Do you want your Thai wife, partner, child or other family member to join you in Europe? Start with the purpose of the trip. A short visit and a move to live together are different applications. The route can also change depending on your nationality and the European country where you live.
There is no single “Schengen family reunion visa” covering every family move to Europe. Schengen short-stay rules apply to visits; longer-term family residence is usually handled through EU free-movement provisions or the destination country’s national immigration rules.
Bringing family from Thailand to Europe?
Tell our Pattaya team your nationality, which country you live in, your relationship and whether the trip is a visit or a permanent move. We’ll help identify the route to check.
Is your Thai family member visiting or moving?
A short family visit
If your Thai family member is coming for a holiday or temporary visit, they may need a short-stay visa. A Schengen short-stay visa normally permits no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, subject to the permission granted. The application may require an invitation, evidence of the relationship, travel plans, insurance and information about how the visit will be funded.
Read our Schengen visa application guide for Thai citizens for the ordinary short-stay process.
Moving to live with family
If the intention is to live with a spouse, partner or parent in Europe, check the relevant family residence route before applying. A standard short-stay tourist visa is not a substitute for the immigration process required for a long-term move.
The key question: Is the sponsor an EU citizen living in another EU country, an EU citizen living in their own country, or a non-EU citizen legally resident there? Those situations can lead to different rules.
If an EU citizen lives in another EU country
EU free-movement rules can make it easier for a non-EU spouse and certain other family members to accompany or join an EU citizen who is living in an EU country other than their country of nationality.
For example, a German citizen living in France with a Thai spouse may be in a different legal position from a German citizen living in Germany. A Thai family member may need an entry visa before travelling, followed by residence formalities after arrival. Check the particular country’s process and whether any visa facilitation applies.
Marriage, registered partnership, an unmarried relationship and a parent-child relationship are not automatically treated identically. The documents and rights depend on the family relationship and the applicable rules.
If the sponsor lives in their own country
Where an EU citizen wants their Thai family member to join them in the citizen’s own country, that country’s national immigration rules will usually govern the application. Those rules vary: the required forms, income, accommodation, language evidence and processing steps cannot safely be generalised across Europe.
Likewise, if the sponsor is a non-EU national with permission to live in an EU country, family reunification may be possible under rules applying in that country, but eligibility and procedure depend on the sponsor’s status and the family relationship.
What evidence should a family prepare?
Requirements vary, but it helps to gather clear evidence of:
- the Thai applicant’s identity and valid passport;
- the sponsor’s nationality and residence status;
- the family relationship, such as marriage or birth certificates;
- where the sponsor lives and where the family will stay;
- the purpose and expected length of the stay; and
- any finances, insurance or other documents required for the particular route.
Thai documents may need translation or authentication under the destination country’s instructions. Ask the relevant embassy which format it accepts before paying for document preparation.
What about an unmarried Thai partner?
Do not assume that an unmarried partner qualifies on precisely the same terms as a spouse. Some routes consider durable or registered relationships, but the definition and evidence differ. We would need to know the destination country, the sponsor’s citizenship and residence, and the history of the relationship before identifying an appropriate route.
Does this apply to the UK or Ireland?
The UK has its own family visa rules and is not in the Schengen Area. If you intend to live together in the UK, start with the appropriate UK spouse or partner route rather than a Schengen visa.
Ireland also has separate visa and immigration procedures. An Irish destination should not be treated as an ordinary Schengen application.
Get the route right before applying
Thai Visa Express can help you establish the basic facts of your case and organise documents for an application from Thailand. For country-specific family residence requirements, always check the relevant national immigration authority or embassy.
Useful official starting points are the EU’s guidance on non-EU spouses and children joining an EU citizen abroad and the European Commission’s overview of family reunification with non-EU residents.
Thai Visa Express Thailand is an independent overseas visa consultancy. Immigration requirements vary by country and circumstance; decisions are made by the relevant national authorities.