Thai passports for adopted Thai children are valid for 5 years. Your Thai child can also hold a New Zealand passport, assuming you, the adoptive parent, are a New Zealander and applied for Citizenship by Descent for your child.

Thai adopted children can travel and enter Thailand on their New Zealand passport. However, ICANZ recommends that you also keep their Thai passport valid. Why? it shows respect for their Thai heritage and makes it easier for them to live in Thailand or own land in Thailand when they are older, if they choose to do this.

To renew your child's Thai passport, both parents and the child need to travel to the Royal Thai Embassy in Wellington. Call first to arrange this.

You'll need to take

1. passports for both parents and the child, including the child’s old Thai Passport,

2. the adoption registration document that you received at the Thai Embassy when you registered the adoption

3. the child’s original Thai birth certificate and identity document’s which you were also given at the time you finalised the adoption. If in doubt, take all documents related to the child's adoption. 

4. The fee - currently $100 NZD in cash, but be aware that fees can change.

The form to renew a passport is available only in Thai, but staff at the Embassy kindly help with this when you visit.

The Embassy will post the passport back when it is ready.  The Embassy will take the child's photo and finger prints for the application form. The renewed passport will be in the child's Thai name and if you (or the child) wishes to change the name in their Thai passport to their New Zealand name, you'll need to travel to Thailand to do this at the Thai Consular Office.

You can renew the child's passport even several years after it has expired, before the child turns 15.

When the Thai child turns 15 they then need to travel to Thailand to get a new Identity Document. If they wish to do military service for 6 months they can do this from 16 years old.

Please let us know if you find any of our advice on this to be incorrect, so we can update this for other adoptive families. Also be aware that this information is just general guidance to help you - procedures, forms, costs, all change - you must follow the current advice given to you by the Thai Embassy.