How To Get Retirement Visa In Thailand

So you’re planning on retiring in Thailand? That’s great. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time enjoying your new freedom. The first thing to consider is how to get your retirement visa. You’ll need a Retirement Visa if you have the intention to stay in Thailand for at least 1 year. Your Retirement Visa will be granted for a length of time that corresponds with the other type of visa you’ve been granted, for instance if you’ve been granted a Non-O visa, your Retirement Visa will also be Non-O unless otherwise specified by the immigration officer granting your retirement visa.

Interested in Retiring in Thailand? No doubt, Phuket is one of the most popular places to Consider. With a vast selection of Golf Courses and Resorts, it’s no wonder why retirees are favoring Phuket for their Retirement Visa. But here is something you might NOT know: Not only can you get a Retirement Visa to live OUTSIDE of the country, but if you are married to a Thai Citizen (or become married), you’ll also get a Family Visa which they call an FM2. So while you’re getting your Retirement Visa, your spouse will simultaneously be getting a Family VISA. This means your spouse will get their Foreigner Registration Card (FRC) as well and can freely travel with this card throughout SE Asia AND Australia (and some other places).

How To Get Retirement Visa In Thailand

If you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you already have a pretty good idea of what the benefits are to living in Thailand. You’ve heard about how cheap everything is for Westerners and how great the weather is out there. Maybe you even have a Thai wife or girlfriend who wants to experience European culture and enjoy a retirement visa with you in her home country.

Finding the best country in Asia where you can retire is not an easy task since there are a lot of details that you should consider before actually building your retirement plan. For example, some countries in Asia has good visa programs for retirees but cost of living is higher than other countries.

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 visa 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:

1. 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.
2. Make an appointment, if one is required. You can find a list of the diplomatic mission offices of Thailand here.
3. Collect the required documents for a Thai Retirement Visa.
4. 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
5. Wait for the application to be processed.
6. Collect the passport and visa. If you applied by mail, they will be mailed back to you.