I'm a Canadian citizen wanting to marry an Iranian national in Thailand.

farazf

New Member
Hi,
I would love some advice on this matter please. I will be traveling with a Canadian passport from Canada and she will be traveling from Iran. I've called my embassy in Thailand and am aware of the process (have a valid Canadian passport, get an affidavit, get it translated, get married).
She has also called her embassy to see what she requires and she was told that if she wishes to marry me in Thailand I would have to be traveling with an Iranian Passport. This complicates things dramatically. My trip is in 2 weeks and I cant get a passport in time nor do I want to travel with an Iranian passport. I've tried to get some answers/help on this matter from the Canadian embassy but they don't seem to know much.
As far as I know, as a Canadian if I marry in a foreign country as long as it was conducted in a legal matter there, its considered legal in Canada. If that is the case than can somebody clear one thing for me please. Is it true that in accordance with Thai Law the only way a Canadian Citizen can legally marry an Iranian national is to travel with an Iranian passport? This is what the Iranian Embassy in Thailand is saying, and I'm having a hard time understanding why that would be the case.

As a side note. We simply want to have a legal union in Thailand, so its considered legal in Canada so I can start the sponsorship process. We don't mind if we're not considered married by Iran's standards. We can deal with that later. I plan to bring her here immediately, its already been 5 years too long.

Please help. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
Hi there,
This request for an Iranian passport doesn't really make any sense to me. If you are legally married in Thailand, you are legally married. I guess the Iranian government could choose to not recognize the marriage for your lack of a passport, but Canada will absolutely recognize your marriage regardless of whether or not you possess a passport at the time of your marriage. (It should be irrelevant: you do not need a passport to get married in Canada.)
I cannot for the life of me understand why the Thai government would require a Canadian citizen to possess an Iranian passport. But this is something that a Thai government official, not an Iranian government official, should answer for you to be satisfied.
I would say that if you are unconcerned with the status of your marriage in Iran (you don't plan to live there, and you are not worried about your children getting dual citizenship, if that is even an option for Iranian citizen's children) then you should just go ahead and marry in Thailand without worrying about that Iranian passport. But please do talk to someone at the Thai embassy in Canada (or a consulate) first to make sure that you have everything to make the marriage legal.
http://www.immigroup.com/tools/diplomatic_mission/office/show/229/The-Royal-Thai-Embassy-Ottawa-Canada
http://www.immigroup.com/tools/diplomatic_mission/office/show/442/Royal-Thai-Consulate-General-in-Vancouver-Canada
http://www.immigroup.com/tools/diplomatic_mission/office/show/443/Royal-Thai-Consulate-in-Toronto
 
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