Answered9 years ago
What should I do if I received my Thailand visa in a canceled passport?
HELP!! Im in a mess and don't know what to do...
I applied for a tourist visa by post to thai embassy in London. Royal mail lost my letter so I immediately got a new passport, after my passport was cancelled and my new one came royal mail called saying they found it weeks later and sent it to the embassy.
I've just received my visa but in my now cancelled passport. How do I go about getting this visa in my new passport or do I have to completely reapply? Money's tight so don't want to waste the £35 I paid to get the visa... I called the embassy but no help, I emailed but they are rubbish at replying. I'm leaving in a few weeks so need a solution quick!
Can I send both passports and them transfer the visa to my new passport and then destroy my cancelled one??
Thanks!
I applied for a tourist visa by post to thai embassy in London. Royal mail lost my letter so I immediately got a new passport, after my passport was cancelled and my new one came royal mail called saying they found it weeks later and sent it to the embassy.
I've just received my visa but in my now cancelled passport. How do I go about getting this visa in my new passport or do I have to completely reapply? Money's tight so don't want to waste the £35 I paid to get the visa... I called the embassy but no help, I emailed but they are rubbish at replying. I'm leaving in a few weeks so need a solution quick!
Can I send both passports and them transfer the visa to my new passport and then destroy my cancelled one??
Thanks!
Answer summary
A user faced an issue where their tourist visa was issued in a canceled passport after a delay caused by Royal Mail losing their original application. They sought advice on how to handle this situation, including whether they could transfer the visa to their new passport or had to reapply entirely. Various suggestions from the community included reapplying for the visa, entering Thailand on a visa-exempt entry, and explaining the situation to the embassy. The discussion highlighted the importance of keeping both passports when traveling, as well as the complications surrounding canceled passports and visas.
68 repliesnewest first
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Emily ********
OPThanks everyone! Im going to reapply just makes my life easier then and I know where I'm at :)
Tod *********
At least you still have a couple weeks before your flight here Good Luck
@Em***
, :)
Rmala *******
It seems to me that you needed to inform the Thai Embassy that a lost passport may arrive and if so, do not grant visa on ot but that you will be sending in your new passport. In your case what's done is done (and I don't knkw what to do now) nut just putting it down here for future reference of others who may face a similar situation. Regards and hope you find a way out.
Yaniv ********
Don't think that is true as I still have both my old.passprot with me even after sending them.from Thailand for renew
Tod *********
Jonathan *******
You can come to Thailand at get the 30 day visa exemption stamp when you land, then extend it at immigration for another 30 days (1,900 Baht) so you can 60 days that way. Maybe that would be easier.
Tod *********
good suggestion (y)
Jonathan ****************
"Examiners should not cut or stamp any pages other than those mentioned above. This should not invalidate any visas contained in the passport but it is the responsibility of the applicant to check whether the visas remain valid for travel."
So unfortunately, if the embassy is saying you need to reapply, it looks like you need to reapply :/
So unfortunately, if the embassy is saying you need to reapply, it looks like you need to reapply :/
********************************************************************
Tod *********
Unfortunately the people who said just bring the single entry visa in the old expired passport are wrong :/ The ONLY visa you can have in an expired passport that works for entry is a multi-entry visa that was previously used. That's when you show both passports and get stamped in on the new one but carry the old one until the visa expires
Emily ********
OPThai embassy replied to my email saying the opposite what you have all said... now confused!
Paul **********
Always welcome. Have a safe trip 😀
Emily ********
OPSuch a good idea thanks! :)
Paul **********
Emily, carry your canceled passport with you and try to use the visa in it at Immigration, if they reject it then just ask for a visa exemt. When you land you will need to fill out an arrival card. Fill out 2, one with the visa number and the other one without. If your visa is rejected just hand over the other card to the Immigration Officer and ask for a visa-exemt entry. They can just cancel out the visa number but they might also ask you to go and fill another arrival card in then you lose your place in the queue... The second card pre-empts this.
Emily ********
OPYeah they can be quite amusing there, I called the other day and was talking to a lady... mid sentence she put me hold for half an hour then went through and she said sorry we can't help and hung up! Anyway I think that's what I'm going to do as I can't get a 100% confirmed answer
David *******
@Emily *******
they are a world to themselves there, I went in person to try to sort out best options for me, got two different answers there and gave up, that was after no reply to emails ended up coming on here and getting advice from Tod :-) As they suggested you may be better off going on exemption and extending it, they may loose your new passport otherwise lol between not so royal mail and the embassy.Emily ********
OPI know! I was even more surprised getting another email straight back after I replied to that one! (Ending up completely going back on what he said and it was okay to use my cancelled passport) haha
David *******
wow I would print off and frame that reply, sell it on ebay thats a rare occurence getting an email reply.
Tod *********
that makes perfect sense. :/ apply again
Emyr ***************
Front and back only
Emyr ***************
@Emily *******
,, no,passport office did it when I got my new passportEmily ********
OPDid you cut it yourself?
Emily ********
OPSo just to confirm I'll cut the corner off like this and should be all good?
Tony *********
Dont cut the corner of maybe they can make the passport with the visa in workable again and cancel the passport with out the visa. That's why i go in person to get my visa.
I'll dont like my passport in the post.
I'll dont like my passport in the post.
Emily ********
OPI've called a few times and they weren't any help on what to do surprisingly...
Robert *******
If you trust advice on facebook from random strangers, yes. It is against the law to make changes to a passport, so again inform the office where you applied for the new passport and ask them what to do.
Francis ********
My wife has an expired passport with a USA visa in it she uses it every time we enter the USA
Robert *******
Contact your passport office and just explain the old passport is found and has now a valid visa for Thailand in it. They will give advice what to do.
Emily ********
OPI did and they said they couldn't help and gave me a number to contact visa/immigration which I did and weren't any help either!
Jon ********
If £35 is a struggle then why not save more money and plan your trip to Thailand when you have enough to travel? Unless you are planning on "begpacking" across asia..
Emily ********
OPThanks!
Emyr ***************
@Emily *******
,, 14 month’s ago I was in the Uk on a month’s holiday (been living in Thailand now for 5 years) ,,,, I went to get a new passport in Liverpool as my old passport was full,but still had nearly 7 months remaining on it , they cancelled the old one and cut the corners and gave me a new passport,,, I went into the immigration office in Thailand to renew my visa (marriage)this week and they wanted photocopy’s and information from my OLD passport as well as details from my new passport,,,, even though immigration had transferred all the old details into my new passport when I got back to Thailand over a year ago,,,so DONT throw away your OLD passport ,, hope that helps 👍Emily ********
OPI don't plan to do that lol I lost a lot of money getting a new fast track passport and getting a train all the way to newport, it's not just the £35 but lost a few hundred in this mess
Emily ********
OPIn england it's illegal to keep cancelled passports... not expired, especially travelling with it. That's my problem
Derek **********
It is not illegal! I have passports cancelled and handed back to me by embassy staff..
Paul **********
Please cut the corner of the front cover to void the canceled passport.
Emily ********
OPHm okay thanks for your help, it makes sense but I was told otherwise... will try calling the embassy again and double check
Paul **********
It will be needed so YES u bring both passports
Paul **********
@Emily *******
yes 🙂Emily ********
OPOkay so you suggest when I travel I bring both? And show my visa in my cancelled passport if needed?
Paul **********
I have UK passports and I’m sorry it’s never illegal to keep old passports — trying to use them is
Ted *******
It's not illegal to keep your old passports but I wouldn't be surprised if you have to notify the passport service you have found it and cut the corner off
Paul **********
It’s not like ur trying to use the passport — ur only using the visa in it
Paul **********
Jus show old passport with visa — it’s not a drama
Richard *******
@Paul *********
Tell me about it, they lasted me 3-4 years at a time, the new ones ran out way too quick and just looked so common ;)Emily ********
OPI know! I've always wanted to start a collection with all my stamps in :)
Paul **********
Never throw them away they are your life’s travel history 🙂
Paul **********
Which reminds me — I wish they would bring back those amazing 94 page book passports — made u feel special!
Paul **********
@Aaron *******
yes or stick big red stickers on the cover CANCELLEDEmily ********
OPThanks everyone :)
Aaron ****************
They like to cut the corners off cancelled or expired passports the send it back to you, should maybe tell them you've found it and ask them what to do with it.
Paul **********
@Emily *******
you have to bring it ok because it has your visa in itEmily ********
OPOkay I'm definitely wrong then, it's just what the passport office had told me... will bring it with me when I go
Aaron ****************
Yer I have all my old passports, cancelled and expired,
Paul **********
@Richard ******
I often need the old passports for banks etc where I have used the old passports to open accounts etc. many reasons to keep old passportsRichard *******
@Emily *******
Not true, I have all my old passports, some expired and some were cancelled.Paul **********
@Emily *******
this isn’t getting through to you ? Just check with your embassy then. They will tell you the same thingEmily ********
OPBut I can't keep this passport, so I'd have no other proof of having a visa
Paul **********
A visa doesn’t expire because the passport it’s in is lost stolen or expired
Paul **********
@Emily *******
as said a visa can outlive an expired passport they are two separate thingsEmily ********
OPSorry I worded it wrong, it's illegal to keep cancelled passports, of course you can keep expired passports
Paul **********
Check with others here but I have never had any drama at all and I fly regularly
Paul **********
@Emily *******
whoever said it’s illegal —? If it has a valid visa in it all the countries I have travelled through — particularly Thailand never had any problem - in fact Bangkok helped me link the visa in my expired passport to the new passport at the immigration desk. Why would it ever be illegal to keep your old passports I have about 12 of them.Emily ********
OPIt's illegal to keep your old passports though... surely my visa needs to be in my passport that's valid?
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