Translations for UK Visitor/Tourist Visa.

[nickm]

Hi All,

Apologies if this has been asked many times previously, but I wanted to get some clarity on what documents should likely be translated for a VV for my Thai GF.

I can see from checking the VFA Thailand site that:

Translations

You should provide translations of any supporting documents that are not in English to ensure your visa application is considered fully. Any translated documents need to be submitted with the original document for verification. All translated documents must include the following information:

• confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• the date of the translation
• the translator's full name and signature
• The translator's contact details

Brief overview of her situation and reasons to return:

My GF owns a small transport business, owns three vans and has a lease agreement for one of them.

She also owns her own shop house and has her mother there working in a small restaurant down stairs.

So the reasons to return would be:

Mortgage,
Mother, dependant.
Business

The documents I can immediately think of are:

• Birth certificate
• Business license
• Mortgage agreement
• Tabian Baan (perhaps?)
• Lease agreement for a new Van.
• University degree (perhaps?)

Is there anything else that is glaringly obvious that I have missed out?

Also could someone please reccommend a good translation service that they have had positive results from, and a rough estimate of price?

Many thanks

Nick

[Phetchy]

• Birth certificate
• Business license
• Mortgage agreement
• Tabian Baan (perhaps?)
• Lease agreement for a new Van.
• University degree (perhaps?)

The business license would appear to be the most pertinent as far as a reason to returning to Thailand is concerned and worth translating. It provides evidence of an ongoing commitment to a source of livelihood. A birth certificate, a mortgage agreement, a lease agreement for a van, and a degree are factual but are not per se a reason to leave the UK. It might be interpreted that the more you owe in Thailand (mortgage/car lease etc), the greater the reason for not going back?

[nickm]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping that the mortgage at least would show a stronger reason to return, as it's not usually the sort of debt one would want to walk away from. I understand what you mean though.

Cheers

Nick

[livingwithathaigirl]

I'd agree with Phetchy (unless the mortgage is almost paid or something like that).

I didn't include the university degree for my girlfriend (although she's got one). My thoughts were:
1. It's not relevant to this application.
2. Including it might, just might, make the officer think "She's got a degree, that makes it more likely that she could stay and work in the UK instead of coming back".
It's probably overly cautious but, just in case...

[nickm]

Thanks guys and sorry for the very late reply. Finally getting around to submitting the application, now the floods have subsided. I'll leave out the birth certificate and degree certificate as I agree they are not relevant to a visit visa.
My thoughts about the mortgage and van lease agreement was as some kind of proof of a reason to return. I can see however that this could be interpreted in several ways, and there I guess lies the problem.

Also am I correct in thinking that any Thai language documents used as supporting evidence would need to be translated? I had been previously assured by a translation service that this was not necessary however the UKBA website states that if the language of the documents is not in English or Welsh then it must be translated.

Any advice will be very much appreciated

Nick

[bifftastic]

Yes, if it's not in English (not sure how many Welsh speakers there are working in the UKBA post in Bangkok!) then it needs translating.

The ECO will be British, so it's unlikely that they will be able to read Thai, especially at the level required to understand official Thai documents.

I suppose you could also include a Welsh translation, just to make sure?