What is the DTV application process timeline from the UK and what additional document requests should I expect?

Question

Hi everyone, sharing my DTV application timeline from London in case it helps someone else, and I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who had several further-document requests but was ultimately approved.

I applied for the DTV (workcation/remote-worker route) through the Royal Thai Embassy London on **2 September 2026**. I’m an EU citizen with UK settled status, applying from the UK.

My initial submission included the usual documents: passport, proof of UK residence, employment/remote-work evidence, employment contract, payslips, employer confirmation letter, bank statements/financial evidence, and supporting declarations.

The process so far:
* **2 September:** DTV application submitted with rquested documents including letter from employer confirming my salary and my remote work.
* **During September:** I was asked several things separately after each upload - for further employment-related evidence, my contract/payslips and clarification around larger salary + bonus payments (i have quite a high salary).
* **22 September:** I received further-document request for:
   * an **ACRO Police Certificate** (they specifically said DBS was not accepted); and
   * **PAYE Income Tax History** related to my employments from the past years.
* **22 September:** I uploaded my PAYE history and applied for the ACRO certificate.
* **18 October:** ACRO certificate received, showing **“No Trace.”**
* **19 October:** I uploaded the ACRO certificate.
* **21 October:** I received another further-document request, this time for an airline-issued **e-ticket from the UK to Thailand**. They recommended a refundable flight at least four weeks in advance.
* **21 October:** I booked and uploaded an official Qatar Airways electronic ticket receipt for London → Doha → Phuket, departing **29 November 2026**.

I’m a bit surprised that the document requests have been so staged, as I had already submitted a fairly extensive application. Has anyone else applying through London recently had this many requests — especially PAYE, ACRO, then flight evidence? Did it mean you were close to a decision, and how long did approval take after the final upload?

I’ll update this post once I receive the outcome, as there seem to be very few recent UK/London DTV timelines under the newer requirements.

Ask Thailand · Answer

The post shares a detailed timeline of a DTV visa application from London, initiated by an EU citizen applying for the workcation/remote-worker route. Key stages include submission of initial documents, several requests for additional evidence (e.g., ACRO Police Certificate and PAYE Income Tax History), and the need for an airline-issued e-ticket. The applicant queries shared experiences regarding document requests indicating possible delays and is eager for timeline insights on approvals. Community comments provide additional context on typical processing durations and repeated documentation requests from the London embassy, especially for high-salary applicants.

Mitchell ****** · Answer

Yes totally standard tbh

Anonymous ************* · Answer

Update: after I uploaded the ticket, it changed to pending approval within 20 minutes, so now I just wait I guess. But from the other posts I see lots of people have been pending approval for a while now..

Josephine ******** · Answer

London office does staged requests like this a lot now, especially for workcation with high salary and bonus. PAYE history plus contract and payslips is their way to match salary flow to bank, and ACRO with No Trace is now standard in London since they stopped accepting DBS. Many who had three or four rounds still got approved once all files were in.

Flight evidence often comes near final stage, they ask for airline issued e ticket at least four weeks out to show intent. After that upload, most London applicants see decision in about five to ten working days, sometimes a bit longer if case needs second review. Keep your Qatar Airways receipt and booking reference visible and keep bank balance steady until visa is issued.

You could consider reading a book or two before your trip. I’d recommend Unlock Thailand by Isla Rey on Amazon, it includes all the info and insights you need. You should check it out. A very good companion 👌.

Henrik ***** · Answer

Don’t forget that every time submitting additional documents, it will reset the processing clock to zero.

Right now is high season for visa applications, which means it can take longer than written on the Embassy website.

It doesn’t help sending a lot of documents if it isn’t the required ones, it only leads to confusion.

David *********** · Answer

I applied form the U.K. at London embassy in March 2025 - they requested a fair bit of further documentation (two further submissions) and it took close to 3 months for the final approval . Obviously this was prior to the new ACRO requirements and PAYE history.

Ian ********** · Answer

As far as I'm aware, London is the only embassy that requires an e-ticket. I applied last September, and it took 3 weeks. The Visa arrived the day before my flight. I was asked for an e-ticket, proof of residency, and an HMRC tax document. I used my UK DL and an appointment letter from the NHS as proof of residency. My DL had already been uploaded with the initial application.

Christine *************** · Answer

We haven’t submitted yet but have been using Issa compass and been providing documents for weeks, imagine they’re getting all the ‘additional docs’ together before starting the submission which will hopefully mean the next part of the process doesn’t take too long. Hope it comes through soon for you and you can use that flex flight sooner ✈️

Daron ************ · Answer

Yes  .. they specifically request the ACRO ..  you introduced this delay yourself … probably because it’s costs £70 and can take up to 20 working days to get it .. own goal I would suggest.

Vittorio ********** · Answer

Why didn’t you upload the ACRO when initially applied? They specifically ask for it

What is the DTV application process timeline from the UK and what additional document requests should I expect?

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