Foreigners who are over the age of 50 and want to retire to Thailand are eligible to apply for a Thai Retirement Visa. Even though it is the more commonly-used term, the official term for a Thailand “Retirement Visa” is a Category “O” of the Non-Immigrant Visas for Thailand.
Types of Thailand Retirement Visas
The Thai government issues two types of retirement visas for foreign nationals:
- The One-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-A”), which is issued to foreigners aged 50+ of all countries and is valid for 1 year with the option to renew annually.
- The Ten-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-X”), which is only issued to foreigners aged 50+ from certain countries for 5 years’ duration. It is renewable once more for a maximum of 10 years.
In either case, a Retirement Visa for Thailand does not allow the holder to work.
This article will detail the process and requirements for obtaining a Thailand Retirement Visa for those who want to retire in the “Land of Smiles”.
Eligibility for a Thailand Retirement Visa O-A
To be eligible for a Thailand Retirement Visa, you must fulfill the following criteria:
- You must be at least 50 years of age on the day you submit your application
- You must fulfill the financial requirements:
- A security deposit of 800,000 Thai Baht in a bank account in Thailand for 2 months before the visa application
- A monthly income of 65,000 Thai Baht
- A combination of the security deposit and annual income of 800,000 Thai Baht
- You must not have a criminal record in any country
- You must get Thai health insurance for the duration of stay with annual coverage of at least 40,000 Thai Baht for outpatient treatment and at least 400,000 Thai Baht for inpatient treatment. Health insurance has to be with one of the approved companies from the Thai General Insurance Association.
- You must not have any of the following diseases: Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis
Eligibility for a Thailand Retirement Visa O-X
To be eligible for a 10-Year Thailand Retirement Visa, you must adhere to the following requirements:
- You must be at least 50 years of age on the day you submit your application
- You must be from one of the following countries:
- Australia
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- United Kingdom
- Netherland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United States
- You must fulfill the financial requirements:
- A security deposit of at least 3 million Thai Baht in a bank account in Thailand
- An annual income of at least 1.2 million Thai Baht
- You must get Thai health insurance for the duration of stay with annual coverage of at least 40,000 Thai Baht for outpatient treatment and at least 400,000 Thai Baht for inpatient treatment. Health insurance has to be with one of the approved companies from the Thai General Insurance Association.
- You must not have any of the following diseases: Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis
- You have to report to the Immigration Officers in Thailand every year to ensure you continue to meet the necessary requirements
Documents Needed for a Thailand Retirement Visa Application
When you apply for a Thailand Retirement Visa, you need several documents to support your application. This includes:
- Your passport, which is valid for at least six more months and has at least one blank vis page. If you’re applying for a one-year visa, your passport should be valid for at least another 18 months.
- Completed and signed Visa Application Form, which can be downloaded from the Embassy or Consulate’s website or you can pick it up when you submit your application in person.
- Additional Retirement Visa Application Form (completed and signed)
- Passport-sized picture of yourself, with the following specifications:
- White background
- Taken within the last six months
- You must have a neutral facial expression, staring straight ahead
- Your entire face must be fully visible
- Headgear is only allowed for religious purposes and even then, only if it does not cover the face
- Glasses are allowed only if they do not cover your eyes and do not have heavy frames
- Proof you meet the financial requirements as detailed above, through one of the following (as is applicable):
- Bank Statements and Letter of Guarantee showing the deposit in the Thai Bank which is no less than detailed above on “Eligibility…”
- Bank statements showing an annual income of no less than what is detailed above on “Eligibility…”
- *Bank Statements have to be certified by a Notary Public.
- Police Certificate issued by the police authorities in your country, showing you do not have a criminal record. The certificate has to be certified by a Notary Public.
- Health Certificate issued in the past three months showing you are not infected with one of the prohibited diseases (Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis). The certificate has to be certified by a Notary Public.
- Proof of health insurance with annual coverage of at least 40,000 Thai Baht for outpatient treatment and at least 400,000 Thai Baht for inpatient treatment as detailed by the Thai General Insurance Association.
- Thailand Retirement Visa processing fee
The visa-issuing staff in the Embassy or Consulate you are applying in can ask you to submit any additional documents as they see fit.
How to Apply for a Thailand Retirement Visa?
You have to apply for a Thai Retirement Visa at a Thai diplomatic mission in your country of residence. The application process is as follows:
- Contact the Thailand Embassy or Consulate where you will submit the visa application. You can also visit their website if one is available. Learn about the opening hours, working days, and their preferred method of paying for the visa fee.
- Make an appointment, if one is required.
- Collect the required documents for a Thai Retirement Visa.
- Submit the documents and visa application. Depending on which Embassy/Consulate you apply in, you can submit the application:
- In-person
- Through the post, in which case you have to enclose a pre-paid and self-addressed envelope
- Wait for the application to be processed.
- Collect the passport and visa. If you applied by mail, they will be mailed back to you.
Note: If you are already in Thailand on another type of visa, you can apply to change the category of your visa to a Retirement Visa at the Thailand Immigration Department in Bangkok. This does not apply to holders of a Thai Visa On Arrival.
After Getting the Thailand Retirement Visa
Once you get the Thailand Retirement Visa, you can enter the country within the duration that the visa is issued for. However, there are certain rules that all expatriates in Thailand have to comply with. One is that you have to apply for a Thai Re-Entry Permit if you want te leave and the other is that you have to report your address to Immigration every 90 days which you continue to live there.
Applying for the Re-Entry Permit
In order to be allowed to leave Thailand during your visa’s validity and return without any problem, you have to get a Thailand Re-Entry Permit. If you fail to get the permit before you leave, your visa will become void, and you won’t be able to return unless you get a new visa.
However, this is only applicable if you have received a single-entry visa. If you have a multiple-entry visa, you are already allowed to leave and re-enter the country without difficulty.
90-Day Reporting
Every expatriate in Thailand who lives there for more than 90 days has to report their address to the Thailand Immigration Department. The 90-Day Reporting is the Thai government’s way of keeping track of the expats in their country, as well as an effort to prevent illegal stays.
Extending your visa
If you have a one-year Retirement Visa, you have to apply for a visa extension every year. You can apply for an extension at the Immigration Department in Thailand.
For the Thai O-X Retirement Visa, on the other hand, you only have to apply for an extension after five years, which is when you will receive another 5-year visa.
When you extend your visa, you will need several supporting documents, such as:
- A completed Visa Extension Application Form TM.7
- A passport-size picture
- Signed copies of all your passport pages
- Proof of accommodation in Thailand
- Proof you meet the financial requirements to live in Thailand, such as bank statements, notarized affidavit of income, etc.
How Much is the Thailand Retirement Visa Fee?
The fee for a Thailand Retirement Visa changes depending on which type of visa you are applying. The fee can also change depending on which country you’re applying from, but you can expect to pay the following processing fees for your Thai Retirement Visa:
- For a 1-Year Thai Retirement Visa (Single-Entry): 2,000 Thai Baht
- For a 1-Year Thai Retirement Visa (Multiple-Entry): 5,000 Thai Baht
- For a 5-Year Thai Retirement Visa: 10,000 Thai Baht
Can I Bring My Dependent Family Members to Thailand With a Retirement Visa?
Yes, your family members can accompany you to Thailand. However, if they do not qualify for the Thai Retirement Visa (O-A or O-X), they can apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa O or ED (for the dependent child.
You can only bring your spouse or dependent child under the age of 20 with you.
If you need to translate any documents into Thai, you may contact a translation company in Thailand.