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Can I apply for the DTV visa while in Greece without being a resident?

May 15, 2025
a day ago
I applied for the DTV online and received the email attached the next day. I’m currently in Greece with family when I decided to apply for the DTV.

I attached a letter stating where I was staying and the stamp of entry to the application as proof of location outside of Thailand.

My understanding is you can apply from anywhere but their email states that I need to show I’m a resident there.

Any advice on this?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user applied for the Thailand DTV visa from Greece but received an email stating the need for residency documentation. Comments highlight that many embassies in Europe, especially for Thai visas, require applicants to be residents of the country where they are applying. Numerous respondents confirmed that applications are likely to be rejected without proof of residency, pointing out that such policies have been widely discussed and vary by embassy. Additionally, several people mentioned the general inconsistency in visa policies across different countries, leading to confusion and potential financial losses for non-residents.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Anonymous ******************
Certain embassys (mainly in America and EU) only allow you to apply if legally resident in the country, its to prevent 'embassy shopping' (certain embassys are known to be more lax than others, for example french embassy is notoriously difficult for all types of visa). Asian embassys generally (but not all) don't care
Anonymous ******************
Had the same issue with Austria. Thai consulates in Europe only give Visa if you resident of this country. It is nowhere documented, but it is goverment force. So will probaply rejected.
Wannikea *********
Psst. Check embassy requirements for non-nationals before you throw away your money.
John *********
What an inconsistent mess, not surprised, nothing released is really thought through carefully. It’s reminds me of new roads etc they build, usually they suddenly open but none of the signage , road markings have been finished🤦🏻‍♀️
Michael **********
what is your nationality?
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Tim ***********
In EU everyone has to be treated equally. For me, this means that an EU citizen should actually be treated equally in every consulate in the EU. Maybe you could call them and explain how things work in EU
Anonymous ******************
@Tim **********
while embassy might be in EU, they are not subject to EU laws and regulations, explaining how things "work in EU" is akin to explaining how thing work on Mars, ie totally immaterial
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
I’ll call to try my luck.
John *******
@Tim **********
- I don’t think that will work. Furthermore, the embassy is technically Thai sovereign land, so technically once in the building, it is no longer EU.
Greg ********
@Tim **********
Yeah - embassies love being told what to do. Why not call the Ambassador direct and let him/her know. Lets see how your visa application goes after that 🙂 🙂
Georgijus ************
In EU you can’t apply from the country if you not resident. You can apply but it will be rejected and fee lost. It written clearly on all embassies websites.
John *******
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ******
yeah I saw it after I received the email.
Elías ********
Some embassies require you to be a resident. I applied in Seoul, Korea and at least at that time (August 2024), only residents were allowed to apply. In Tokyo, Japan, the same. They might have since relaxed the rules or not, but the thing is this is Embassy-specific, so it's better to ask before applying in case you're not a resident, except in countries where is well known that anybody can apply, such as Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.
Andi ***********
@Elías *******
Non residents can now apply in Tokyo although it is not easy and they are prone to issue a METV if you do not show a solid reason for the 5yr DTV.
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Elías *******
would be nice if they put an error message when filling out the form. But oh well.
Anonymous ******************
@Elías *******
true every one should check the rules first
John **********
You can not apply from anywhere. You can only apply using a consulate if you are in the area served by that consulate and the consulate allows you to apply there. In the case of the Athens it's very clear on their website that you must live in Greece and have residency rights in Greece. It's also clear you won't get a refund if you can't show this
Maksym ***********
As clearly stated on embassy site, you are not allowed to submit here.
Hassan *******
I feel like you can only apply in Asean countries without residency requirement .
Anonymous ******************
@Hassan ******
Only some ASEAN countries, not Singapore for sure.
Hassan *******
Anonymous participant 971 yes some of them .
Chris ******
If am not mistaken you cannot apply any Thai Embassy in Europe for DTV if you are not a resident where you are applying from ( exemption to other countries in EU that doesn't have Thai Embassy ) I applied in Malta via Athens.
Paul *******
@Chris *****
You just need to be a citizen. If you're an EU citizen you can apply there.
Greg ******
It will depend on the embassy. Not all accept people traveling only for some days.
Anonymous ******************
In many countries (except some countries in Asia like Vietnam, Taiwan, Jakarta, Laos etc) you can only apply when you are a resident there. As they already stated in the email, your application will be rejected. Its been widely discussed in the group here