I just got my DTV visa in Dubai - and it was a mistake 😅

A little background about me. I’m a content creator based in Dubai. I have a 10-year Golden Visa residency in the UAE thanks to my work with the Dubai Media Office. This kind of visa allows me to live, work, and even open a business in Dubai without the need for a sponsor (like an employer), which regular work visas don’t allow.

But I recently quit that job to become a freelancer and travel more.

Excited about the new chapter, I started my DTV application in Dubai on June 8, 2025. I prepared all the required documents:

* A full portfolio as a freelance content creator, with contracts and receipts for paid work (shout-out to a helpful group member who guided me with this!)

* Financial proof of having more than 500K THB in my bank account

* My apartment lease in Dubai and a recent electricity bill as proof that I reside outside Thailand

I submitted the application and paid 1,500 AED (around $408).

A week later, I got a request for additional documents: a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from an employer and a work permit in Dubai, which I didn’t have anymore, since I had quit.

So I wrote myself an NOC explaining that I’m a freelancer and outlined my visa status in the UAE, and then resubmitted the application.

A week after that, they asked for a freelancer permit (in Dubai, it’s mandatory to have one if you’re working with brands or doing paid collaborations as a content creator). I was already in the process of applying for it and once it was issued (which cost me 7,500 AED, approx. $2,000 per year), I uploaded it and waited for their response.

A few days later, I got an email from the Royal Consulate of Thailand in Dubai requesting an in-person interview. They asked me to bring my:

* Original passport

* Emirates ID

* New bank statement from the past 3 months showing over 500K THB with a wet stamp from the bank

* Round-trip plane tickets

* Confirmed hotel reservation

The appointment was within a week.

I prepared everything and I went to the consulate, I was the first person there.

A nice lady came over, took my passport and residency ID, and began the interview, right there, standing in the waiting area. She asked me to:

* Show my social media profile

* Share examples of paid collaborations

* Show my bank balance using my bank’s mobile app, including some payment transactions from clients

* Explain my intentions for the DTV visa, whether I planned to work in Thailand or create travel content (I told her I make science and technology videos only)

Then she said, “Okay, please upload all of these documents to the online portal.”

When I got home, I found new document requests on the Thai visa portal (as written on the online portal):

1. Financial evidence (again, the same one I showed in the interview)

2. Fully-paid round-trip airline tickets from airline

3. A condo rental agreement in Bangkok or a PDF file of a confirmed hotel reservation covering the full trip

4. My Dubai apartment rental agreement (which I had already uploaded before)

I uploaded all the new documents.And just like that… the next day, the visa was approved!

I’m so happy it worked out in the end, but the process was long, stressful, and expensive, it took almost 40 days. Looking back, I probably should’ve just gone to Vietnam or another country where people seem to get the DTV in a week or so.

Also, I think my Iraqi passport may have raised some red flags, which could have made the process more complicated. Honestly, I might be the first Iraqi to ever get a DTV visa 😅

So yeah… I don’t recommend applying for the DTV from Dubai, especially if you’re a freelancer and don’t already have all the official permits in place.

Thanks to this group for all the support and helpful info! Wishing everyone good luck with your applications 💙🌏✈️

Part 3/3—

DTV Extension SUCCESS at Old Town Phuket for myself and my wife (Remote Worker / Digital Nomad)

First, a Note (for the 100th time)—— there's literally no need to tell me "it would've been easier if you would've just boarded an airplane." Busy family of 5 with three young kids— it would've been more expensive, more chaotic, and potentially more risky in our case. PLUS— I care about other people having access to this process. I'm happy to do it for science so people can have a little more clarity.

if you're somehow disgruntled about my doing this extension in this way, then why are you even in the group?

Timeline—

1st Day— Went to Immigration at Old Town Phuket. See previous posts about what I brought. Went through two or three rounds of varying degrees of checks. The Immigration officer was actually very kind, and let us know we needed: a *bank statement* for the *current* month. We also needed a *more recent* remote work authorization letter than the one I originally applied for the DTV with (Even though it's my own company— me authorizing myself).

2nd Day— Waited for my bank to auto-generate a bank statement for Feb-March (brought Jan-Feb, too). Wrote myself a new auth letter. Brought it all in. Waited my turn (very quick), the officer remembered us, quckly flipped through the documents and asked: "These are the new ones, right?" (he remembered us). Took our passports, docs, and money (1900THB each) gave us a little slip of paper telling us to pick up our passports on Friday (submitted on Monday).

3rd Day — Brough paper straight to Desk 5, they brought our passports out with a receipt and an extension stamp. Did our second 90-day check-in on the spot.

Tips / Takeaways :

- We were a primary holder + 1 follower. We have a shared bank account that has at 500,000 THB in it, but not much more than that. Our statements did not show that amount going below 500k at any point. There didn't seem to be concern about needing 500k per person.

- We kept all of our documents in order from the time we initially applied for the visa in Jakarta, Indonesia. This made it very easy to apply for an extension. All I had to change were the bank statements and authorization letter.

- Applying for an extension in Phuket took longer than applying for the visa in Jakarta. We submitted the application on Monday, picked up Friday (submitted on Monday, picked up Wednesday in Jakarta).

- The officers and staff, while they didn't talk much (likely because they're very busy), were very helpful and kind. Any anxiety and pressure I felt was put on myself, and never came from the staff or officers.

10/10 would do it again (but can't)

Hi , I would like to ask if I need a work permit if I am monetised on YouTube and I intend to live In Thailand making YouTube films ,

Two questions:

1. Can the 500k requirement be in a UK Stocks and Shares ISA bank account that’s invested into index funds?

2. I’m a digital nomad in south east Asia. I stay predominantly in Thailand, but can go anywhere. Where would be the best place to apply for the DTV?