport but just wondered about the UK ruling about validity bit, never to think about it before

There's no requirement for six months validity when entering the UK, but I suspect they wouldn't let her in with a passport expiring in two days, probably wouldn't even let her travel.

She's on a settlement visa,

When I researched the matter 11 years ago, I could find no requirement for x months validity. I haven't heard of any such requirement being imposed, nor can I now find it in the immigration rules, except implicitly and uncertainly, for cases not involving settlement.

I assume the visa to which you refer is in her current passport and she does not have a biometric residence permit. Note that between her passport expiring or being cancelled (as it will be when she applies for a new passport) and her next extension of leave, she will have no 'acceptable' document to prove that she has a right to work. If she is in work, check when her next right-to-work check is due - I'm not sure whether a check done this February, for example, now needs to be repeated next February (old rules) or only when her current leave expires (new rules). If she's unlucky with the timing, she might have to get a biometric residence permit before the next extension.

As to renewing the passport in Thailand, I for one would be more comfortable doing the renewal in the UK, even though it involves a trip to London. If her old passport goes missing during the process, there would be fewer problems if still in the UK.

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Note that between her passport expiring or being cancelled (as it will be when she applies for a new passport) and her next extension of leave, she will have no 'acceptable' document to prove that she has a right to work (in the UK)......

Yes she will; her visa. Which will still be valid even if the passport it is physically in has expired or been cancelled.

As to renewing the passport in Thailand, I for one would be more comfortable doing the renewal in the UK, even though it involves a trip to London. If her old passport goes missing during the process, there would be fewer problems if still in the UK.

Quicker, easier, more convenient and cheaper to do it in Thailand.

Less chance, in my opinion, of the old passport getting lost doing so in Thailand than doing so at the RTE; when it will be sent back to Thailand for cancellation and then returned to London.

Having said that, neither my wife, daughter nor anyone we know have ever experienced any problems whether renewing in Thailand or at the RTE.

There's no requirement for six months validity when entering the UK, but I suspect they wouldn't let her in with a passport expiring in two days, probably wouldn't even let her travel.

great, the two days were hypothetical and we wouldn't risk it that short, the lack of requirement you list for six months makes our life a lot easier though

Note that between her passport expiring or being cancelled (as it will be when she applies for a new passport) and her next extension of leave, she will have no 'acceptable' document to prove that she has a right to work (in the UK)......

Yes she will; her visa. Which will still be valid even if the passport it is physically in has expired or been cancelled.

We've gone over this before. If you follow the link to 'An Employer's Guide to Right-to-Work Checks', you will see that the only use for an expired passport in providing an employer with a statutory excuse is as a holder for a 'temporary' or permanent residence card. A visa in an expired passport does not furnish a statutory excuse.

... an expired passport ...

Correction:

... an expired non-EEA passport ...

I stand corrected; the rules changed in May this year.

Does seem daft, though. A valid visa or LTR stamp in an expired passport is good enough to enter the UK, bit not good enough to show the right to work!