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Answered10 months ago

When does the 5-year validity of a DTV start: approval date or issuance date?

Eileen ****
asked Jan 2, 2026
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Quick question: once the DTV is approved, does the 5-year validity start from the approval date or the arrival date?
Answer summary
The 5-year validity of a DTV (Digital Nomad Visa) starts from the date the visa is issued, not the approval date. Several comments from users confirm this, stating that the validity is printed on the visa document itself and begins from issuance. Additionally, a discussion highlights that entering Thailand just before the visa expiration can grant a total stay of nearly six years through extensions.
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Andy **********
Andy **********
But if you do your last entry 1 day before the visa ends, you will have 180 more days which you can then extend for another 180 days so technically, it could be a near 6 year visa.
Luit *****************
Luit *****************
@Andy *********
Are you sure you can extend your stay with another 180 days after end date of validity of the visa itself?

Apart from being useless I highly doubt it.
Dylan *******
Dylan *******
@Andy *********
I don't doubt it's possible to enter literally just before it expires, but are you 100% certain they'll extend a visa that's expired? I get it, they've already stamped you in, granting you the 180 days. And you have 'the right' to extend that entry, but - technically - the visa itself has expired. Is there a precedent for this with other visas?
Luit *****************
Luit *****************
@Dylan ******
In fact there are other visa where it works that way, like a normal 60 day tourist visa, when you enter just before it expires you get 60 days and can get an extension of 30 days.

But every visa is different, so just like you I doubt if it will work.

When I hear stories about extensions being difficult always for DTV, I cannot imagine they will extend in this situation.

Apart from that a lot of DTV holders don't comply with the visa requirements anyway, so they never get an extension.

And when you comply with requirements, just get a new one is cheaper if you plan to use for another 5 years.
Dave ***********
Dave ***********
Date the visa is issued, it’s the date on the Visa
Nongnuch ********
Nongnuch ********
Eileen Ng . . .the visa validity is printed on the .pdf visa document behind the line "visa must be used by"
Eileen ****
Eileen ****
OP
Nongnuch ********
Nongnuch ********
the 5-year visa validity starts on the day the visa gets issued. However you can get almost 5 years and 6 months out of a DTV, if you do a last entry close to the visa validity expiry
Nongnuch ********
Nongnuch ********
the 5-year visa validity starts on the day the visa gets issued
Phil ******
Phil ******
@Eileen ***
arrival date
Callum ********
Callum ********
Nongnuch ********
Nongnuch ********
@Phil *****
she asked about the visa validity period, not about the permitted stay period you get stamped on entry
Callum ********
Callum ********
@Phil *****
the question asks when the 5 YEAR VALIDITY starts. learn to read buddy
Chris ********
Chris ********
Approval Date, same as a passport
Michael *******
Michael *******
VISA vs STAY
Relevance *********
Relevance *********
Another question thats answer is so obvious with just an early education level of reading comprehension...
Benjamin *********
Benjamin *********
Its written on visa.
Maksym ***********
Maksym ***********
All Thai visas valid from date of issue
Ronnie ***************
Ronnie ***************
Approval date
Farhad *********
Farhad *********
Approval.

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