DTV workcation freelancer visa approved in Taipei

Had a great experience getting my DTV in Taipei. Same day approval. No hassle. Very smooth. I highly recommend coming here. This forum was very helpful.

Feel free to ask me any questions.

Was issued a my DTV a few days ago and just wanted to update the group as I found a lot of the info on here helpful. So hopefully my experience might help others when applying.

Applied for the visa at the thai embassy in London on 8th of Dec (Sunday morning). Went with workcation visa based on remote work. Submitted the usual docs. Passport, photo, used driving licence for proof of location, bank statement with 500k thb (statement dates from start of Dec to the 6th), and a letter from my employer confirming that they were happy for me to work remotely and they support my application.

On Monday they asked for additional docs. They wanted a better copy of my passport and photo. Plus a copy of my work contract and an e-ticket showing my name and departure dates from the UK. My work provided a temporary flight reservation but never confirmed the booking, which I thought might be an issue and I supplied the rest.

On Thursday afternoon I received my 5 year visa.

Which visa type is the DTV listed under?

Also, has anyone gone through the process in Singapore before?

Hi everyone,

I got to Vietnam (HCMC) on Monday and submitted my application around 10am and haven’t heard anything back yet- I know it’s probably too early to hear anything (I’m just nervous lol) but my plan was to leave next Thursday night to go back to Thailand and I’m just wondering if that’s enough time? I’ve seen a few people say it took longer in HCMC than they thought so when should I start worrying?😂

I hold a uk passport and I’m applying for workcation if that makes a difference!☺️

Thanks!

DTV Success under workcation category from Vientiane, Laos.

Hi everyone,

First off, a big thank you to all the members here for sharing your valuable information and experiences! While this might not be relevant for many since Laos is transitioning to an eVisa system starting January 1st, 2025, I wanted to share my recent experience in case it helps anyone who secured an appointment before December 20th, 2024.

I applied under the *workcation* category as a remote worker for my US-based company. Here’s how my journey went:

I arrived in Vientiane on December 8th and visited the Thai Embassy on December 9th. They scheduled my passport collection for December 12th. The three-day wait was nerve-wracking, but everything turned out well in the end.

Here's how it went:

1.) I got to the Embassy gates at 8:15 AM and was second in line. Trust me, arriving early helps! By 8:45 AM, the line had grown to 30-40 people. Outside the gates, there were "agents" (or scammers) offering to "help" with documents. Avoid them—they charge 100 THB for the visa form that's available for free inside.

If you need Thai Baht for the visa fee, there’s a Thai bank (Kasikorn Bank) across the street. They open at 8:30 AM and offer currency exchange and ATM services.

2.) The gates opened promptly at 9:00 AM. A security officer guided us to a bench, where another officer casually reviewed our documents. He checked my appointment confirmation and marked my attendance. Once he confirmed I had all the required documents, he sent me to Counter #1.

3.) At Counter #1, I handed over my documents to the visa officer. Here are the documents I submitted:

* Laos eVisa letter + a copy of my Laos visa stamp.

* Passport and a copy of the ID page.

* Visa application form with two photos.

* Screenshot of my Thai Embassy appointment confirmation email.

* Laos hotel booking receipt.

* Rent agreement for my apartment in Thailand + Thai ID of my landlord.

* 6 months of personal bank statements showing over 500K THB (highlighted key info).

* 6 months of payslips.

* Employment verification and NOC letter (stating I’m allowed to work remotely).

* Copy of my employment contract.

* USA business registration documents of my company + ID of the owner.

* Personal portfolio booklet (professionally printed and bound).

* Screenshots of my LinkedIn and professional website.

* Last year’s income tax receipt from my home country.

4.) The officer was thorough, especially with my bank statements. She cross-checked them against my payslips and even asked me to show the current balance live on my banking app. After verifying everything, she accepted the documents, asked for 10K THB for the visa fee, and gave me a slip to collect my passport on December 12th between 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM.

5.) On December 12th, I arrived at the Embassy at 1:15 PM and was seventh in line. This time, the queue moved very quickly, with people receiving their passports within seconds once they reached the counter. I was in and out of the Embassy with my passport within 3 minutes.

I’m incredibly grateful for the advice I found in this group—it helped me navigate the process smoothly. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Good luck to everyone applying, and happy travels!

Hi All,

Just want to share my experience in getting an Approved DTV.

Thai Embassy: Ho Chi Minh City

Type: Workcation (remote employee)

Applied from Location: Hoi An

Documents Supplied:

1. Photo of passport

2. Photo taken within last 6 months

3. Proof of current location

- photo of arrival stamp into Vietnam

- accommodation booking in Hoi An

- photo of boarding pass

4. Financial Documents

- bank statement from the last 6 months showing at least 500,000 baht

5. Employment Documents

- original employment contract

- certificate of employment from my employer stating I can work remote.

- latest payslip

- employer's company registration information

Timeline:

Submitted application for DTV - 2pm 28th Nov 2024

(Payment came up with error 500 but did go through when I refreshed the page and checked my bank account)

Additional Documents Requested - 7pm 29th Nov 2024 They requested documents giving detail on my current job and 6 months of payslips. I provided a job description document and the 6 months of payslips.

Pending Approval - 1pm 6th Dec 2024

Approved - 3pm 6th Dec 2024

NOTE: 5th Dec was a Thai Holiday.

Let me know if you have questions.

Finally got the DTV. Went through an unbelievable ordeal to get it. Here’s my story:

Applied in Savannaket a few weeks ago in the workcation category. Waited a few days, then was told that I need to provide some extra business documents from my clients translated and notarised. For various reasons I couldn’t get them, so I went back on a tourist visa.

Decided to apply the soft power route. Found a Muay Thai gym that could provide the documents and I purchased a 6 month course with them for 22k.

Flew to China under the new visa free arrangement, thinking I could apply there. Was told at the embassy there that foreigners cannot apply in China without a Chinese residency permit.

Decided to take a bus to Hanoi. Forgot that I need to apply for a visa invitation letter first for Vietnam (d’oh). Missed the bus. Decided to book a flight straight to Taipei to apply there.

Applied at Taipei on Monday morning. They told me I needed a certain business license document for the gym which was different from the document I had been given (which was strange because 10 people had already gotten the visa with this gym with these same documents, including one in Taipei).

They also said they wanted me to show them my bank account balance on my phone. Opened my bank app, and suddenly I was completely locked out for security reasons. Spent hours on the phone with customer support and waited a full day before I could get back into my account.

Meanwhile, I emailed the gym owner. He said they don’t have that specific document, but gave me a copy of his work permit.

Went back the next day. Got a different visa officer this time. She decided that the issue was actually not about that business license document, but the fact that the name of the gym on that document did not match the company I made the payment to (which is actually the company owned by the gym).

I told the owner. He agreed to issue a new invitation letter under the name of the holding company so that it would match up.

Meanwhile, I suddenly realised that… I could not find my passport. I had given it to the lady at the embassy, and it seemed she never gave it back. Cue one hour of me and all the embassy staff running around frantically trying to find my passport, and me panicking thinking that I would have to order an emergency one and be stuck here for another week.

Finally, some lady in the back room of the embassy yelled “found it!” It was hiding under some document.

By then I was sweating bullets and my head was spinning.

I gave them the updated invitation letter and explained them that the gym is actually owned by this holding company.

Three of them got together and scrutinised the documents. They highlighted a bunch of stuff, then decided they would let the supervisor make the final decision, and told me to come back in the afternoon.

I came back at 3pm, and they told me it was approved.

THE END

DTV approved in Berlin Embassy in Workcation category 🥳

Hello lovely people! I promised to give a big update when my application is approved. I got a lot of info and help from this group and lovely group members. So I hope my post can help others too.

I applied on 11.10. at Berlin Embassy. I am a German citizen with a private Limited Company registered in UK and I am the Company Director of it.

I provided:

- Business registration (PDF Download from companies House)

- Self written Statement letter giving all Information about the Business activities of my Company, that I have no Business in Thailand and dont intend to Build any, that my stay in Thailand will be only for Personal reasons and that I will work Remote during my stay in Thailand (signed and wet Company stamp)

- business contract between my Company and a customer, including which Services my Company provides for that customer (b2b)

- 3 invoices from my Company showing that my Company Generates income

- flight ticket

- booking confirmation for a rented condo for 6 months

To proof 500.000 Baht I downloaded a PDF Bank Statement of my WISE Account, showing around 15.000€.

On 21.10. I received a request for further documents, explaining that my Business registration can Not be accepted, because it is Not a German document. International documents had to get legalised by an official of the State Where the Company is registered plus by the Thai Embassy in that state.

Besides that they didn‘t accept my passport photo, because I scanned one and uploaded it. So you really need to go to a Professional Studio and get a digital foto.

Because I stay in Germany at the moment I had to Order the documents from companies House, send them back to UK to get them legalised and again send them to UK Thai Embassy in London to get them legalised by them. That took me more than 4 weeks despite express shipping.

After I had all documents legalised I uploaded them and got approved on the next day 🥳

I am very happy and hope that my application story can help you. If you have any questions, just ask in the comments 😊

See you in Thailand 🙏🏻

Annie Reischmann 😊

DTV Granted HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City) 29/11/24

UK Citizen

Workcation Category

Not a freelancer; I work for an international company

Flew to DMK same day - no issues at immigration

Maybe a unique case - I was travelling Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam in the 6 months prior to application. I got my job as I was leaving Thailand to go to Borneo

Applied 21/11, submitted:

- Passport photo

- 6 months of bank statements + brief cover letter

- I only had the ฿500,000 in my account a week prior to application (I have no idea who lets that amount of money sit in their account rather than somewhere useful).

- Flight itinerary, hotel booking and Vietnam visa stamp as proof of location

- Compnay contract and certificate of employment detailing that I can work globally

Request for extra documents 26/11:

- Photos of every single passport page (sent as pdf, included the front and back cover too)

- Clear photo of Vietnam visa (sent)

- 6 months of bank statements, again (sent)

- 6 months of salary slips (I sent a cover letter instead explaining that I didn’t have any yet as I was a new hire. My contract has the date stated the weird American way (MM/DD/YYYY) so I cleared that up). I attached my contract and certificate of employment again).

Granted afternoon of 29/11/24

Ask any questions. I used this page as a resource, I’m happy to help

# My Experience Obtaining the Digital Thailand Visa (DTV) Under the Workcation Category in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Hi everyone,

I recently went through the process of obtaining the Digital Thailand Visa (DTV) under the "Workcation - Business Owner" category. I wanted to share my experience to help others. For privacy reasons, I won't mention specific dates, but this was a recent experience.

## Timeline

* Before Departure:

Prepared all documents and filled out the eVisa application up to the point of needing to verify my current address.

* Day 1:

Went to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam to complete my DTV application.

* Upon Arrival in Vietnam: Took a picture of my passport with the hotel welcome letter in the background.

Then I took a picture of the Vietnam entry stamp in my passport with the same background.

Printed out the hotel booking confirmation as a PDF.

Merged these pictures and documents into one PDF as the 'Document Indicating Current Location' and uploaded it.

* Day 3:

Received my DTV approval in my email late evening, which was surprising because that day it was a public holiday in Thailand.

* Day 4:

Returned to Thailand holding an active Non-B multiple entry visa. Immigration officers were initially confused, sent me around different booths and took about 20 minutes to figure out what to do.

They said something about cancelling my Non-B re-entry on the spot and stamped me in under the DTV.

They called my previous employer to confirm my status, and I assured them I would properly cancel everything related to my previous visa after entering Thailand.

(the reason why I kept my Non-B visa active as a backup in case my DTV wasn’t approved)

## Documents I Provided

1. Cover Letter:Introduced myself and my business.

Explained my purpose of staying in Thailand and my appreciation for Thai culture.

Stated my commitment to comply with all Thai laws and not engage in local employment.

Listed all supporting documents and their purpose included in the application.

2. Proof of Self-Employment and Business Ownership: Official Document from Government: Obtained an officially recognized confirmation from my government verifying my business and ownership status.

Company Registration Lookup: I gave them a printout of the official government homepage and wrote a few sentences about how they can verify it themself.

Employment Contract: I set up a contract between my company and myself confirming my role as the business owner. (seems unnecessary since it's a sole proprietorship but I just did it as many people recommended it)

3. Professional Portfolio: Detailed professional experience, key projects, and clients.

Highlighted that all work is conducted remotely for clients based in other countries.

4. Service Agreement with a Client: Provided a service agreement with a client in my home country, demonstrating ongoing work and active business operations.

5. Financial Evidence:Official Financial Statement:

Showed a maintained balance exceeding the required 500,000 THB (equivalent in local currency) over the past 6 months. This bank statement was from my private account, not my companies account.

I also added last years tax statement that showed my income.

6. Accommodation Proof: Provided a rental contract confirming accommodation in Thailand.

Remark: I translated all government papers and bank statements through a translation service. I didn't notarize it but they all had a stamp of the translation company on it.

## Key Points from My Experience

* Verify All Passport Details Carefully:

The eVisa system may auto-fill your information after uploading your passport, but it can sometimes contain errors, especially with dates. So be careful and review every single field.

* **Double and triple check everything

**I can't stress this enough. It took me a few days to prepare everything and I intensively used the search in this group to be up to date on how others organized their application. In the end they didn't request any additional infos and everything went very smooth. If you have any questions almost everything is covered already in this group so make the best out of that

* Application Completion Before Departure:

You can fill out most of the eVisa application before leaving your country, except for the 'Current Address Verification Document'.

After arriving in the country where you're applying, just take pictures of stamp and the hotel you're staying at, merge it into a PDF, upload and done.

* PDF Handling and Compression:

The eVisa system has a maximum upload size of 3 MB per file.

My initial PDF containing the cover letter, portfolio, and confirmations was over 40 MB.

Standard compression tools like Adobe Acrobat and Preview on Mac sometimes resulted in empty pages.

I successfully compressed my PDFs using a tool called Ghostscript. Moral of the story if you run into the same issue just try different tools until something works

* **If you go to Vietnam, make sure you have a Visa if you need one

**I only realized a few days before my flight that I need a visa for Vietnam but luckily I somehow managed to get it just in time.

Final Thoughts

The entire process was surprisingly smooth, and I owe a lot of it to all the information shared in this Facebook group. The tips and experiences posted here helped me a lot to prepare all the documents. So I'm hoping I can give something back with my summary

Safe travels and good luck!