Farang/Thai marriage and elegibilty for pension benefits

[dundrillin]

When I marry my Thai girlfriend what procedure do I have to follow to ensure the marriage is recognised in the UK thus hopefully making her elegible for my private pension after my demise?

Any advice most welcome.

[Dannie Boy]

When I marry my Thai girlfriend what procedure do I have to follow to ensure the marriage is recognised in the UK thus hopefully making her elegible for my private pension after my demise?

Any advice most welcome.

I got my Thai marriage certificate translated into English and then got it attested at the British Embassy in Bangkok - that was 9 years ago so not sure if they still provide that service? I then sent a copy of the attested certificate (might have actually been the original which they returned to me) to my UK pension provider and they confirmed that my wife would be eligible for spousal benefits in the event of my death before her.

[caller]

When I marry my Thai girlfriend what procedure do I have to follow to ensure the marriage is recognised in the UK thus hopefully making her elegible for my private pension after my demise?

Any advice most welcome.

You don't actually have to do anything. Just have the relevant docs translated into English. The UK recognises the legality of marriages elsewhere. So you only need to provide certified copies of the Thai documents.

However, I believe there is a process to allow you to register the marriage at The Embassy, but I doubt it makes any difference.

Will you be residing in the UK or here? You might want to check if that has any bearing on pension benefits?

Good luck!

Edit - crossed posts with Dannie Boy