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Will my Thai girlfriend need a visa to visit the UK despite my Irish citizenship?
Visa RequirementsThai Girlfriend VisaIrish Citizen VisaUK Visa RegulationsEU Settlement SchemeFamily Permit Visa
Oct 20, 2025
6 months ago
Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTERCan someone explain this to me please, is there a chance that my Thai girlfriend would not need a visa because even though I was born in the UK, I am an Irish citizen (EU)
TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion primarily revolves around whether the user’s Thai girlfriend would need a visa to visit the UK, given the user's Irish citizenship. Comments clarify that she will indeed need a visa, regardless of the user's EU citizenship status. It is noted that applying for a Family Permit visa requires substantial documentation and evidence of the relationship. Several users express skepticism about the complexity and desirability of the process.
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Us *****
I honestly don't understand why anyone would go through hell to bring their Thai gf to a country that is literally worst than hell. England is not a tropical island, the weather sucks and I am not even going to talk about the people. 🤦🏻♂️
James ******
@Us ****
dude you are in America. Have a lovely dayUs *****
@James *****
I am working out of Bangkok, been here for 3 years now.James ******
@Us ****
nice for you, i actually aggre with what you say about uk, it is a hell hole at the moment my wife wants to live in uk id prefer stay Thailand myself but USA is also mass shit holeReply to
James ******
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Fred *********
You are definitely going to need to apply for a visa for her. And its not a simple process. My girlfriend came over and the application consisted of over 100 pages of information. She will need ties to Thailand, most importantly she needs to convince the UK authorities that she will return.
Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTEROhh i know
@Fr**
, this why I am looking at this, I want to try and get the easiest route to a visa, whether its this family permit or a standard visitor visa, everyone thinks I'm looking to get her here without a visa, I'm just exploring my options and this is another.Todd ********
@Damian *******
get an visa agent.Fred *********
@Damian *******
You will need to go with the standard visitor visa. The easiest, but still a lot of paperwork. We were refused the first time because of something. But were successful the second time once we explained and fixed the reason we were refused. That's your best bet.Reply to
Fred *********
Reply
Garry ******
Partner in this care probably refers to actually legally married not.
Pantiwa *********
To apply for a Family Permit visa for your Thai girlfriend under the EU Settlement Scheme, you must provide evidence of your relationship covering at least two years prior to 2020. I have personally been granted this type of visa before — yes, the application is free of charge, and it allows you to apply for further leave to remain while in the UK.
Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Pantiwa ********
thank you for your reply, you are the only person to give me a sensible reply, I tried to reply to you last night (I'm in N. Ireland) but the comments seemed to be turned off for my post, anyway, I'm going to look into it furtherPantiwa *********
@Damian *******
I think if you want to invite your girlfriend to visit you in the UK or Northern Ireland, you need to apply for a visit visa. The visa fee is £127.Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Pantiwa ********
I just want the quickest and easiest way of getting her here for Christmas, yes, I probably will end up going down the visitor visa road, I'll see what happens, thanks again Pantiwa 😊Gary **********
@Damian *******
I think the family thing is marriage and ya still have to pay and get lots of proof and documents. If this is the first time your girl as been to the UK ya may be better going to an agency.Reply to
Gary **********
Reply
David **********
I understand that if your partner or family member is from the EU, Switzerland etc and you are from the UK.....or Irish with exactly the same rights under the CTA
Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@David *********
the application for the visa is being made by my thai girlfriend, not me, ok, im allowed to fill in all the information for her, but it says in the pic I posted that if your partner, who is me, and not my thai girlfriend, then she can apply for a family permit, anyone know what this family permit is? Obviously she needs something to enter the UK, so I'm going to pick the best and easiest one I can get.David **********
@Damian *******
with all due respect fella i think you've misread or misunderstood the form......Your partner, the girlfriend from Thailand wouldnt be able to apply for the family permit as she isn't an EU national and living in the UK since 2020.......Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@David *********
she doesn't have to be from the EU, I have to be from the EU, and she can get here to N.Ireland without a visa if she applies for the family permit as long as I am her spouse or unmarried partnerDavid **********
@Damian *******
good luck to you fella, hope it all works out for you.David *******
@David *********
don’t know why he’s asking since he already knows the answer. I’ll just report him for drug offences just to fuck him over either way. 😂Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@David ******
not very niceDamian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@David *********
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Reply to
Damian ********
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Kay ******
She needs a visa nonetheless.
Stephen ********
What are you asking? Will she need any visa to visit the UK? Or Ireland? She'll definitely need 1 or the other.
Brandon ************
Your question doesn't make any sense. This is about the other person. That person is from Thailand, not from EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Lichtenstein.
Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
the other person (My thai girlfriend) is making the application for a visa, it says, if your partner (me) is from the EU, blaa blaa blaaGraham ******
@Damian *******
Your girlfriend will be applying for a UK standard visitor visa and, as your not married, where you were born is irrelevantGraham ******
@Damian *******
but not girlfriend ;)Damian ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Graham *****
girlfriend, partner, life partner, other half, spouse (in some cases) etc, are all the same, just a different way of saying it.Brandon ************
@Damian *******
they're not, because they can all mean different things legally, and different countries view them differently as well. For example Thailand does not recognize civil unions or any other type of partnership besides full marriage.Reply to
Damian ********
Reply
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