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It is not something you have to do. Your marriage is recognized in the UK.

Not, it seems, by EU visa-issuing authorities, such as Germany or Spain. It seems that they need recent legalisations.

If you are unsure whether your marriage will be legally recognised, you can petition a court for a declaration of status under Section 55 of the Family Law Act 1986.

Interesting. Are there any advantages in this over simply marrying again in the UK?

If you are already legally married in Thailand this will be recognised in the UK, so you would be a bagamist with your own wife if you married again in the UK (the mind boggles) If you only jumped over a broomstic, you could get married again in the UK.

We never had any problems getting many Schengen visa's from the German Embassy before our marriage was registered in the UK (not available now see previous posts)

wooloomooloo, on 02 Dec 2014 - 23:23, said:

Get it notarised, nonetheless. Trust me.

For what reason?

Speak with James UK first...

Richard W, on 03 Dec 2014 - 09:09, said:

ubonjoe, on 02 Dec 2014 - 14:38, said:

It is not something you have to do. Your marriage is recognized in the UK.

Not, it seems, by EU visa-issuing authorities, such as Germany or Spain. It seems that they need recent legalisations.

MiKT, on 03 Dec 2014 - 07:23, said:

If you are unsure whether your marriage will be legally recognised, you can petition a court for a declaration of status under Section 55 of the Family Law Act 1986.

Interesting. Are there any advantages in this over simply marrying again in the UK?

I married a Chinese woman in Nanning, China, some years ago. Other than our Chinese marriage books and an authorised translation we never needed anything else. They were accepted by the UKBA when applying for her Settlement Visa as proof she was my wife.

In the UK they were also accepted in order to get a NI number and card, NHS registration, bank account and the Council register.

They were also used and accepted to get Schengen Visas for Spain, Germany and France without any problems.

I still have a number of friends living in the UK with Chinese and Thai wives. Their marriages were all recognised by the UKBA for the purpose of Settlement in the UK and by all authorities in the UK. Two of my friends still regularly travel to Europe and have never had a problem with getting a Schengen Visa for their wives.

Providing you follow the legal marriage procedures within the overseas Country you get married, then she is also recognised as your legal wife in the UK.

If the marriage wasn't regarded as legally binding, you'd never get past the UKBA and get her into the UK........think about it!

wooloomooloo, on 02 Dec 2014 - 23:23, said:

Get it notarised, nonetheless. Trust me.

For what reason?

If your wife subsequently applies for a Schengen visa then the marriage certificate requires to be notarised. You will probably come across further instances in the future as well. For the small cost and speed that this can be achieved in BKK, it is something that you don't have to revisit at a later date and at additional expense.

Still, up to you.

wooloomooloo, on 03 Dec 2014 - 19:53, said:

Faz, on 03 Dec 2014 - 18:11, said:

wooloomooloo, on 02 Dec 2014 - 23:23, said:

wooloomooloo, on 02 Dec 2014 - 23:23, said:

Get it notarised, nonetheless. Trust me.

For what reason?

If your wife subsequently applies for a Schengen visa then the marriage certificate requires to be notarised. You will probably come across further instances in the future as well. For the small cost and speed that this can be achieved in BKK, it is something that you don't have to revisit at a later date and at additional expense.

Still, up to you.

That would largely depend on where you get the translation done. If they are an approved translation company then they will be on the register of approved translators and their official stamp will carry their registration number. I nor my friends currently in the UK have never had a problem with getting Schengen Visas.

If you apply from within the UK then your marriage certificates will not be questioned by another EU Embassy...............I mean how the heck did she get into the UK in the first place if your marriage wasn't already accepted as genuine.

Now if your applying for a Schengen Visa from any other Country than your home residence, then I can see the benefit of having it notarised.

I agree there is no harm in having it notarised by the MFA in Thailand, but I never found it necessary.

The OP wanted to register his marriage in the UK, of which the service has now ceased.

If he is going to BKK anyway then his next best option I agree, is to have it notarised for his own peace of mind.

If you are already legally married in Thailand this will be recognised in the UK, so you would be a bagamist with your own wife if you married again in the UK (the mind boggles).

Apparently not. I asked a couple of registrars a fair few years ago, and though they weren't keen on the idea, they didn't say it couldn't be done. My wife had a belief that her marriage wasn't fully recognised, which I pooh-poohed. However demands for legalisation have made me think that she wasn't as wrong as I thought.

We never had any problems getting many Schengen visa's from the German Embassy before our marriage was registered in the UK (not available now see previous posts)

Were these 'free' visas?

Richard W, on 04 Dec 2014 - 02:08, said:

MiKT, on 03 Dec 2014 - 10:00, said:

If you are already legally married in Thailand this will be recognised in the UK, so you would be a bagamist with your own wife if you married again in the UK (the mind boggles).

Apparently not. I asked a couple of registrars a fair few years ago, and though they weren't keen on the idea, they didn't say it couldn't be done. My wife had a belief that her marriage wasn't fully recognised, which I pooh-poohed. However demands for legalisation have made me think that she wasn't as wrong as I thought.

MiKT, on 03 Dec 2014 - 10:00, said:

We never had any problems getting many Schengen visa's from the German Embassy before our marriage was registered in the UK (not available now see previous posts)

Were these 'free' visas?

Getting married abroad.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/268020/marriage.pdf

As long as there is no evidence to suggest the marriage was forced, arranged or bigamy has been committed, it is recognised under UK law.

Schengen Visas are 'free' from the respective Embassies, but agents charge a fee.

If you go in person to an Embassy a Schengen Visa will be issued free.