Countries which belong to UK Visa Nationals such as Thailand requires a visa to visit the UK. Purpose of travel may include tourism, work, study or settle. Appropriate visa category depends on your reason for travel to UK and the individual applicant’s circumstance.
Common types of UK Visa issued in Thailand:
UK Fiancee Visa
UK Fiancee Visa allows a UK citizen or a person who has a settled status in UK to bring their fiancee (prospective spouse) to the United Kingdom with the intention of getting married. Applicant for UK Fiancee Visa must apply the entry process from outside the UK, in the country of their legal residence. Processing time for visa application would be up to 3 months UK Fiancee Visa holder is not permitted to work.
UK Spouse Visa
UK Spouse Visa or UK Marriage Visa allows married partners of UK citizens to immigrate to the UK. The foreigner spouse must be legally married to the UK citizen, or at least a person who is a resident of UK and has no immigration restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK. The holder of Spouse Visa is eligible to work or study in the UK once the visa has been granted. Processing time for visa application: up to 3 months from the date the applicant submits the application.
UK Visitor Visa
UK Visitor Visa in Thailand is granted to Thai applicants with the intention of going to UK for holiday or for leisure. It is usually valid for a maximum of 6 months. The issued visa could either be a single entry or a multiple entry. Single entry allows the holder to enter UK once. Multiple entry Visitor Visa allows the holder to travel in and out of UK multiple times granted that it falls within the period the issued visa is valid. Processing time for Visitor Visa is usually 5-10 working days. The best time to apply Visitor Visa would be 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.
UK Student Visa
This is ideal for a person who wants to further his/her academic studies, while at the same time being able to travel and take up part-time work in the United Kingdom. Under the category of student visitor visa or those wishing to take on a short course of study (not more than 6 months) while visiting the UK, they will not have the full entitlements of a UK student visa, which means they cannot do part time work or extend their stay.
Under the category of prospective student visa, you can also come to the UK for up to 6 months to complete all the arrangements for your course of study. This category is for those seeking entry in order to visit an academic institution to finalize your course or to take entrance examinations or final interview. If you intend to study in the UK on a full time course for more than 6 months and have an offer from an educational institution, you should apply for a UK (General) Student Visa under Points Based System Tier 4.
UK Family Visa
Applicants who successfully obtained visas to enter the United Kingdom under permanent categories are entitled to bring certain family members with them on a UK Family Member Visa. Applications for entry clearance have to be made through the British Embassy in Bangkok. As a family visitor you can enter the UK for a period of 6 months provided that you can support yourself financially during your stay, or you have a sponsor who will support your stay in the UK.
For the requirements you need to submit the following:
- valid passport
- visa application form
- passport size photo
- visa fee
- supporting documents relevant to the application
