Answered2 years ago
What documents are needed for a Workcation DTV visa for a self-employed online trader in Thailand?
Entry update: Entered Thailand via Chong Mek land border. I didn't ask him, but it seemed to be the immigration officer's first DTV, as he had to make a call and confirm the 180 days. Everything went smoothly, got 180 days stamp. So happy! 😁
Edit: Alright, I turned off comments on here. There's too much speculation, misinformation and off topic questions and comments. The point was just to share my experience getting my DTV in Vientiane, specifically with my self-employed status. Questions are welcome in DM. Good luck to all!
Just got my Workcation DTV approved from Vientiane Embassy as a self-employed online trader (Canadian passport). I do not work for a company, so I do not have a work contract. I also do not have any clients. I only manage my own trades. I do not have a registered company, only a registered Sole-Proprietorship business in my own name in my home province.
I won't list all the basic documents that everyone has to submit no matter their situation (form, pictures, passport, proof of location, etc), but here's what I submitted for my personal situation to show my digital nomad status:
- Presentation letter where I explained what I do and listed my business registration number and the attachements/supporting documents to follow
- Copy of my Sole-Proprietorship business registration
- Copy of my profit withdrawals to date in 2024
- Copy of my trading/tax reports to date in 2024
- Copy of my income tax report/notice of assessment for 2023
I did ask them in advance about the 500k, they had told me 3-6 months. I provided 6 months, but my statements are 14 pages long, so I only provided the first page of each statement that showed the opening balance, closing balance, my name and full address (no transaction detail) and that seemed to have been enough to make them happy.
When I went to apply, the person checking my documents asked me if I have an ATM card for that bank account specifically. I said no. He asked how am I going to access the money while in Thailand. I explained that I transfer to my Thai bank account and then have an ATM card for that account. He did not ask for any document related to my Thai bank account.
Again, this is at Vientiane Embassy. Don't rely on this if you apply anywhere else or have a different situation. I applied on 23 Aug AM (Friday) and received it today 27 Aug PM (Tuesday).
Good luck to everyone else applying!
Edit: Alright, I turned off comments on here. There's too much speculation, misinformation and off topic questions and comments. The point was just to share my experience getting my DTV in Vientiane, specifically with my self-employed status. Questions are welcome in DM. Good luck to all!
Just got my Workcation DTV approved from Vientiane Embassy as a self-employed online trader (Canadian passport). I do not work for a company, so I do not have a work contract. I also do not have any clients. I only manage my own trades. I do not have a registered company, only a registered Sole-Proprietorship business in my own name in my home province.
I won't list all the basic documents that everyone has to submit no matter their situation (form, pictures, passport, proof of location, etc), but here's what I submitted for my personal situation to show my digital nomad status:
- Presentation letter where I explained what I do and listed my business registration number and the attachements/supporting documents to follow
- Copy of my Sole-Proprietorship business registration
- Copy of my profit withdrawals to date in 2024
- Copy of my trading/tax reports to date in 2024
- Copy of my income tax report/notice of assessment for 2023
I did ask them in advance about the 500k, they had told me 3-6 months. I provided 6 months, but my statements are 14 pages long, so I only provided the first page of each statement that showed the opening balance, closing balance, my name and full address (no transaction detail) and that seemed to have been enough to make them happy.
When I went to apply, the person checking my documents asked me if I have an ATM card for that bank account specifically. I said no. He asked how am I going to access the money while in Thailand. I explained that I transfer to my Thai bank account and then have an ATM card for that account. He did not ask for any document related to my Thai bank account.
Again, this is at Vientiane Embassy. Don't rely on this if you apply anywhere else or have a different situation. I applied on 23 Aug AM (Friday) and received it today 27 Aug PM (Tuesday).
Good luck to everyone else applying!
Answer summary
The user shares their successful experience obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) at the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos. They entered Thailand via the Chong Mek land border and received a 180-day stamp after a smooth immigration process. As a self-employed online trader, the user submitted a unique set of documents, including a presentation letter outlining their business as well as supporting documentation like bank statements and tax reports. Despite the challenges of meeting the 500,000 THB funds requirement, they managed to gain approval and shared valuable insights for others, particularly about the document and appointment processes at the embassy.
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Tod *********
CONGRATS, glad it worked out, enjoy your visa,
Thanx for the update (y)
Thanx for the update (y)
Antoni *********
Did you book your appointment in at the embassy well in advance? I planned to go tomorrow but just found out they only accept prebooked appointments and have nothing available for 2 weeks.
Nicolas *************
OP@Antoni ********
When I booked the appointment online, the earliest availabilities were a month later. Right now I see 12 September as the earliest one. Doesn't sound too bad! But sometimes they add availabilities a bit more last minute, like right now you can see the 4 September as example. For the same date, they have the normal time slot of 09:00-12:00, and then they later added one called Additional for 11:30-12:00.
You could book the 12th now, or take a chance, wait and check every day to see if they add availabilities earlier.
Good luck!
Antoni *********
@Nicolas ************
Thanks! Unfortunately being trapped in Laos for 2+ weeks isn’t really an option for me so I suppose my only choice is to try and fly to HCM.
Tyler *******
Not sure if this relates, but I’ve seen in previous posts that people need to show proof of location?
Did you do anything online before you walked into the embassy?
Thank you in advance and congratulations
Did you do anything online before you walked into the embassy?
Thank you in advance and congratulations
Nicolas *************
OP@Tyler ******
Yes, I simply printed out my hotel booking in Vientiane.The Embassy in Vientiane doesn't accept walk-ins, you need to book an appointment online via their website. I don't know how appointments are right now, but when I booked, the next availabilities were almost a month later, so plan ahead!
Jennifer ******
did you have to show the 500k in a thai bank account or is it also ok to proof an equivalent amount of money in USD or Euro on an US or German Bank account?
Paul *******
Update: while I am awaiting a reply on this from Vientiane, I do recall that case in Savannakhet last month of a Burmese applicant who was rejected for having only 3 months worth of statements, although his minimum balance was 500K throughout this time.
Perhaps they do need 6 months worth, but not "3-6 months". Either it's a minimum of 3, or 6 or something else. It does sound like they want 6 months minimum at this embassy, which is no good for anyone who recently transferred funds across.
Perhaps they do need 6 months worth, but not "3-6 months". Either it's a minimum of 3, or 6 or something else. It does sound like they want 6 months minimum at this embassy, which is no good for anyone who recently transferred funds across.
Nicolas *************
OP@Jennifer *****
Any bank account and any currency, as long as you can show the 3-6 months statement and it's equivalent to at least 500k THB. And I guess it should indicate the currency? 🤔Paul *******
And some of these reports are from Vientiane and Savannakhet, just for the record
Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
Why 3-6 months of seasoning? Where does it say this? You're assuming this or making it up, when in fact the only thing they do ask is for 6 months of bank statements (not 3) and a closing balance of 500K. They want proof you have 500K in your account on the day you apply.This visa didn't exist 6 months ago, thus many of us wouldn't have known to transfer 500K 6 months ago.
Yet most people are getting approved, I have yet to hear of anyone getting denied because they only transferred 500K a few days ago or something
In fact, a guy in Phnom Penh got his visa despite transferring 500K over just a week before applying and I'm sure I've read of others who've received their DTV visas after showing funds in their account for a few weeks or so.
One report from a couple of weeks ago I remember quite clearly.
Nicholas *********
Congratulations! To anybody that knows, is Vientiane the type of embassy to put the big Rejection in your passport?
Bryan ***********
@Nicholas ********
nah, it is one of the easiestNicholas *********
@Bryan **********
thanks mate 🙏Rudi ******************
I will applying in Vientiane as a remote worker next week. I don't meet the requirement of 500k for 3-6 months, i will be transferring the money from crypto a few days before applying.
I work remotely for a company and have all the necessary contracts etc, thanks for the heads up on the bank card associated with he account!
Ill report my visa trip in the group.
I work remotely for a company and have all the necessary contracts etc, thanks for the heads up on the bank card associated with he account!
Ill report my visa trip in the group.
Paul *******
@Rudi *****************
I don't think you need 500K deposited for that long. They do want to see statements for 6 months thoughNicolas *************
OP@Paul ******
Please don't confuse people. You DO need to show you have had the 500k THB (or equivalent in another currency) for 3-6 months by providing the statements.They don't want to see statements just to look at your transactions. They want to see you had the 500k balance for that long.
Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
Nope. I have not seen anyone say you need to show 500K for 3 or 6 months. You need to show 6 months worth of statements but your closing balance needs to show 500K. Nowhere is it mentioned that you need to have 500K seasoned for 3 or 6 months. One month might be enough.
Again, I'm going by what it says on their website, what they told me in their email reply and what others have mentioned regarding their experiences.
Yunus *******
In your bank statements you didn't show anything incoming or outgoing, only the balance of each day? In Wise there is ways to filter these that's why I asked. I imagine they don't care you are spending money on ride share groceries etc because it makes the report much longer.
Nicolas *************
OP@Yunus ******
Yup, only the opening and closing balances for each month. I did have the full detail available in case they would ask, but it was 14 pages for each statement so I only kept the first page for each. They didn't ask for more.
Andi ***********
Congrats, useful info. Increasing number of investors wanting the DTV .
Adrià ********
Collected the visa today here too!
Rudi ******************
@Adrià *******
Hey, did you have 500k baht closing balance for the last 3-6 momths?Adrià ********
Paul *******
@Adrià *******
Seems they need 6 months. Either it's 3 or 6 ("3-6" makes no sense) - because a Burmese applicant in Savannakhet (same country) got rejected with 3 months worth.
Hence it sounds like 6 months, but I'm awaiting an official reply on this. Certainly, nothing is mentioned on their website. All it says is, they need a minimum of 500K on the date you apply.
Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
I emailed Vientiane to seek clarity on this matter. I appreciate you warning people that 3 or even 6 months of seasoning may be required by Vientiane (and possibly Savannakhet as well). However, for HCM, my email from 10 days ago was answered in detail and they want to see 6 months worth of statements and a closing balance of 500K, nothing about having 500K minimum throughout the 6 months.That stated, Vientiane may be more demanding.
I'll try to get an official response soon.
Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
I see. Again, I am only going by reports I've read and I'm referring to Vientiane, Savannakhet and Phnom Penh. Each individual case is different.Nicolas *************
OP@Paul ******
It's great for them if it worked out, but I wouldn't recommend people go there to apply thinking it will work every time without 3-6 months of showing the 500k...Good luck to everyone though 🤷
Adrià ********
@Paul ******
the day I went, many people where rejected because of that. Idk...Paul *******
@Adrià *******
I've seen reports of people who showed 500K just for a week or couple of weeks and they applied in Vientiane and were approved. They did however show statements of 6 months.Rudi ******************
@Nicolas ************
Thanks so much! You're actually a legend.Nicolas *************
OP@Rudi *****************
If you had the money in crypto stables (USDT, USDC, DAI, etc) before selling/transferring to your bank account, maybe show transactions history of where the stables were held before to cover the 3-6 months time? Otherwise, if it was in BTC or alts and you sold them, I don't think that will convince them for the money requirement. But you can always try and/or ask them in advance. For me they never replied to my email, but they were responsive on Messenger (even replied at like 10PM 🤔).
Good luck!
Adrià ********
@Rudi *****************
I saw some get deny because of that yes, they require a minimum of 3 months. Maybe you can get some justification that are credible, better to consult the Embassy directlyRudi ******************
@Adrià *******
Thanks, did you see them specifically turn anyone away who didn't have 500k for 3-6 months? I will only have 500k for this months statement as I've transefred funds
Wannikea *********
This is a good report showing that not everyone is a square peg trying to fit into a square hole. The flexibility of the Consulate realizing that digital nomads and entrepreneurship doesn't always fit the paperwork and inflexible model of a standard incorporated business is encouraging.
Paul *******
@Wannikea ********
Most are not. The only ones requiring 6 months of funds seasoning (meaning a minimum daily closing balance of 500K across the entire 6 month period) are those in Laos, according to recent reports.Sadly, the Thai embassy in Vientiane refuses to confirm anything via email, simply replying with links to their website, which state absolutely nothing.
I do appreciate the heads up from those who've recently applied there.
As I don't want to be caught out, I'm canceling my appointment in Vientiane and have already made a new one for Ho Chi Minh as it seems more straightforward there. Besides, I work for a company based in Vietnam hence it makes more sense to apply from there.
Nicolas *************
OP@Wannikea ********
Exactly. I was worried they would be a bit too rigid on having a company, work contract and/or list of clients. But when I asked them ahead of time regarding my situation, they had answered me with "you just have to show us what you do". That's precisely what I showed them and they understood it made sense. They are humans too, wow who could have guessed?! 😯😆Wannikea *********
@Nicolas ************
one of the reasons I love Thailand is the humanity to a degree, whereas the west has become a robotic machine, devoid of any.Paul *******
@Wannikea ********
Apologies for not mentioning Laos in my original reply. When I said "they" I meant Laos, which is what this thread is about. I've been following this topic since it's inception and so far, only Laos seems to be insisting on 6 month deposits.
Wannikea *********
@Paul ******
different embassies have different requirements, not all are reporting requiring 6 months of account balancePaul *******
@Wannikea ********
I disagree. Thai bureaucracy is notoriously inflexible and after reading most of the comments here it seems to suggest that they want 6 months worth of account seasoning without exception. I think western bureaucracy is more flexible.
David ***********
Did all 6 of your monthly bank statements show a closing balance of 500K?
Paul *******
I did read about a Burmese applicant in Savannakhet who had more than 500K 3 months before applying but he was rejected because they wanted 6 months worth of statements. It's unclear if they also wanted 6 months of account seasoning (possibly) but 3 months was insufficient.
Thus the question is, do they want 3 or 6 months? "3-6 months" makes no sense. Either it's 3 or it's 6 and it sounds more like 6, given that the applicant I described had his application rejected (but it was later approved in Phnom Penh I think it was).
The Vientiane embassy is not good at replying emails (unlike Ho Chi Minh) so I'm not sure if I'll receive an answer but we'll see and I'll update here if I do.
Thus the question is, do they want 3 or 6 months? "3-6 months" makes no sense. Either it's 3 or it's 6 and it sounds more like 6, given that the applicant I described had his application rejected (but it was later approved in Phnom Penh I think it was).
The Vientiane embassy is not good at replying emails (unlike Ho Chi Minh) so I'm not sure if I'll receive an answer but we'll see and I'll update here if I do.
Adrià ********
@David **********
they require an stable balance of aprox 500k with no recently added money and closed at minimum 500k at the day of the visa request.Paul *******
@Adrià *******
How to define that? I understand they require 6 months worth of statements but you could have the 500K added just a few weeks before.Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
Are you sure, because plenty of people are saying they aren't checking that. They can accept a closing balance of 500K and the funds transferred a week or a few weeks before. I've not seen anyone been told they need to have a minimum of 500K for that long.Nicolas *************
OP@Paul ******
They want to see that you've had it for 3-6 months. If it was in another account and you just transferred it, then you could show statements from both accounts to prove that you had it for 3-6 months.Nicolas *************
OP@Adrià *******
Yeah. To specify, my last statement was dated 31 July. I applied on 23 Aug. They didn't ask for anything more recent.Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
Nope, I wasn't confusing anything. I answered your question as to whether other currencies are accepted for payment of visa fees. The answer is no. Each embassy or consulate accepts one currency only and in the case of Laos its Baht. For Cambodia and Vietnam, it's USD, even though in Vietnam, everything is denominated in Dong these days and other embassies tend to use Dong.For the account balance, that can be in any currency though if you have a Baht account that would be best.
Nicolas *************
OP@Paul ******
Hold on, I believe we're confusing 2 things here. The 500k THB requirement for 3-6 months can be in any bank account, in any currency. It just has to be equivalent to at least 500k THB.
The payment of the application fee (10k THB) is in whatever currency that specific Embassy accepts payments. For Vientiane, it is exactly 10k THB indeed.
Paul *******
@Nicolas ************
Definitely only Baht. I understand each embassy or consulate only accepts one currency and this is usually the local currency. Exceptions include Laos, where it's Baht, Cambodia and Vietnam where its USD (even though other embassies such as Australia only accept Dong, although these days they no longer accept cash).
Zoe ***********
@James *******
thank you.
James ********
@Zoe **********
they will not give you any change back... give them the exact amount required for the visa
Zoe ***********
@Nicolas ************
thanks. Iam going to Vietnam and they accept only us $. Just trying to get the cash and wants to know if it has to be the exact amount. If anyone has any knowledge about it please share it. ThanksNicolas *************
OP@Zoe **********
At the Embassy in Vientiane, you have to pay *****
THB. I don't believe they accept other currencies, but you could ask them? 🤔Zoe ***********
@Nicolas ************
hi، when you pay for the visa ،do you have to have the exact money or you can give them like $400 and they give you the change .Nicolas *************
OP@David **********
Opening and closing, yes. I had multiple times the 500k, I don't know if that helped them not care about not having the transaction details. 🤷David ***********
@Nicolas ************
Thanks.
Thuu **********
Did they tell you when they hand over passport collection slip that Visa isn’t approved yet but you’ll know it once you collect?
Nicolas *************
OP@Thuu *********
Yup exactly. They only quickly look over the application on first day, hand me the collection slip and he said if they require more documents they would ask me on collection day. They didn't ask me anything more when collecting.Adrià ********
@Nicolas ************
I meet the Friday with one American that been rejected the same day that collect the passport and loose the 10k in Vientiane. The reason was because he previously overstayed in Thai.Adrià ********
@Elizabeth ***************
I don't know, sorry. He only mentioned the overstay but not how long.
Elizabeth ****************
@Adrià *******
oh no. I had a 3 day overstay once…how long was his overstay?Nicolas *************
OP@Adrià *******
Good to know. When I was there Friday I heard 2 people in front/next to me applying for DTV and be told no, or to come back with other documents. I know nothing about their situation though.
Thuu **********
@Nicolas ************
Thanks for the info.
James ********
Thank you for your helpful report ☺️
Congratulations 👏👏👏 on getting the DVT visa from the Thai Consulate in Vientiane Laos.
Congratulations 👏👏👏 on getting the DVT visa from the Thai Consulate in Vientiane Laos.
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