Want to bring your Thai girlfriend to the UK?
Tell us whether you are planning a visit, a wedding or a move to the UK. We can help you identify the right visa route.
Ask us on WhatsAppIf you want to take your Thai girlfriend to England, the first question is what you plan to do together in the UK. A holiday, a wedding and a permanent move require different visas. Choosing the right route before you apply can save you a refusal and a great deal of expense.
We want to visit the UK together
For a holiday or a short visit to your family, your girlfriend will normally need a Standard Visitor visa before travelling from Thailand. This usually permits a visit of up to six months. She must show that she is a genuine visitor, can afford the trip and intends to leave the UK when it ends. She cannot use visits to make the UK her main home.
You can pay for her flights, accommodation and living costs. There is no rule that says she must have a particular amount in her own bank account. Your financial support helps explain how the trip will be paid for, but the application must also explain her circumstances in Thailand and why the proposed visit makes sense.
What evidence might you need?
- Her passport and details of the proposed trip.
- Evidence of your relationship and time spent together.
- A clear invitation explaining where she will stay and who will pay.
- Evidence of your income, funds and accommodation if you are supporting her.
- Evidence of her work, business, studies, family responsibilities or other circumstances in Thailand, where applicable.
- An explanation of previous travel, refusals or unusual bank transactions.
There is no single document that guarantees approval. The evidence needs to tell a consistent, truthful story about this applicant and this visit.
What if my Thai girlfriend does not work?
Being unemployed does not automatically prevent someone from getting a UK visitor visa. We regularly see couples where the British partner covers the cost of the trip. The difficult part is often showing why the applicant will return to Thailand, particularly if she has little income, limited travel history or a proposed visit lasting several months.
Do not invent employment or move money into an account simply to make a bank statement look stronger. Explain the real circumstances. A shorter, realistic visit with properly documented support may be easier to understand than an unexplained six-month stay, although every application is judged on its own facts.
We want to get married in the UK
A Standard Visitor visa is not the correct visa if the plan is to give notice of marriage or marry in the UK.
If your girlfriend will marry you in the UK and then leave, look at the Marriage Visitor visa. If you intend to marry in the UK and live there together afterwards, the fiancée route under the family visa rules may be appropriate. These routes have different requirements and outcomes, so be clear about your plans before applying.
We want to live together in England
If the real plan is to make a home in the UK, you should consider a family visa, rather than applying for a visit visa as a stepping stone.
Depending on your relationship, the relevant route may be as a spouse, fiancée or unmarried partner. Unmarried partners generally need to show a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years; living together for every part of that period is not always required.
The usual minimum income requirement for a new partner application is currently £29,000 a year, although exceptions and different rules can apply. You must also consider the English language, accommodation and other requirements.
A visitor generally cannot simply arrive in the UK and switch to a partner family visa. If settlement is the intention, plan the correct application from Thailand before she travels.
Which visa should we choose?
Your circumstances matter as much as the label. Previous refusals, children, time spent together, employment and where you both currently live can change the advice.
How Thai Visa Express can help
At Thai Visa Express, we first establish what you actually want to do in the UK. We then assess the appropriate route, explain the likely issues and help you prepare an application that reflects your real circumstances. We can assist with visitor and family visa applications from Thailand, including cases involving unemployment or a previous refusal.