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Do I need to change my wife's passport name when applying for a UK spouse visa?

UK spouse visaThai marriage certificateVisa documentationName change in marriageBritish immigration rulesExpat advice
Apr 16, 2023
2 years ago
Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I got married and iam wondering if I apply for spouse visa to UK will my wife have to change passport to my name.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
When applying for a UK spouse visa, it is not necessary for your wife to change her passport to reflect your surname. Many individuals have successfully navigated the visa process while their spouses kept their maiden names. A Thai marriage certificate, which is legally recognized in the UK, can be used for the visa application. However, having her documents in her married name may simplify future processes. It's advisable to provide a translated Thai marriage certificate along with the visa application.
Gary *******
I am from Canada and no my wife doesn't have to change last name
2 years ago
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William ************
Pm if you wish .
2 years ago
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Austin *********
No my wife kept hers👍
2 years ago
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Austin *********
And married in thsiland
2 years ago
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Austin *********
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Av **********
No, but make sure she has plenty of other visas for various countries to show the embassy she can follow visa procedures...if this is her first visa she may not get it
2 years ago
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Bob *********
No. I married my wife at a district office and registered the marriage there. You do not have to register your marriage again in the UK. We obtained the spouse visa for her to come to the UK using her maiden name and she did not change her name in Thailand on her passport or anything else. She entered the UK and had a brp in her maiden name. We applied for her NI number with no problem. We now 1 year later have been back to Thailand for her to change her name there and get a new passport in her married name. Now back in the UK we have changed her name on everything, we are just waiting for her UK driving licence to come back. So you don't need to do it straight away. But my advice would be if you plan on her using your married name it will be easier to change it before you apply for the spouse visa so you do it in her new name. Simply because changing everything after she comes to the UK is a pain in the backside. What you do not want is a visa in her old name and a passport in her married name. This is from our experience I do not profess to be an expert.
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bob ********
 thanks Bob probaly run with her old passport as I have the marriage cert in uk with me as she will need if she had to change name
2 years ago
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Bob *********
@Owen **********
 no problem with doing that. As long as she has the visa vignette in her passport there will be no problem for her entering the UK. But my advice is to meet her at the airport and keep your mobile on. Then if the immigration officer does have any questions they can contact you to verify. That has happened to me twice. First time my phone was on silent but the 2nd time I answered. They just wanted to confirm everything was legit and they let her through
2 years ago
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Bob *********
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Bryan ********
I got married to a Thai in UK .She didnt change her name and still hasn't 8 years on .Never been an issue or ever questioned.
2 years ago
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Jo ****
@Bryan *******
. It's never an issue until they move back to Thailand .
2 years ago
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Jo ****
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Patrick ********
Yes it's not impossible but difficult
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Patrick *******
 what's not possible
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
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Jo ****
Mine didn't. She kept her own name.

If your wife keeps her own name it will give her more entitlements in Thailand.
2 years ago
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Kim *********
@Jo ***
 she has a Thai id card so why is that? (more entitlements keeping her own name)
2 years ago
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Jo ****
@Kim ********
 yes, easier for her also.
2 years ago
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Jo ****
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Chris ***********
@Jo ***
 my Thai wife uses her maiden name to get treatment at her local hospital, because it's 30bht a visit. Under my name it would be more, because she's not in the government health scheme in my name. You are correct.
2 years ago
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Chris ***********
Just roll with it. Don't try to understand the Thai way. 555
2 years ago
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Kim *********
@Chris **********
 my Thai wife has changed her name to mine and is in the government health scheme - I just asked her and she said yes I pay 30 baht - so this is strange
2 years ago
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Derek *******
@Chris **********
 thanks for telling me all of this, my wife talked about changing her last name to mine for a while.
2 years ago
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Jo ****
@Chris **********
 Thanks.
2 years ago
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Jo ****
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John ********
@Jo ***
 yes depends on the local government as in all things thai which is rubbish

But she has the right to get the same as any other thai
2 years ago
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John ********
@Jo ***
 she will be entitled even if she does change her name

It's a problem for her if she gives up her thai citizenship
2 years ago
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Jo ****
@John *******
. Example... In the next village the government were giving allotments to the locals in the village. Because my friends wife had a farang name she was refused an allotment.

Another was my business partner. He died and his wife had a job getting her new I'd card with her Thai name . There are more examples and it often depends on the local gov officials.
2 years ago
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Jo ****
@John *******
. Not true!!
2 years ago
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John ********
@Jo ***
 ok anything that you say 🤣

Of course I have been married to a thai woman and I come from the UK
2 years ago
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John ********
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Giuseppe **********
Not necessary
2 years ago
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Andy ***********
She can travel on old docs with maiden name…
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy **********
 but I'm applying for spouse visa and maybe needs to be same name as me
2 years ago
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Andy ***********
@Ow**
 - yes you need al docs translated also
2 years ago
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Andy ***********
yes - that is what we did and it was fine .. as stated we went to next level and. Got leave to enter / leave to remain and if complete 5 full years your wife can apply for UK passport - this will also be in her maiden name unless she decides to change .. it is up to you
2 years ago
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Andy ***********
no she does not —- we did exactly as you are planning … my wife has since changed names .. but she had a spouse visa and even leave to enter UK permit on maiden name .. it will be fine
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy **********
 so I just put everything in her maiden name, and submit thai marriage cert which will.be traslated
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy **********
 thanks wasnt sure about it
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
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David ***********
If you got married in Thailand it will be very difficult to obtain a British marriage license
2 years ago
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Mally *******
translate to English and get it stamped at MFA,you will need it in english for your visa application
2 years ago
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Frank **********
Probably easier to think about it like this: You can not get a UK marriage license unless you got married in the UK. You can register your marriage abroad if you take the required documents to the local office that handles these kinds of things.

Thai marriage licenses are recognized by most governments. I don’t know the specifics, but once you register the marriage, you can start looking in to what is required to add her to your benefits. I think the UK is similar to the US (where I’m from) and there is a waiting period and a need to get some kind of tax id number or local equivalent. Should be pretty straightforward googling the terms “register marriage abroad + your local office”
2 years ago
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Owen ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David **********
 its recognised in uk our marriage certificate and I will get it translated to English to submit for spouse visa
2 years ago
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Chris *********************
@Owen **********
 I registered my marriage at British embassy in Bangkok.

Got thai marriage cert translated, when we registered at local government office, they changed her ID, so when she went for passport it was in marriage name.

Visa was easy if you supply the right paper work. That was 12 years ago. I think things should be more easy now
2 years ago
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Martin *********
@Chris ********************
 its a lot header now to get a thai wife back to the u.k and a lot more expensive
2 years ago
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Chris *********************
@Martin ********
 we came back just before covid ,me wife and 2 daughters, which have duel nationality, took less than a week for wife's visa.

She has been a few times. No problems.
2 years ago
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Martin *********
@Chris ********************
 iam talking about a settlement visa for people that have just married in Thailand and want to take thier wife to the u.k
2 years ago
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Steve *******
@Martin ********
 You cant get a 'settlement visa'(whatever that is) straight away. You have to go through 'leave to remain' which takes 2 years.
2 years ago
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Chris *********************
@Martin ********
 my friend has done that for his wife.they have a son together, 5 year visa tests and revue after 2 years 6 months, or something like that. She is still here and working.
2 years ago
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Chris *********************
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David ***********
@Owen **********
 yes I have it translated into English, I just want my wife to get the same recognition as a British wife
2 years ago
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David ***********
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Michael ********
@David **********
 ? Its actually quite easy to do, if for whatever reason you want to do it
2 years ago
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David ***********
@Michael *******
 so you obtain a British marriage license without getting married in the UK
2 years ago
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Michael ********
@David **********
 no you have to get married tbere, civil ceremony but its simple to do
2 years ago
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David ***********
@Michael *******
 so when I go back to England next for four weeks I can get married to obtain a English marriage license
2 years ago
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David ***********
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Jonathan *******
@David **********
 you dont need one, a legal marriage in Thailand is recognised in the UK
2 years ago
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David ***********
@Jonathan ******
 I was looking more at if anything happened to me, that my wife would get the same treatment like a British wife, I have a good army pension and I would hope my wife would get it after I've died like a British wife would, a British person would get a bereavement fund like I did when my wife died 8 years ago, I got a lump sum and a monthly payment for one year
2 years ago
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Martin *********
@David **********
 thats to do with your army pension you need to talk with them
2 years ago
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Jonathan *******
@David **********
 ah that's fair enough then. Legally she'd be entitled as it's recognised, but sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry as you never know
2 years ago
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Jonathan *******
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David ***********
@Jonathan ******
 I have a Thai marriage license, I made inquiries, with a local register, to obtain a British marriage you would have to apply to get married in England🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
2 years ago
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Steve ***********
@David **********
 you don't need to as your Thai marriage licence is your marriage document
2 years ago
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Jonathan *******
@David **********
 but you don't need a British marriage or British marriage licence. The Thai one works. You are legally married both here and in the UK. I'm not sure why you'd need a British license? I've never come across a need for one. Maybe I'm missing something though
2 years ago
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Jason ***************
@Jonathan ******
 same , I married recently in Thailand , the Thai marriage certificate is recognised in the UK 100% .
2 years ago
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Jason ***************
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Steve *******
@David **********
 Why? The marriage is legally recognized in the UK.
2 years ago
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Steve *******
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AxMdob *******
RIP
2 years ago
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เจสัน ******
You can research the UK Visa / Passport legislation on UK Government Websites for the definitive answer.
2 years ago
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Michael ********
No
2 years ago
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Michael ********
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