Changes to the legalisation procedures for UK Citizens moving TO Thailand.

[theoldgit]

The UK FCO have announced changes to the Legalisation of Documents for those in and moving to Thailand. The Embassy can no longer legalise documents such as Birth Certificates or Marriage Certificates, the only place this can be done is the Legalisation Office in London and then the Thai Embassy in London. This may or may not affect your Visa Renewal but they suggest you contact your local Immigration Office prior to your next renewal.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Consular Strategy (2013-2016) focuses on improving the services we offer by concentrating on helping the most vulnerable people, and streamlining the notarial services offered by British Embassies and Consulates worldwide.

We are now working on bridging the gap between implementing this strand of the strategy and helping British nationals comply with requirements set by local authorities.

British nationals currently in the UK, who intend to work, live, or study in Thailand may be asked to present their birth and/or marriage certificates as part of the requirements for a Thai visa. These must be ‘authenticated’ (also known as ‘legalised’) by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate where the certificate was issued.

This process may also apply to people renewing a visa whilst living in Thailand. It involves the following steps:

Step 1: Contact the Legalisation Office, Milton Keynes, UK To check if the document can be legalised and to apply online for this service please visit https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised
Before sending your document to the UK Legalisation Office, ensure that you pay the UK courier fee so that your documents can be forwarded to the Thai Embassy in London - enclose a pre-addressed envelope for the Thai Embassy, a completed application form (which can be found on the Thai Embassy website here) and the fee payment for the Thai Embassy.

Step 2: Have the document legalised by the Thai Embassy in London Once the original document(s) have been legalised by the UK Legalisation Office the document(s) must be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy in London for the next stage of the process. If you have already paid the courier fee the UK Legalisation Office will send these for you. Further information can be found on the Royal Thai Embassy website. http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk Contact the Royal Thai Embassy to inform them that your documents will be arriving.

Step 3 For use in Thailand the document(s) must be stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legalisation Division, Bangkok. http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/16265-NaturalizationLegalization.html
Before undertaking these steps, British nationals are encouraged to contact the local authorities for confirmation on what is required.

I appreciate the challenges faced by those living overseas of getting documents legalised in the UK, and would like to assure you that we are reviewing the way these services are provided and working with the Thai authorities to try to improve this process.

legalisation British Embassy.pdf

Legalisation checklist for customers.pdf

[Crossy]

So, by making it more difficult / expensive they are 'improving' the service?

This is obviously some strange usage of the word 'improving' of which I was previously unaware (acknowledgement to Douglas Adams).

Not the first time of course, they've already 'improved' the passport application process.

[lungbing]

Having this week obtained my letter from the British Embassy confirming my income, I don't think this new process affects that. Although I do note the letter now has an impressive large red seal on it rather than the small embossed one used in previous years. So I'm off to Khon Kaen Immigration tomorrow and don't anticipate any problem. By this time next year I hope they've sorted out any problems arising from 'improvements' to the process.

[evadgib]

Having read everything several times I think you're right.

[OJAS]

Not the first time of course, they've already 'improved' the passport application process.

And it would not surprise me in the slightest if this process were now further "improved" through the Embassy discontinuing to issue the letters required by many immigration offices for the transfer of extension of stay stamps from old to new passports, with holders of new passports having to go through this cumbersome "legislation" process instead before their existing stamps could be transferred.

[nong38]

There view of how "to help British Citizens" abroad seems to be to do as little as possible. Just have an Embassy ensuring a presence which will fulfill our basic needs and, of course, need to have an Ambassador, so the revolving door encumbant ensures that there will always be a civil servant on the move, on their way through life without actually doing very much but will have a nice pension at the end of it, old boy!

[i claudius]

After having dealings years ago with the British embassy as I have always said ,it is staffed by paper shufflers third class ,backed up by paper clip counters second class