DTV Visa Approved in Just 4 Working Days

I recently helped my friend successfully apply for a Digital Thailand Visa (DTV). As an immigration case worker, I have experience in this field, but I found the DTV process straightforward enough for anyone to handle with the right preparation.

## Application Timeline:

* Submission Date: Dec 10, 12:03 AM

* Request for Additional Documents: Dec 12, 11:48 AM

* Approval Received: Dec 13, 6:48 PM

Processing Time: 4 working days

Submission Route: Workcation

Issue Place: Royal Thai Embassy, Hanoi

Application Method: Thai eVisa Portal ([members only]/)

## Applicant’s Background:

* Employment: Remote worker since July 2022

* Immigration history: Applicant has traveled to Thailand and stayed multiple times using the 60-day visa exemption. He has also extended a tourist visa while inside Thailand. I initially thought about addressing this point to the visa officer but ultimately decided to ignore it.

## Documents Submitted (Dec 10, 12:03 AM):

1. Cover Letter *(Optional but Recommended)*: Helps visa officers understand your circumstances, reasons for applying, and facilitates faster decision-making.

2. Employment Reference Letter

3. Employment Contract

4. Payslips (Last 6 Months)

5. Bank Statements (Last 3 Months): Showed a minimum balance of 500,000 THB. *(Tip: The fund doesn't need to have been in the account for months; transferring it before submission is acceptable.)*

6. Passport

7. Resume

8. National ID *(Proof of Current Location for Vietnamese applicants)*

Note: All documents must be translated into English.

## Request for Additional Documents (Dec 12, 11:48 AM):

After submission, we received a request for the following:

1. Employment Contract, Certificate, or Professional Portfolio: Must showcase status as a digital nomad, remote worker, freelancer, or foreign talent.

2. Company's Business Registration

*Important Note for Remote Workers**:

* Ensure your employer’s business registration document is ready for submission in case it's requested.

* Your employment reference letter must explicitly state that you are a *“remote worker.”*

## Approval Received (Dec 13, 6:48 PM):

After submitting the additional documents, the visa was approved in just 18 hours.

## Tips for a Smooth DTV Application:

1. Organize Employment Documents:

Combine the following into a single PDF file: Cover Letter

Employment Reference Lette, Payslips, Employment Contract, Resume

Add a table of contents for clarity. *(See the attached image for reference.)*

2. File Naming:

Use clear and organized file names for each document. *(Example: "Your Full Name_Document Name.pdf")*

3. Employer Business Registration:

Request this document from your employer in advance.

4. Clear Mention of Remote Work:

Ensure your employment contract or reference letter states you are a *“remote worker.”*

As eventually all 94 Thai Embassies/Consulates around the world will be using the Thai e-Visa for accepting visa applications and issuing Thai e-Visa's, some of the Frequently Asked Questions are succinctly answered by the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia who started with Thai e-Visa today (26 November 2024):

1.) you have to physically be in the country of where the Thai Embassy/Consulate is located to apply for a Thai e-Visa;

2.) you will not be making any appointments to visit any Thai Embassy/Consulate who issue Thai e-Visa;

3.) it's just best to physically print out the PDF of your Thai e-Visa and have it with your passport (yes, many have reported that they just showed the image of the Thai e-Visa PDF on their mobile cell phone, or the Thai e-Visa should be in Thai immigration's database system, etc. etc.): just print out the Thai e-Visa PDF!

4.) if there is an error, typo, incorrect spelling, etc., then the Thai e-Visa application can be rejected and no correction will most likely be done to rectify and No Refund!

5.) Thai e-Visa processing times are longer than previously in-person visa applications issuing Thai visa stickers....that may shorten in the future, but then again, it may not....

As eventually all 94 Thai Embassies/Consulates around the world will be using the Thai e-Visa for accepting visa applications and issuing Thai e-Visa's, some of the Frequently Asked Questions are succinctly answered by the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia who started with Thai e-Visa today (26 November 2024):

1.) you have to physically be in the country of where the Thai Embassy/Consulate is located to apply for a Thai e-Visa;

2.) you will not be making any appointments to visit any Thai Embassy/Consulate who issue Thai e-Visa;

3.) it's just best to physically print out the PDF of your Thai e-Visa and have it with your passport (yes, many have reported that they just showed the image of the Thai e-Visa PDF on their mobile cell phone, or the Thai e-Visa should be in Thai immigration's database system, etc. etc.): just print out the Thai e-Visa PDF!

4.) if there is an error, typo, incorrect spelling, etc., then the Thai e-Visa application can be rejected and no correction will most likely be done to rectify and No Refund!

5.) Thai e-Visa processing times are longer than previously in-person visa applications issuing Thai visa stickers....that may shorten in the future, but then again, it may not....

Here is my story on how I applied for DTV through Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo (Sri Lanka) : [members only]

This is how I applied for Thailand Destination Visa (DTV) From Sri Lanka under Workcation category: Refer [members only] for more info.

I’m a Sri Lankan living in Chiang Mai. I got an ED visa last year, which I can use until this December. I wanted to apply for the DTV soon, so I came back to Sri Lanka on 31st October. I gathered the following documents and submitted them on the eVisa portal.

Financial Proof:

• Bank balance confirmation letter: Final balance as of 3rd November.

• Pay slips: Last 6 months.

• Bank statements (salary account): Last 6 months.

• Bank statements (savings account): I only had the 500,000 THB+ balance for the last 2 months. There was no money there before.

Work Profile:

• I wrote a cover letter about my situation (I’m a software developer working remotely for a foreign company, and I’ve been to other Southeast Asian countries as a digital nomad).

• Attached my professional agreement letter with my employer and included their contact emails for verification if needed.

Payment:

• The fee is 120,000 LKR, equivalent to 14,000 THB. (Not sure why it’s higher than usual.)

Timeline:

• Application Submission: 5th Nov, 6:30 p.m. (IST)

• Document Request: Received email on 6th Nov, 3:30 p.m., asking to upload all pages of my passport.

• Passport Upload: Uploaded on 6th Nov, 11:30 p.m. (Creating a PDF under 3MB while retaining image quality for 33 images was tricky.)

• Interview Request: Received email on 7th Nov, 11:00 a.m., asking to visit the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo for an interview on 8th Nov, 10:00 a.m.

• Interview: I went with hardcopies of all my documents (bank statements, offer letter, etc.). (It was a casual conversation — I think they just wanted to confirm I was in the country.)

• Visa Approval: Received on 8th Nov, 11:30 a.m.

Interview Summary:

There was no one else at the embassy. The officer asked me why I wanted this visa. I explained that I’m a digital nomad and have been traveling in Southeast Asia for the past few years. I mentioned I’d wanted this visa since it was announced.

• He asked how long I’d been in Thailand; I said 15 months on a student visa.

• He asked what I was doing there, and I explained I was learning Thai and living there.

• He asked about where I stayed, and I said mostly in Chiang Mai, though I’d visited the south as well.

• He reminded me I’m not allowed to earn money in Thailand, to which I replied that I understood.

• He asked if I had any family there, and I said no.

He took all the hardcopies and informed me that I’d receive the result via email.

Everything was pretty fast, with no major issues.

#srilanka #colombo #dtv

Finally))))), I got my DTV, very happy)

Just wanted to say thank you to this lovely community for all the support and useful info. Got our DTVs approved today. In case anyone's wondering:

Where: Royal Thai Embassy Hanoi, Vietnam

Dates: Filed on Oct 15th (me) and 16th (boyfriend) and got our approvals today on Oct 21st.

Documents provided aside from the obvious:

* for financial proof: at least 3 months of back bank statements showing more than 500k baht (spread across multiple different currencies) / additionally I showed proof or some money I have invested and I think so did my boyfriend + in the cover letter I also stated that I own a property back home

* for work proof: a short cover letter explaining: what I do for a living and that I can do it 100% online, that I've attached bank statements and clients contracts and an explanation why I'm applying + 2 contracts with my clients + a certificate from one of my clients basically stating that I work online and that I'm an invaluable asset to their company + a pdf of my website showing examples of my work. My boyfriend did the same but a pdf of the website of the company he works with and circled in red a photo of himself in the "employees" section lol

Approved without any requests for additional info yayy.

If anyone has any questions, hit me up! I'll probably be making a video or 2 about the experience for my socials in case anyone's interested (shameless plug) - @nomadicmarta 🤣

Hello,

I need your help to get some information. I went to the Thai Visa Application Center to submit my application, but they refused to accept it because I haven’t visited Thailand twice in the last five years. I have, however, visited twice in the last 5.5 years. They advised me to get pre-approval from the Royal Thai Embassy.

I emailed them with all the relevant details (visa.dac@mfa.go.th), but unfortunately, I haven’t received any response for over a week, despite follow-up attempts. Could someone assist me with how to reach them, as I didn’t find sufficient information on their website.

Thank you!

UPDATE: I’ve been approved!

Probably a bit late to post this but hopefully this can help anyone who wants to apply DTV at Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I submitted my documents and paid a $400 visa fee on 23rd of September. But due to multiple public holidays and embassy closure date in between, the pick up date is on the 4th of October, which is almost 2 weeks; cutting real close on the 2 weeks visa exemption that I get in Cambodia. As of writing this, I’m waiting to collect the passport. (UPDATE: Approved and collected)

The category for my application is Digital Nomad/Workcation. I’ve submitted the following documents.

1. 3.5 months bank statement with 650k THB only on the closing amount of the final month.

2. My professional portfolio (3D artist)

3. Remote work contracts and certificate (Dubai company)

4. Freelance short term contracts, Freelance NDA contracts

5. Proof of stay in Bangkok (Contract and TM30)

6. Application form with my passport photo

7. Copy of my passport page

There was no need of getting an appointment in Phnom Penh Embassy. I just walked in, took a token number and waited until they called my number. The officer just skimmed through the documents quick, asked what type of visa I’m applying and told me to pick up on the 4th of September. Everyone else who applied on the same day as I did was also told to pick up on the 4th.

My tip is to check for holidays of the embassy you wish to apply at before you plan your trip. I have spent almost 2 weeks in Cambodia which was quite boring especially in Phnom Penh. Since they have taken my passport, I couldn’t visit any other city or move hotels.

Hopefully everything goes well and I get accepted. I’ll keep you guys posted in the comments after I pick it up. Good luck to everyone else who’s applying for the visa.

Cheers!

Had a pretty cool email from the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi:

"Dear Applicants,

The Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi would like to announce that, effective from 8 October 2024, 10:00 hrs. (UTC+7), a foreign national who is currently in Vietnam (Ha Noi, An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hai Phong City, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Quang Binh, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Son La, Soc Trang, Tay Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Phuc, and Yen Bai) and wishes to apply for a Thai visa must apply and submit their application through the new online e-Visa platform at [[members only]/).

From the aforementioned date onwards, it is no longer required for the applicant to submit their passport and supporting documents in person at the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi. The processing time of the visa application through the e-Visa platform will be 5 working days. Payment must be made using debit or credit cards and is non-reimbursable.

After the e-Visa application has been approved, a confirmation email will be sent to the applicant’s registered email. The applicant is kindly requested to print a copy of the confirmation email to present to the airline at the port of departure and to Thai immigration officials in Thailand.

Please note that once the visa application is submitted through the e-Visa platform, it is unable to revise any personal information. Incorrect information, including typographical error, will result in rejection. Therefore, it is highly recommended to carefully check all the information before the submission. More information can be found in the infographic attached.

Yours sincerely,

Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi"

* Hi all, curious if anyone has experience transitioning to the DTV while in Thailand? Or is it a hard requirement that this must be in an embassy/consulate outside of Thailand?

A follow up, would the embassy accept 401/Roth for the income statement?