UK Passport

[Zidane 11]

Guys,

My Thai wife has heard that if she lived in the UK for 2 years on a Settlement Visa,she is then eligible for a UK Passport.

Does anyone know if this is true and,if so,would the UK Passport be dependent upon her staying in the UK permanently ? ie,if she moved back to Thailand would the UK passport be revoked ?

Thanks for any info.

 

Zidane

[dirtydawg 11]

It was three years last time i heard,could be wrong though.

 

 

I dont think they can revoke her citizenship just because she moves out of the country.

[Cennn3 0]

She has to apply to become a British national first of all, which she can do in 3 years I believe, she has to have a good standard of English for this and has to go thru the test they have now.Then after she has got that she can apply for a British passport.

[hoop 0]

3 years my wife got her,s last year british citizen

[chris_heaton 4]

As to the 2nd part of the question.

 

My wife is worried because she has a British passport and her Thai passport. This is illegal in Thailand as you are not allowed to have dual Nationality, unless you are under 21 years of age.

 

Up to now whenever she has visited Thailand she has used her Thai passport to go in and out of Thailand with. This passport still has the Indefinate Right To Remain visa stamp so there is no questions when she returns to the UK.

 

However soon we are returning to Thailand and she will be staying for over 4 or 5 years. The Visa she has will not allow her to return if she has been out of the country for more than a couple of years. So if she shows this at the airport the Thai authorities may not allow her to get on the plane. She could, of course show her UK passport, but what will be the immigrations attitude when they see she has a passport she is not supposed to have.

 

My wife is very worried about this. Can anyone who has been in the same situation help please.

 

Chris

[whitespider 1]

You are correct about not allowing two passports in thailand but many girls do it. My wife certainly does. I am not condoning breaking the law just giving you an options to ponder.

 

Go to the Thai Visa site and ask the question as I have heard there has recently been some relaxing of the reg's about dual nationality.

 

Also remember she can always re-apply for a new visa anyway when you return. If it was granted before there should be little problem getting one again.

 

If you are only travelling back and forth from thailand there is little advantage in having the british passport as if she enters on the British passport she will only be given the 30 day right of entry and will be deemed "non thai".

 

If I were her I would apply for british nationality anyway, then think about the passport issue after that.

Edited July 8, 2006 by whitespider

[nidnoyham 30]

I am not too sure about this, but if you have property in Los owned by your Thai wife, does becoming British put her ownership as a Thai into some doubt ? A freind of mine had this problem, but like so much there, it seems to go with who you deal with at the airport on arrival/departure. My mate's wife uses both her Thai and U.K Passport for entry and departure and has had no trouble- so far.