Do Thai citizens need a Schengen visa to visit Europe?

Yes. Thailand is on the EU's list of nationalities that need a visa for the Schengen area, so every Thai passport holder needs a short-stay (Type C) visa before travelling, whatever UK visa or settlement they hold. Living in the UK changes where you apply, not whether you need one.

Can a Thai national on a UK Spouse visa apply for a Schengen visa in the UK?

Yes. Lawful UK residence is what lets you apply here rather than in Thailand. You prove it with a valid BRP, an eVisa share code with the printed status page, or the visa vignette in your passport, and you apply at the UK centre of the country where you will spend the most nights.

My British husband or wife is paying for the trip. Whose bank statements do I send?

Both. Your own UK statements, even if the balance is modest, plus your partner's statements, a short sponsor letter from them confirming they are paying, your marriage certificate and proof you live at the same address. Bookings in the partner's name are fine if the sponsor letter explains it. The consulate still decides on your own ties to the UK.

Does travelling with a British citizen make my Schengen visa free or easier?

No. The fee waiver and lighter document list for family members of EU citizens apply to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens exercising free-movement rights, and the UK is not an EU member. A Thai spouse of a British citizen pays the full €90 fee and submits the full document set, and the trip is assessed on its own merits.

How much does a Schengen visa cost for a Thai passport from the UK?

€90 for an adult, about £81 at the consulate's own rate, €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the centre's fee of £15 to about £45 depending on the country. Poland charges £79 in pounds. Add insurance with at least €30,000 of cover. Our service fee, if we prepare and book it, is £99, and £69 for each extra traveller on the same trip.

Do my children need their own Schengen visa?

A child travelling on a Thai passport needs their own visa, application, document set and appointment; the fee is €45 from age 6 to 11 and nil under 6. A child who holds a British passport needs no visa at all. Both parents sign a child's form, and a parent not travelling gives written consent.

Schengen Visa for Thai Nationals in the UK (2026 Guide)

TL;DR

Thai citizens need a Schengen visa for Europe. If you legally live in the UK, on a Spouse, Partner or similar visa, you apply in the UK with your BRP or eVisa share code, not in Bangkok. A British partner needs no visa, but their statements and a sponsor letter can carry the funds side of your file. Fee €90 (about £81) plus the centre's fee; we prepare and book it for £99. The fixed facts:

Schengen short-stay visa key facts, 2026
Schengen short-stay visa (Type C)	2026
Visa fee (adult)	€90
Visa fee (child 6 to 11)	€45
Visa fee (child under 6)	Free
Maximum stay	90 days in any rolling 180-day period
Standard processing	15 calendar days (up to 45 in some cases)
Travel insurance, minimum cover	€30,000
Passport	Issued within 10 years; valid 3+ months beyond your trip
Member states	29 countries

The fee and these rules are set EU-wide and are identical across all 29 member states. Source: European Commission. Verified 2026-06-24.

Do Thai citizens need a Schengen visa?

Yes. Thailand is on the EU's list of nationalities that need a visa to cross the Schengen external border (Annex I of Regulation 2018/1806), so every Thai passport holder needs a short-stay (Type C) visa for a holiday, a family visit or business, however long they have lived in the UK. Settlement or a UK visa never waives it. What UK residence decides is where you apply.

If you live in Thailand, you apply in Thailand, through the operator your destination uses there; the UK consulates do not take files from people who are only visiting the UK, including a parent on a UK visit visa.

Proving you live in the UK

Consulates take an application from a non-EU national who legally resides in their district. You prove that with:

an eVisa share code from your UKVI account on gov.uk ("view and prove your immigration status"), with the printed status page and your date of birth. Generate it close to the appointment; codes expire. See the eVisa share code guide.
a valid BRP card, front and back, if you still hold one
the visa vignette in your passport, for a recent arrival

Your UK permission should run well beyond the trip; many consulates look for at least three months after you return, so check the end date on your status page before you book. We do not advise on UK immigration status; if yours is uncertain, speak to an IAA-registered adviser.

Travelling with a British partner: whose documents count

The commonest Thai application from the UK is a couple's holiday where the British partner pays. The visa is still yours alone, assessed on your own ties and the money available to you, but the file can and should include your partner's side:

From you	From your British partner
Passport, UK status proof, your own UK bank statements for the last 3 months	A short sponsor letter: who they are, that they are paying for the trip, the dates, and that you both return to the UK
Employer letter, or a letter explaining your situation if you are not working	Their bank statements for the last 3 months and payslips
Marriage or partnership certificate; a Thai certificate needs a certified English translation	Passport copy and proof you live at the same UK address (council tax, tenancy, a joint bill)
Cover letter and the itinerary	The bookings, if they are in the partner's name

One point to be clear about: a British citizen is not an EU citizen for Schengen purposes, so the free visa and lighter checks for family members of EU citizens do not apply. You pay the full fee and submit the full set.

Which consulate do Thai nationals in the UK apply to?

The main destination: the country where you will spend the most nights, or the country of first entry if the nights are equal. Choosing a country for its appointment calendar is a refusal ground. Once issued, the visa covers the whole Schengen area.

Destination	Who takes the file	UK centres	Centre fee
Spain	BLS International	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	£15
France	TLScontact, after the France-Visas form	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	about £45 (estimate)
Italy	VFS Global	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	about £32 (estimate)
Germany	TLScontact, waiting list in London and Manchester since 1 June 2026	London and Manchester for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Edinburgh for Scotland	about £35 (estimate)
Netherlands	VFS Global	London, Edinburgh	£18
Greece	GVC World	London, Manchester	£26, prepaid online
Portugal	VFS Global	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	£33

Every country is in the cost index. Guides: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal.

What documents do Thai nationals need?

The standard Schengen document set, with the points that matter for Thai applicants:

Passport issued within 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave Schengen, two blank pages; bring old passports with previous Schengen, UK or other visas
UK status as above
Bank statements: the last 3 months in your name, plus your sponsor's if someone else pays
Employer letter with approved leave and a return date; or a university letter; or, if you are not working, your partner's employer letter and a sentence in the cover letter about your circumstances
Thai documents: a marriage certificate, house registration or name-change certificate used as evidence needs a certified English translation
Trip: flight reservation, accommodation for every night, insurance with at least €30,000 of cover, a cover letter
Children: their own form and appointment; a British-passport child needs no visa, see children and minors

How do you prove you will return to the UK?

The decision turns on whether the consulate believes you will leave Schengen and come back to the UK. The evidence: your UK status with months to run, your home here with your partner, a job or studies, children at school, and a travel history of trips you returned from. Thin or inconsistent ties and funds evidence is the leading refusal reason from the UK, not nationality. See why Schengen visas are refused.

Fees from the UK for a Thai passport

The consulate fee is set EU-wide and does not change with your passport: €90 for an adult (about £81 at the consulate's own rate), €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, free under 6. Poland's embassy charges £79 and £40 in pounds with no centre fee. The centre adds its own fee, from £15 for Spain to about £45 for France, and insurance costs from about £12. Applying yourself costs about £91 to £138 per adult, paid at the centre on the day.

If we prepare and book it, our service fee is £99 for the first applicant and £69 for each extra person on the same trip, up to five per order. A British partner who needs no visa is not an applicant and pays nothing; a family of a Thai parent and two Thai-passport children pays £99 + 2 x £69 = £237 in service fees, plus the official fees per person at the centre.

Refusal rates and timing

The Commission's figures are by consulate, not by nationality. For files lodged in the UK in 2025: Spain refused 6.1% of 138,195, France 8.5% of 129,940, Italy 6.0% of 18,956, Greece 24.6% of 36,089, Germany 3.2% of 32,725, the Netherlands 1.0% of 25,711 and Portugal 7.3% of 21,015; see the UK refusal rates page.

Standard processing is 15 calendar days from the appointment, up to 45. Lodge up to six months before travel and at least three weeks ahead, earlier for summer. France's three UK centres allocate appointments from a queue (London and Manchester since 1 August 2026, Edinburgh since 11 September 2026) and Germany runs a waiting list since 1 June 2026; see appointments.

Want it prepared and booked for you?

Our Schengen visa service for the UK completes the forms, builds the document pack, including the sponsor side, to the operator's checklist and books the appointment in your own name on the official system, for a £99 service fee, £69 for each extra traveller. Two written promises: prepared within 24 hours of your complete documents and details, or your service fee back; and your appointment booked within 3 working days of your complete file, subject to availability, or your service fee back. We do not promise a visa, we do not sell slots, and the €90 fee and the centre fee are paid by you at the centre. findmyvisa.co.uk is run by WayaNerd Ltd, company number 16269713, and a person answers on WhatsApp.

Country service pages: Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal.

Doing it yourself? Use the checklist generator, then the bundler and compressor, and start from the Schengen visa from the UK hub.