How to get a Retirement visa 😞 n Thailand. What are the requirements. Wh/How do I get 2yrs or 5 yrs visa?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
To obtain a Retirement visa in Thailand, often referred to as the Non-Imm-O visa for retirees, you must be over 50 years old and demonstrate financial stability through proof of a monthly income of at least 65,000 THB or a bank deposit of 800,000 THB for the application. This visa grants a 90-day stay initially, after which you can apply for a 1-year extension. Multiple methods exist for financial proof, including the income affidavit or bank statements showing transfers from abroad. For longer periods, you may explore options like the Non-Imm-OX for 5-year stays. It's essential to follow specific regulations set by Thai immigration authorities, including proper accommodation registration and maintaining required bank balances.
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.
Minimum income of $1,800 a month and I think it's 22k in a Thai bank account
Dave *********
1 year, sorry
Dave *********
Here’s a checklist for 2 year retirement visa
Robert **********
The Thai Government website tells it all. Too complicated to answer. Every person has a different background and situation.
This, simple, question is not easy to answer in a few minutes. Do your research!
Phillip **********
With regards to retirement visas my wife and I are both over 50 so we meet the age requirement. With regards to depositing 800,000 THB is that per person or could it be for a couple?
there are not many embassies who are willing to issue a "dependent" Non-Imm-O Visa. You need to ask the embassy that serves your area. Some embassies will issue it if the main caretaker is on a 1-year Non-Imm-O/A visa
I was told by a agent in Chaing Mai, both of you apply for a non o in your home country and when you come to Thailand he'll convert the spouse to a dependent visa
like I said, it was like this in the past. Right now, there are not many embassies left who are willing to issue "trailing spouse" Non-Imm-O Visa to married partners under 50 years old. Some embassies issue them but insist that the main caretaker needs to be on a Non-Imm-O/A visa. And your agent was wrong: IF an embassy is willing to issue a "trailing spouse" visa, the first step is the main caretakers applis for his own 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa. As soon as he get it issued, the partner can apply for her/his own Non-Imm-O Visa based on being a dependent. In Thailand, both need to apply for the one-year Extension of Stay, and again the partner needs to apply for his extension of stay based on being a "dependent". There is no "convert the spouse to a dependent visa". What they missed to say is that inside Thailand, the partner converts to a "1-year extended stay permit", not to a "visa"
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Nongnuch ********
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Joe **********
Oh for god's sake if your over 50 with 800,000 in the bank it's so easy!
John **********
Anyone know similar? 5 year and pay $500AUD.
No 90 day reporting visa?
Mark *****
Ive been married in CNX since July 2018 & finished fully building our lovely functional lge home 2020 also allowing if we want to do at a later date enclose the lower under section.of home to become a surplus needs shop, home is in the Mountains where we also have 2 sections of farming land & grow rice, shallots, garlic mellons ect, main province of Mae Chaem. We are both currently living in W.A. & though we would like to permanently live there in the near future as I will be retiring at an earlier age ~58 another 5 years so I can enjoy life a little bit & still be able to do things I would like with family, on our farm & in Thailand itself. Would this be possible & if so what early steps can I start doing to make it easier as time seems to be going very quickly.
Any good advice muchly appreciated & thank you in advance 😀
Mark *****
The home fully built
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Mark *****
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Peter *********
I just used an agent in Bangkok. Gathered the required documents. I was picking up from my hotel, taken to the bank and immigration. All
then the complete service was 37,000 THB for the first 15 months including a multi re-entry permit, when not having to show own funds. It is posted on their advertisement. Showing own funds it costs 14,000 THB
Hi Ralph. They were excellent. So just Google and email them for all their costs, and options.
Reply to
Peter *********
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Andy ***************
Your fist move is to look up your local Thai 🇹🇭 Embassy and read the Visa requirements on the visa application page, this will give you a good idea of what you will need .
, it worked for me. I also used other websites like google and read articles you have to do some research or pay an agent or immigration service. They do n t make it easy.
some Immigrations will interpret the police order slightly differently from another, so it is always recommended that as soon as you have arrived in Thailand on your 90-days Non-Imm-O visa, you should visit the Immigration that serves your area and ask for the handout list of requirements to the application for the 1-year extension
I once advised somebody to ask the embassy by Email why they would refuse to accept proofs of a 2200.- Euros income he uploaded for the application to a 90-days Non-Imm-O family visa and instead asked for proof of 400,000 THB in a bank account (despite the income requirement is only 40,000 THB = 1095.- Euro) and they replied to him "We don't reply to emails". . . . so much about any help you can expect from a Thai embassy
Hey, do you know of any exceptions to the DTV Visa? I’m retired, BUT only 39 years old, and I receive a monthly pension but would like to not pull money to deposit 500,000 THB into my account. Just wondering if there are any exceptions for that.
the requirement for a DTV application is a minimum of 500,000 THB or equivalent, in your bank account. Some embassies require it to be seasoned for 3 months, other embassies ask for a 6 months seasoning
Reply to
Nongnuch ********
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Nongnuch ********
We are talking about the most common and persisting misunderstandings regarding the rules that come with applying for the “retirement visa” and the subsequent “one-year extension of stay permit based on retirement”
The best way is to show up in Thailand on a “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O Retirement/over 50 visa” as it will get you a 90-days stay permit upon entering Thailand.
Entering with this visa you can get a “certificate of residency” from Immigration and you can open a Thai bank account.
Within this period you have plenty of time to arrange for the application to the “1-year extended stay permit based on retirement” (which people wrongly refer to as a “retirement visa”. Actually, this thing is not a visa. It is an extended stay permit)
In order to apply for the “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” through the online E-visa system at the Royal Thai Embassy of your home country, you can use the proof of income of a monthly minimum of 65,000 THB, by using your original pension or other income documentation.
Or you use a deposit of a minimum of 800,000 THB or the equivalent in your home country currency, or on your home bank account, or on a Thai bank, or just anywhere in the World – as long as it is in your sole name
However, for the application inside Thailand for the “1-year extension of stay permit” out of the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa, if you are a citizen of a country, whose embassy in Thailand does not issue the “income affidavit any more
(which are the embassies of USA, UK and Australia)
you would need proof by a “12 months bank statement”, showing that for the past 12 months, you have been transferring from abroad to your Thai bank account a minimum of 65,000 THB, consecutively month for month
If your embassy still issues an affidavit of income, you can use this method for the financial proof, which needs a monthly income or pension of a minimum of 65,000 THB
For British, Australian and U.S. citizens, in the first year there is no other way around, than depositing a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account and use this deposit for the financial proof which is required for the application to the “one year extension of stay permit based on being over 50/retired”
The alternative would be, if you don’t have that kind of money or are not willing to deposit 800,000 THB in your Thai Bank account, paying an agent a hefty sum (mostly in the range of 30-40,000 THB) to “arrange” the requirements
The downside is, you will get stuck with the agent for a while. You will need an agent to fix your 800k issue. You will be trapped in the agent’s hamster wheel.
To qualify you will need the 800k fronted by the agent the first year and simultaneously deposit 65k per month for 12 months without fail, to qualify the 2nd year for income method. Yet this is not enough to enable you to escape the hamster wheel.
If you use an agent you will not qualify for the 2nd year as you did not have the money in the first year . . . . So will need the agent bribe Immigration again and again.
NOTE: It is income method OR deposit method.
And there is a third method, called the “combination method”:
A combination mix of income and deposit.
Some immigrations don’t allow the combination method in the first year. And some Immigration want the deposit part to exceed 400,000 THB. The combination method means that the sum of the deposit AND the monthly income exceeds 800,000 THB in one year.
But let’s continue with the “normal method” (visa issued in your home country, followed by the application to the Extension inside Thailand):
On the day of application to the 1-year extension, the 800,000 THB must have “seasoned” in your account for two months, and this has to be proven with the “bank letter of guarantee” (rab roong thanakan).
Immigration will only service you if you are properly registered in your accommodation by the TM30.
Every landlord or hotel needs to register you within 24 hours of your arrival in the premises. While hotels do this automatically online, many landlords are not aware of this or haven’t registered their house or rooms in the system. It is your responsibility to ensure that you get properly TM30 registered.
After been issued the “1-year Extension of Stay”, the 800,000 THB need to remain in the account for 3 more months. After these 3 months, the deposit shall never go under 400,000 THB. And before your application for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must have seasoned in the account for two months, again
When you get issued the “1-year extension of stay”, you should always buy a re-entry permit for it.
A re-entry permit will keep your stay permit alive in case you exit Thailand before the expiry of the 1-year stay permit.
A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB on Immigration. A multi re-entry is 3800 THB. With a multi re-entry permit, you can exit and re-enter as many times as you wish during the whole 1-year stay permit period.
ATTENTION:
There is another road to the “1-year ‘Extension of Stay based on retirement”. It is called “change of visa type” and can be done on the Immigration in Thailand.
You can arrive visa-exempt or on a 60 days single-entry Tourist Visa, you will get stamped in for a 60 days stay permit.
On a tourist visa, it is from very difficult up to impossible, to open a Thai bank account. You are advised to use an agent to help you with opening a bank account. Some agents will not offer this service
This must have been organized during a previous holiday, or you need to open a bank account ASAP, and the money must get transferred from your abroad account onto you Thai bank account ASAP
You visit Immigration and show them the bankbook with proof you got 800,000 THB in sitting in your bank account, and a proof that this money came from abroad.
You apply for the “change of visa type” from the touristic entry to a “90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa”
To be allowed to apply for the “change”, you need a minimum of 15 days left on your entry stamp. And you need to show a rental contract, at least on most Immigrations
They will issue the visa for 14 days “under consideration”
After this period, you pick up the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa stay permit stamp
ATTENTION: if you plan to reside around Pattaya and use the Jomtien Immigration, you should be aware that they make up their own rule, which differs from the official police order.
Jomtien Immigration requires a 2-months (!!) seasoning for the application to the initial 90-days Non-Imm-O visa! That makes the application on the Jomtien Immigration a classic CATCH22 issue, which you better avoid
That's why it is always better to apply for the 90-days Non-O retirement visa in the e-visa online system in your home country before flying to Thailand. This visa also helps in opening a bank account in the first week after arrival, and then 60 days after your 800,000 THB deposit has been transferred into the account, the money will have seasoned for 2 months and you can directly apply for the 1-year Extension of Stay
From up to 30 days (in some places 45 days) before the 90-days stay permit expires, you can apply to the “1-year extension of stay based on retirement”
The financial requirements for this application are the same as explained above.
You can find the requirements when you google for “change of visa type immigration Thailand” and click on the number 9 in the list
thankyou for this extensive helpful information I have read a lot if information on so many sites but always worried if I understood it all correctly but reading your step by step information has made it very clear what we need to do.
some great information there but no mention of the DTV visa? It's a 5 year visa but actually a 180 day visa that lasts 5 years renewable every 180 days. I watched a new YouTube video with a Gov official answering questions about visa. Fees were great too
O and OA are different, OA can only be bought in your home country, O can be bought in Thailand at immigration or your home country or another country. OA requires background check, and mandatory insurance.