Hello. I applied for a DTV early january so I got a few days before my application is getting closed.

My business is in the UAE. I have a German passport.

This is what was requested from me:

An employment contract or a company based in a country outside of Germany: The submitted documents must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Thai Embassy in the country where they were issued (in your case, in the UAE).

I have a trade license and company formation papers but it seems like extra steps are required, documents have to be legalized. Did anyone here go through the DTV process with a setup in Dubai?

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I was wondering (as a freelancer), I have a contract written in Spanish that needs to be translated for the DTV application. Would it be fine to do the translation myself since I'm bilingual, or should I go through an official translator? The cost with a certified professional would be around $300 to $400 for 7 pages, so it will be helpful to know how did you manage to do it. Cheers!

DTV EXTENSION IN PATTAYA

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here extended their DTV visa at Pattaya Immigration after the first 6 months? I really don’t want to do a border run — I’m on the freelance DTV and can prove everything.

Can you tell me:

• What documents you needed for the extension —

are they the same ones as for the initial application, or are there additional ones required?

• For example, do I need to show:

– proof of invoices / work done for clients?

– proof of 500,000 THB in savings?

– anything else like rental contract, tax docs, bank statements, letter of explanation?

• Was the process difficult or straightforward?

Thank you guys

DTV EXTENSION IN PATTAYA

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here extended their DTV visa at Pattaya Immigration after the first 6 months? I really don’t want to do a border run — I’m on the freelance DTV and can prove everything.

• What documents you needed for the extension —

are they the same ones as for the initial application, or are there additional ones required?

• For example, do I need to show:

– proof of invoices / work done for clients?

– proof of 500,000 THB in savings?

– anything else like rental contract, tax docs, bank statements, letter of explanation?

• Was the process difficult or straightforward?

Thank you guys

I want to start DTV process. I resides in India and I am a freelance graphics and webdesigner having strong profile and experience and working as freelance from more than 15 years. What’s the process to start for DTV application

Hello everyone! I plan on applying for the DTV visa as a freelance worker. I have all my documents, and even providing a cover letter just for additional clarification. I am aware that you are supposed to apply to the embassy where you are currently residing, but I plan on traveling to SE Asia first. Based on experience what country/cities are the best chances of being approved with a smooth process? I’m hearing lots of good things about Vietnam but I would like to ask the group initially. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I’m applying for the Thailand DTV from Hanoi and would really appreciate advice.

I’m a freelancer working with different international organisations but I don’t currently have an active contract and I don’t have tax returns (I’ve been working as a digital nomad). Most of my work is confidential so I can mainly show CV and LinkedIn.

I also recently saw a doctor in Thailand and may need some physical therapy for a minor back issue.

Given this, would it be safer to apply under the freelance route or the medical (soft power) route? Any experiences or advice would be very helpful. Thanks for any advice.

Visa approved today in Hanoi, Yayyyy ✨

Applied at Hanoi embassy 🇻🇳

Application submitted: 6 Jan

Additional documents requested: 8 Jan

Status changed to pending approval: 8 Jan

Approval email received: today

Total: 8 working days ⏳

I applied by myself under (freelance / workation) category without an agent.

Hope this helps anyone who is currently waiting for their DTV result.

I’m happy to share what documents I prepared and my experience, can DM me anytime. 🙌🏻💯

Hi everyone and happy 2026 🙏

I want to apply for DTV myself online, freelance category and would appreciate some advice. I am 58 and hold dual citizenship (South Africa/Germany) with residency and tax registration in South Africa.

I have two properties outside of Thailand from which I receive a combined rental income of about 80k baht per month. Both have current one year tenancy contracts. In addition I have two separate bank accounts, each showing a balance of >800k baht continuously since September.

I realise that this would probably qualify me for a retirement visa but I do want to work too.

I retired from teaching in July 2025 and plan on doing online tutoring work. However, I don't have any company or official portfolio.

I have been doing this for the last 4 months (Sep-Dec) and earned 30000+ baht each month. All my clients are based in the UAE, so no Thai clients. Each of my clients I have taught previously and all clients are passed onto me by word of mouth. No company or website.

I did supply each client with an invoice for each month so I can provide invoices plus the bank statements showing each corresponding payment into my account.

Would this be sufficient information in my case for the freelancing?

I do not want to do (and pay for) muai thai, cooking or language courses.

I have heard quite a few people saying I should go for the retirement visa because no one will know about my online work, but this is not an option I'm willing to consider.

I will be applying through the embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.

Please only constructive advice and/or actual experience 🙏

Hey there,

I uploaded soooo much when I was applying (freelancer), including invoices I sent to my customers every month of this year, bank accounts, recommendation letter from my current project I'm in since January with a stamp and sign and so on and so much more.

Today I got this.

Anyone got an idea, what I can send them?

Because my current company is in vacation, so no chance to get a business registration from them any time soon.

I'd be happy if anybody has an idea.

If it helps, the company is German and I'm German and I'm working for them on a freelancer base. So I send them invoices every month.

The "Gewerbeschein" they have is from the 80s and they don't have Handelsregisterauszug since it's a "Einzelunternehmer"