Once a visa has been approved, how long can I wait to use it?
505
views
0
likes
16
all likes
12
replies
0
images
5
users
TLDR : Answer Summary
Once a visa is approved, most visas are valid for 90 days from the date of issue, and you must enter Thailand before this date. However, there are exceptions, like the METV, which is valid for 6 months, and the OA visa, valid for one year. Applying too early for these longer-duration visas may waste allowable time on your visa.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
You can use it by entering Thailand until the last date of the visas validity.
Paul ********
???? Date on Visa, Just Saying
Stuart *********
As Brandon says most are valid for 90 days. No issue applying early for one of those to “check it off the list”. As long as you enter by the valid until date you’d be stamped in for the number of days that visa allows.
However you wouldn’t want to apply too early for something like the METV (valid for 6 months) or OA (valid for one year) because you’d be wasting days from the time it’s issued. Timing border bounces right with those two visas you can get nearly 9 months or two years respectively.
if I go the simpler route an get a SETV, then later decide to visit a neighboring country, it’s possible to get approval to leave and renter anyway isn’t it?
I believe it may be possible to apply for a reentry permit on a tourist visa, but it’s going to cost you 1,000 baht and all that would do is keep the initial 60 day entry stamp “alive”. Considering that if you left and returned you’d get a visa exempt entry for 45 days for free it would seem pointless.