Answereda year ago

Do I need health insurance for a Non-O visa application to Thailand?

Non-Immigrant O Visa Health Insurance Thailand Retirement Visa Visa Application Process Thai Consulate Regulations

Scott *******

asked Aug 25, 2025

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Hi all,

I've just submitted my e-Visa application for a non-immigrant O (retirement) visa to the Thai Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. They've come back to me asking for proof of 

"Health insurance policy with minimum coverage of 40,000 THB/year for outpatients and 400,000 THB/year for inpatients, and covering the entire duration of the stay in Thailand."

I thought this only applied to the O-A visa? 

On their website it lists under "Retirement / Pension Earners REQUIRED DOCUMENTS"

Health insurance policy with minimum coverage of 40,000 THB/year for outpatients and 400,000 THB/year for inpatients, and covering the entire duration of the applicant's stay in Thailand.  For more information on health insurance for non-immigrant type "O-A" and "O" visas, please visit [[members only])

If you go to the longstay.tgia.org page it only discusses health insurance for the O-X, O-A and STV visas.

Are they wrong? Am I wrong?

Answer summary

The user has submitted an application for a non-immigrant O (retirement) visa and was asked by the Thai Embassy in Wellington for proof of health insurance. They were under the impression that this requirement applied only to the O-A visa. Comments confirm that some Thai consulates, particularly in New Zealand, require health insurance for the Non-O visa as well. Users suggest obtaining the necessary insurance or alternatives that could assist in the visa application process.

12 repliesnewest first

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Marcel *********

Yes you need an Health Insurance, book AXA for 6000 Bath one Year. How I see this is now a requirement.

a year ago

Scott *******

@Marcel ********

Thats probably what I’ll do. It seems weird that they want you to have one year of cover but they’re only issuing you a 90 day visa.

a year ago

Marcel *********

@Scott ******

Non O-A Retirement Visa is one Year. Make Sure it is Multiple Entry. So you easy can extend it.

a year ago

Scott *******

@Marcel ********

I'm not applying for the O-A visa, just a non-immigrant O visa which is 90 days. I'll have to see if AXA will offer a policy for just the 90 days

a year ago

Bill *********

Read/follow the rules. It’s all there in print.

a year ago

Graeme *******

Scott if retired you can get a letter from MSD NZ indicating income yearly and monthly though super which the NZ EMBASSY here in Thailand will check and stamp and issue affidavit for immigration.Think it is about 2 000 baht for the letter plus courier here in Thsiland. The other stuff not sure as here on marriage visa which is slightly different, whatever Tod tells you will be correct.

a year ago

Tod *********

Sadly (for you) they're not wrong, 🙁

Unfortunately, the thai consulates scattered around the world have great latitude as far as setting policy to sell the various and sundry thai visas 😕

There are more than a few consulates that require the mandatory health insurance to issue Non-O visas

Oh man, you submitted your visa application already? 😮 Which means you also paid? 🙁

The Thai Consulate in New Zealand is has the highest prices in the entire world for visas to thailand. 😡No other consulate comes close to it 👎

Wish you had posted before you applied and I'd have told you just come here free stamp as a Kiwi and then go to a nearby thai consulate to apply for the Non-O visa (where the 90 day visa is actually 2000baht (Vientiane/Savannakhet) or 80USD (Hanoi/HCMC rather than the exhorbitant fee of 15+K baht that the thai consulate there charges 🙁

Also no other consulate (at least not the ones in S/E Asia that you'd go to for that visa requires the health insurance either)

Long story short, you either get the insurance and show them you have it or they won't issue the 90 day Non-O visa 🙁

a year ago

Ron ******

@Tod ********

I got a Non-Imm O back in April and they never asked for insurance so maybe a recent change. They charge like a wounded bull with those visa fees.

a year ago

Tod *********

and you got the Non-O 90 day from Wellington ?

a year ago

Scott *******

@Tod ********

Thanks. Yes, I submitted the visa application already 🙁 If I go to the web site they direct me to though, there's only health insurance information for O-A, O-X and STV visas, none of which apply. Are they expecting me to take out 1 year of health cover for a 90 day visa?

a year ago

Tod *********

@Scott ******

another thing you could do is write on a piece of paper that no health insurance is required for 90 day Non-O visa, upload that and see what they say.

a year ago

Tod *********

message them on their f/b page (they seem to answer that one faster)

I would imagine seeing as the visa is only valid for one 90 day entry stamp that you'd have to only carry 90 days of the policy but I honestly don't know.

So few people use that consulate in Wellington since they jacked up their prices there's little real data to quote

@https://www.facebook.co************************

a year ago