Getting a British passport for my Thai son.

[mc1984]

Hi all. I am in the process of applying for my son's British passport here in Thailand. I have been on the UKgov website and now know I need to submit the application in person, in Bangkok.

I'm looking to hear from anyone who has been through this process before and if it's easy or made very complicated by Thai procedures.

My son is 7 months old, my girlfriend and I are not married and my father in Scotland can't find my birth certificate. Will any of this delay the process?

Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

[daveAustin]

Did this many years ago (albeit within Thailand before passports started to be issued from outside) and it made it tougher that we were not married before the birth as nationality is not automatically passed from the father for kids born outside UK to foreign mother, according to UK law. You will also need to get your birth cert sorted. A copy can be issued through your local (Scotland) registrar though don't know if you need to be present.

Edited March 2, 2015 by daveAustin

[mc1984]

Did this many years ago (albeit within Thailand before passports started to be issued from outside) and it made it tougher that we were not married before the birth as nationality is not automatically passed from the father for kids born outside UK to foreign mother, according to UK law. You will also need to get your birth cert sorted. A copy can be issued through your local (Scotland) registrar though don't know if you need to be present.

Thanks daveAustin. I have just been looking into obtaining a new birth certificate and it appears I can do it by post. What did you do to overcome the problem of nationality not being passed automatically from father to child? Should I register the birth with the British embassy in Bangkok first?

[richard_smith237]

I applied for a Passport for my Son a year ago (English Father, Thai Mother - Married) - It took 3 weeks.

You will need a Birth Certificate (the full version, apparently people were also issued a half page copy which is not sufficient).

You will need a colour photocopy of each page of your passport.

You will need a colour photocopy of each page of your Wifes Passport (Or, Colour Photocopy of your Wifes ID card + the actual card which will be immediately returned)

The application form will need the signature of someone respectable (i.e. Dr. / Lawyer etc) who has known you for more than 2 years and can swear that a passport photo is a true likeness of your son.

You will need 2 colour photos which your signatory (respectable Dr. / Lawyer etc) must sign the back (also stating a true likeness)

Certified English translation of your Thai Birth Certificate

Signed and completed Application form

[brewsterbudgen]

I don't believe there is any requirement to be married.

As long as the father is British "otherwise than by descent" it should be straightforward.

[mc1984]

I applied for a Passport for my Son a year ago (English Father, Thai Mother - Married) - It took 3 weeks.

You will need a Birth Certificate (the full version, apparently people were also issued a half page copy which is not sufficient).

You will need a colour photocopy of each page of your passport.

You will need a colour photocopy of each page of your Wifes Passport (Or, Colour Photocopy of your Wifes ID card + the actual card which will be immediately returned)

The application form will need the signature of someone respectable (i.e. Dr. / Lawyer etc) who has known you for more than 2 years and can swear that a passport photo is a true likeness of your son.

You will need 2 colour photos which your signatory (respectable Dr. / Lawyer etc) must sign the back (also stating a true likeness)

Certified English translation of your Thai Birth Certificate

Signed and completed Application form

Sounds pretty straightforward and simple. When you say each page of your passport, do you mean every page or every page with stamps on it?

I'll make sure to apply for a full birth certificate when I do.

You have made this seem like a very simple process and I really hope it is that way and I hope not being married doesn't pose too much of a problem.

[mc1984]

I don't believe there is any requirement to be married.

As long as the father is British "otherwise than by descent" it should be straightforward.

I was born and raised in the UK to British parents so hopefully that is enough.

[brewsterbudgen]

I don't believe there is any requirement to be married.

As long as the father is British "otherwise than by descent" it should be straightforward.

I was born and raised in the UK to British parents so hopefully that is enough.

You'll be fine. I'm as British as they come, but I was born in Rhodesia in 1960 (then a British colony) to British parents (I have a Rhodesian birth certificate), and moved back to the UK when I was 6 months old. I had to be "registered" as British in 1968. God knows if this makes me British by descent (and therefore unable to pass on my citizenship to my kid, if born in Thailand) or otherwise than by descent, which means I can. I started a thread about it here, with conflicting answers!

I guess I won't know for sure, until I apply for my son's passport.

Good luck with your application. Let us know how it goes.

[7by7]

Did this many years ago (albeit within Thailand before passports started to be issued from outside) and it made it tougher that we were not married before the birth as nationality is not automatically passed from the father for kids born outside UK to foreign mother, according to UK law. You will also need to get your birth cert sorted. A copy can be issued through your local (Scotland) registrar though don't know if you need to be present.

Thanks daveAustin. I have just been looking into obtaining a new birth certificate and it appears I can do it by post. What did you do to overcome the problem of nationality not being passed automatically from father to child? Should I register the birth with the British embassy in Bangkok first?

Prior to 1st June 2006, British fathers could not pass their British nationality onto their children born outside the UK, or a qualifying territory, unless they were married to the mother. The children of unmarried British mothers could inherit their mother's British nationality no matter where they were born.

This changed on the above date, and unmarried British fathers now can pass on their British nationality to their children no matter where they are born.

Your son was born after that date; so, provided you are British otherwise than by descent, which from what you say you are, and can prove it with your long form birth certificate, your son is also British and can obtain a British passport.

However, your son is British by descent, so he will be unable to pass his British nationality onto his children unless they are born in the UK or a qualifying territory.

If you've not already done so, you can order a copy of your long form birth certificate from here.

See here for how to apply for his passport in Thailand.

BTW, you cannot, and never have been able to, register a foreign birth at the British embassy. What used to be possible was lodging the foreign, in this case Thai, birth certificate with the relevant GRO in the UK, in your case Scotland. Even that is no longer possible, though you can still lodge a copy with the relevant GRO directly if you wish.

[SantiSuk]

OP re your question in post 8 about copying the passport - Yes - has to be every page no matter if blank. Bit frustrating if like my daughter her old passport that was up for renewal was entirely blank (only used for UK and Europe trips and immigrations there tend not to put stamps in passports any longer).

Hints:

You can copy 8 passport pages (4 pairs of facing pages) onto a single sheet of photocopy paper if you know how your printer overprints neatly onto the blank half and onto the reverse side. They will accept double-sided copying

You might save yourself some hassle if you take your son along and have his passport photos done in the processing centre (250 baht for a set of six)*. Not as cheap as doing it locally, but it took my local Kodak shop 3 goes to get the sizing of the head correct (more than 29cm less than 35cm) and, because my wife was a bit sheepish about not relaying my instructions and diagrams effectively, I ended up paying double for armloads of unnecessary passport photos! You do not have to take your child along with you to Trendy VFS though if you can get the passport piccys right in advance. This was the second Kodak shop in 5 years that has screwed up the UK dimensions for me!

You will need to provide some evidence of your address (since you are applying, not the child). If your address is now in Thailand** and you can't meet any of the stated requirements for an English language version of your address, then see if your Thai bank will do a bank statement with your address in English on it. My bank, Krungsri, does not do/will not do normal statements with an address on them, but I noted that the tax certificate they churn out on my deposit interest had my Thai address in English for one of the four deposit accounts I hold with them (the others are in Thai - maybe those would be acceptable if officially translated). I then got them to do an address-less financial letter (the one you might get for immigration when applying for a one year visa extension) for that account and married the two up. It seemed to pass muster with Trendy VFS though I have only just been there last week, so I suppose it could be rejected by Liverpool; I had already checked with the Passport Advice Line that a bank statement with ones address in English would be ok in principle (they asked that I make it clear in the additional information text box (section 8) that I was going down the bank statement route because I could not meet their specified requirements).

Provide a photocopy of everything you intend to submit, other than the application itself and the payment forms (colour only needed for any previous passport and don't forget that you need to copy the current Thai passport of your child also if there is one). The Passport Advice Line told me that the passport was the only thing you had to copy but I did not trust that - rightly it turned out - as I was asked for a copy of the address proof documentation as well as them taking the original).

Anyone doing their own passport renewal along with their child's? Remember to copy your proof of address twice - one for each person's application. It's only 3 baht a page for B&W copying on site though if you forget.

Anything still concerning you? Phone the UK Passport Advice Line - they answered quickly, efficiently and helpfully. Hope you have Skype or some equivalent though.

Yes - the process is simple in theory. It doesn't stop you tearing your hair out somewhere along the line though! Oh for the simplified processes that the Thais have for their 50 page - and cheap with it - passports (the "just turn up with your ID card and any prior passport and leave the rest to us" approach).

* There is also a machine in Soi 13 between Sukhumvit and Trendy building that promises UK-valid photos at 150 baht (might even have been 120) if you want to do it in advance of the appointment. I can't vouch for its operational worthiness.

**I'm not sure how it works if you are a part-time attending father who regards his address as still being in the UK (and gets absolutely nothing sent to him at the Thai address where the mother and child live), but I'm sure the Advice Line would quickly tell an applicant what to do.

Edited March 2, 2015 by SantiSuk

[Deserted]

You should expect a few months to pass before you get the passport. Due to identity fraud, it takes a lot more time to get a first passport. Applied for our child's in November, still waiting.... .

[Richard W]

I had to be "registered" as British in 1968.

Why? Surely you were already British!

[elvisp1977]

Yes can take quite a long time particularly if they need additional information,,,my son's was recently approved and Liverpool received the additional information 4 months before they approved it.....i was asked to provide family photo's and i understand some are asked for DNA tests...

Cheers..,,

[brewsterbudgen]

I had to be "registered" as British in 1968.

Why? Surely you were already British!

Actually I think I could have chosen Rhodesian citizenship, but strangely at 7 years old, I wasn't keen to fight in Ian Smith's army!

[mc1984]

Yes can take quite a long time particularly if they need additional information,,,my son's was recently approved and Liverpool received the additional information 4 months before they approved it.....i was asked to provide family photo's and i understand some are asked for DNA tests...

Cheers..,,

DNA tests? I have a photo of me as a 2 month old and my son as a 2 month old and we could be the same baby, would that be enough?

[7by7]

I stand to be corrected, but my understanding is that a DNA test would only be required if there is no satisfactory documentary evidence, such as a birth certificate, of paternity.

[SantiSuk]

You should expect a few months to pass before you get the passport. Due to identity fraud, it takes a lot more time to get a first passport. Applied for our child's in November, still waiting.... .

Hard to imagine what the verification steps in the UK involve that justify a 4 month delay if everything about your application was normal and correctly submitted. Disgraceful!

[elvisp1977]

Not too sure about the exact requirements for a DNA test but i was advised by the progress team ( after 5 months of waiting ) that i was one of the lucky ones as i did not require a DNA test!!!! Unbelievable really...

It is also my understanding after raising my son's case with my local MP that security checks are "carried out by colleagues overseas". Anyone know who these colleague's are? My belief is that if that is the case then they should be carried out a lot quicker. It is disgraceful that they are taking so long...i wonder if the checks are more stringent since all these checks came back to the UK....or whether Liverpool overseas cannot cope with them? It is amazing that some are turned round in a matter of weeks whilst others wait so long..

Cheers...