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Should I apply for a DTV visa in Thailand as an employee on unpaid leave or as a freelancer?

DTV Visa Thai Visa Rules Employee Visa Freelancer Visa Remote Work Visa Application Process

Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

asked Aug 31, 2026

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Employee vs freelancer ? 

Hi everyone, I’m planning to apply for a DTV from France in September/October and I’m unsure which option would be best for my situation.

I’m currently employed full-time as a software developer in France. I will take a 6-month unpaid leave from November, but I will remain an employee of the company. My employer could provide a letter confirming my employment and remote-work authorization.

I also recently registered as self-employed in France and will start working remotely as a freelancer from November. The issue is that I currently have no invoices yet.

For the employee route: has anyone applied while planning to take unpaid leave? What exactly did your employer letter need to say?

For the freelancer route: I understand Paris now requires a recent invoice + proof of payment. Does anyone know if there is a minimum/recommended invoice amount? Would one genuine first invoice of around €100–300 be enough for a newly registered freelancer?

I already meet the 500,000 THB financial requirement and will have maintained it for several months.

Any recent experience with the Paris embassy would be really helpful. Thanks!

Answer summary

The user is uncertain whether to apply for a DTV visa as an employee on unpaid leave or as a freelancer, especially since they will be transitioning to freelance work without prior invoices. They seek advice regarding documentation and requirements for both routes, noting their fulfillment of the required financial threshold of 500,000 THB. Comments highlight the importance of demonstrating a reliable source of income, with multiple contributors sharing experiences about rejection due to lack of cash flow as a freelancer and specific conditions required by the Paris Embassy regarding employment verification.

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Jay *****

Jay *****

Regardless of which embassy, the freelancer route will only work if you can prove cash flow and also a statement that you do not serve Thai customers. In your case, your business would not qualify.

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Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

Thanks. Could you point me to the official requirement stating that a newly established business would not qualify?

The Paris Embassy’s current requirements for self-employed applicants ask for the business registration, an explanation of the remote activity and source of income, a professional profile/website, and an invoice less than 3 months old with proof of the corresponding payment.

I would also be able to state that I have no Thai clients and that all of my work is performed remotely for foreign clients.

So I understand that proving actual cash flow may be important in practice, but I haven’t found an official minimum business age or minimum number/months of invoices. That’s precisely what I’m trying to clarify with the Embassy.

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Jay *****

Jay *****

Anonymous participant I don't have that, but my comment is based on personal observation of many people who were declined when applying as a freelancer. What they all had in common was that their business had no cash flow yet. The comments in those posts echoed that a business is not a real business if it has no cash flow.

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Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

That makes sense, thanks for clarifying. I definitely wouldn’t apply with zero cash flow. I’m planning to have paid invoices before applying, as well as a signed 6-month service contract showing future remuneration. Hopefully that will make the difference despite the business being recent.

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Anonymous ******************

Anonymous ******************

I applied as a freelancer and I just made the switch to freelancer, I showed only 2 paid invoices. The first one was also quite low as I only worked a few days the first month.

My admission was rejected.

I now reapplied under soft power, but through an agency. I reccomend you to also use an agency to look at your best options

1

Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

Participant anonyme 952 Thanks, that’s actually very useful to know. Do you know what specifically caused the rejection? Was it because your freelance activity was too recent / the income was too low, or did they not give you a specific reason? Also, which embassy did you apply through?

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Anonymous ******************

Anonymous ******************

I applied through the Netherlands first. I am doing the same work now as I was doing as an employee. My first invoice was about €400, the second one €5.000 but this one wasn’t paid yet. It is paid now but couldn’t show it yet as the invoice got paid 21 days later.

I really think it’s best if you can show at least 6 months (+ proof of payment) of invoices + tax filing.

I now applied in Manila for soft power with an agency before the new rules took effect… waiting now don’t know if it’ll work but i hope so lol

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Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

Participant anonyme 952 Thanks, that’s definitely concerning as your situation was quite similar to mine.

The interesting difference is that the Paris Embassy currently explicitly asks self-employed applicants for one invoice less than 3 months old + proof of the corresponding payment, without mentioning any minimum period of self-employment or 6 months of invoices.

In my case, I should also have a signed 6-month service contract showing the work and remuneration I will receive during my stay, in addition to any paid invoice I can provide.

Did the Netherlands Embassy actually tell you that the problem was your freelance activity being too recent / not having enough paid invoices, or did they reject the application without giving a specific reason?

Good luck with the Manila application, hope it works out!

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Anonymous ******************

Anonymous ******************

Btw I showed about 2 years of paid payslips as well and it was still rejected

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Passionate**********

Passionate**********

Je te conseille de te présenter en tant qu'employé, ils sont plus confiants, si tu prouves bien que tu es employé et démontre bien l'activité de l'entreprise. Freelancer ils sont souvent plus regardant.

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Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

PassionateParrot4470 Merci pour ta réponse ! Le souci, c’est que mon CDI sera suspendu pendant le congé sans solde et le site de l'ambassade indique "vous serez rémunéré par l’entreprise pendant votre séjour en Thaïlande".. ce qui ne sera pas mon cas..

Pas de salaire de mon entreprise pendant cette période mais des factures en tant que freelance.. c'est pour ça que j'hésite, car je serai techniquement encore salarié..

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Alastair ********************

Alastair ********************

The visa is granted on the information supplied at the time. If those circumstances change then you risk breaching the terms upon which the visa was granted. Your current employer would need to provide you with a contract or official documentation showing that you can work remotely. Your proposed self employment would likely fail the application rocess as it does not yet generate any income. The visa officer needs to know you have the means of supporting yourself through a salary from work whether employed or self employed.

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Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

@Alastair *******************

Thanks, that’s exactly what I’m concerned about. I should have a signed 6-month freelance contract with my current French employer before applying, specifying the work and monthly remuneration, but I won’t have started that contract yet. I will try to get one or two invoices from client too before applying but not sure. Do you think the combination of the signed contract, paid invoices, my previous salary history with the same company and sufficient savings would make the freelancer application more credible?

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Alastair ********************

Alastair ********************

Anonymous participant I'm not entirely sure but a document from your employer showing ongoing employment and salary will be needed. I think your new self employed route will not be established enough. The visa officer will be looking for solid evidence that you have a reliable source of income from which you can sustain yourself and the visa requirements (exiting/returning to the Thailand). Based on the limited information in your post I don't think it looks good but I wish you the best whatever you decide.

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Alastair ********************

Alastair ********************

Anonymous participant You can only provide what you have, beyond that I don't know sorry. Good luck though.

1

Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

@Alastair *******************

I understand your point. The part I’m unsure about is that the Paris Embassy has separate requirements for employees and self-employed applicants.

For self-employed applicants, they don’t mention a salary requirement. They currently ask for business registration, details about the remote activity and source of income, a professional profile/website, and an invoice less than 3 months old with proof of the corresponding payment.

So if I can provide a paid invoice plus a signed 6-month service contract showing substantial monthly remuneration from November onwards, I’m wondering whether that could be enough despite the business being new.

Have you seen similar newly self-employed cases actually rejected for this reason, or is this more your interpretation of what the visa officer is likely to expect?

Soft Power is definitely something I’ll consider as a backup though, thanks!

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Alastair ********************

Alastair ********************

Anonymous participant Yes, definitely difficult. I don't think you would be successful in applying for a workation at this stage of your self employment or employment as you cannot demonstrate a salary. Perhaps one of the soft power courses would be more beneficial to you whilst you build your own business at the same time.

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Anonymous *************

Anonymous *************

OP

@Alastair *******************

Thanks, that’s exactly the issue I’m trying to figure out.

The Thai Embassy in Paris specifically states that, when applying as an employee, the employer’s letter must confirm that “you will be remunerated by the company during your stay in Thailand.”

In my case, I will still have my permanent employment contract (CDI), but I will be on an officially approved 6-month unpaid leave. My employment contract will therefore remain in place but will be suspended, and I won’t receive a salary from it during those six months.

Instead, I will work as a self-employed contractor during that period and should have a signed 6-month service contract specifying the work and remuneration, with the same company.

That’s why I’m concerned that applying as an employee would actually be inconsistent with the Paris Embassy’s requirements, even though I have around three years of employment history with the same company. I will contact the Embassy to ask which route they consider appropriate for this situation.

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