Applying for son's first British passport

[robbiecia]

Greetings learned ones.

I will be applying for my 6 month old son's first British passport in Bangkok next month.

I am British and the mother is Thai.

My burning question is this!

Do i need to supply MY original birth certificate to do this?

or will a colour photo copy be acceptable??

Hoping to avoid having my original birth certificate sent through the mail.

Any tips on what i can expect will be appreciated

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

See here for info:https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y/thailand/applying/child/thailand

And this list of documents required. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-passport-supporting-documents-group-2

[2008bangkok]

You will need the original and it needs to be the bigger one with both parents name on not just the mini version.

Edited September 11, 2015 by 2008bangkok

[awayego]

Do you mean you would have to get your original birth cert mailed from the UK or do you have the full birth cert with you now?

If you have it already then when you go to the Trendy passport office in Bangkok, they will check all original docs against colour photocopies and return them to you immediately - not post them.

I went through the whole process recently and, provided you are pretty meticulous with your application and all document requirements, I found them to be extremely efficient and I was in and out again in under fifteen minutes, complete with all my original docs. My son's passport arrived ten days later!

Unfortunately for me, I live in Chiang Mai so it was two return trips to Bangkok, making the passport application pretty expensive!

[Happy Days xx]

• Hello, you don't say if you and your partner are married?

I will be in a similar position in January.

I am not (yet) married to my partner.

Will I be able to get a UK passport for my 'son' issued in Thailand without problem, or will the baby have to have a Thai passport?

I wish to travel to Uk with my partner and baby next May.

Previously my partner has obtained two x 6 months visas, but I would like to get her a 1 or 2 year this time.

We will only stay for 4 weeks, as our lives are fixed permanently here in Thailand, but with wanting to take the baby, would the visa department be suspicious that we may overstay (which definitely won't be the case)?

If you apply for a 1 year or 2 year visa, and they do not want to grant this, can they grant but downgrade to say a 6 month one? Or do you have to reapply?

Many thanks for any input provided

[awayego]

• Hello, you don't say if you and your partner are married?
• I will be in a similar position in January.
• I am not (yet) married to my partner.
• Will I be able to get a UK passport for my 'son' issued in Thailand without problem, or will the baby have to have a Thai passport?
• I wish to travel to Uk with my partner and baby next May.
• Previously my partner has obtained two x 6 months visas, but I would like to get her a 1 or 2 year this time.
• We will only stay for 4 weeks, as our lives are fixed permanently here in Thailand, but with wanting to take the baby, would the visa department be suspicious that we may overstay (which definitely won't be the case)?
• If you apply for a 1 year or 2 year visa, and they do not want to grant this, can they grant but downgrade to say a 6 month one? Or do you have to reapply?
• Many thanks for any input provided

It is my understanding that, to obtain a passport your child, you do NOT need to be married to your son's mother but you CANNOT be married to anyone else.

It is for that reason, in part, that I divorced my wife in UK - so that I could give my son here UK Citizenship and passport.

Since I divorced my first wife anyway, I married my Thai wife soon after.

As far as a Thai passport for your son, we applied and got one for our son prior to applying for his UK passport - it is much easier to do, doesn't take long and, I believe, assists the UK passport application.

As long as your application and all supporting documents meet the UK Border Agency's requirements the process via Bangkok is relatively painless and done very efficiently by the agents at the Trendy offices.

As far as your other queries are concerned, I have no knowledge or experience.

[richard_smith237]

Follow the requirements to the letter:

Some items easy to overlook:

- a Colour Photo Copy of Your Passport (All Pages)

- a Colour Photo Copy of Your Childs Mothers Passport (All Pages)

- OR a Colour Photo Copy of her Thai ID card (and the real card for verification)

My Son's passport arrived within 10 days (but allow for longer).

[Jonmarleesco]

I don't remember what documents I did need; though the passport application followed straight on from receipt of the nationality certificate - something we obtained some ten years after my son's birth, due to the government's myopia in recognising when it was contravening its own anti-discrimination law - so likely I didn't need to re-present the documents. But why you don't have your birth certificate couriered to you? Then you have it, whether or not you need it this time around.

[Richard W]

You will need the original and it needs to be the bigger one with both parents name on not just the mini version.

A 'certified copy' issued by the current registrar counts as an 'original'. You can order a fresh certified copy online.

[Richard W]

• Will I be able to get a UK passport for my 'son' issued in Thailand without problem, or will the baby have to have a Thai passport?
• I wish to travel to Uk with my partner and baby next May.

Strictly, your son won't be able to return to Thailand without a Thai passport or a Thai visa.

[Happy Days xx]

Thank you all for your input

[robbiecia]

You will need the original and it needs to be the bigger one with both parents name on not just the mini version.

A 'certified copy' issued by the current registrar counts as an 'original'. You can order a fresh certified copy online.

Thank you for the replies

I am married to the Thai mother.

I have a colour copy of the bigger birth certificate.

Having the original sent here worries me a little................ anybody know where i can get a "certified copy" of my birth certificate here in Bangkok?