Does anyone know roughly how long it is taking to get a Non-O retirement visa from the UK?

Applied on March 10 at 11:30 → Pending approval on March 11 → Approved on March 17 at 12:30 (Workation Visa).

Thanks to the awesome people in this group supporting each other. ❤️

Anyone else in HCMC whose status has been “pending approval” for several days(more than 5 working days)? I have seen some get it in 5 days from start to finish and some seem to be waiting for several weeks lately.

Edit: I just got my visa. 😀 27/01/2026

Day 43 after application (12 December): Pending document check. 10 days left until my flight. I’m super anxious. Ankara Embassy. Cannot reach them via phone. I emailed them twice so far; on Day 30 and 40. No reply. Any recent info from Ankara?

UPDATE: They approved my visa, late at night. The night before my flight.

Is it possible approval for the DTV approval to be given over the weekend / outside usual working hours (9-5ish) ? We applied in Hanoi on Monday, yesterday (Thursday) we received a request for an additional document to confirm our location. It is now Friday but are current accommodation ends tomorrow and we are wondering how many days extra accomodation we should extend. Appreciate we can’t know when we will hear back but if approval is never given over the weekend then we might as well book until Monday, otherwise we will just book day by day, hence the ask - thank you in advance! ☺️

Hi all, I just want to summarize my application experience for anyone else using the medical soft power route. My Visa agent told me my appointment for an in person evaluation was not good enough. I needed documentation of my 6-month treatment plan from that evaluation.

I am only 48 so not eligible for the retirement Visa. Therefore, paying for a visit to Thailand to get this evaluation was much cheaper than an elite Visa.

Now, I have all the necessary documentation and my Visa agent is preparing my application for submission.

Hi all, looking for anyone who has first hand experience applying for a DTV visa in Laos, all legit and no funny stuff 🤣

I’m heading back to SA next week and I’m loathe to apply there so just wondering if Laos is an option. TIA

Has anyone applied for the DTV visa in california? what was the process like?

Sharing since I've been lurking around for 15 months.

DTV Soft Power Cooking (House of Taste Thai Cooking, Bangkok)

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Application Submitted: 19-Sept

Additional Docs Req (all pages of passport): 29-Sept

Docs Submitted: 30-Sept

Application Approved: 01-Oct

Total: 7-8 Business Days

Did NOT use an agent. Provided 3 months bank statements with over 500k THB balance.

British passport, shoe size 10.

HANOI, VIETNAM 🇻🇳

This is the application for my wife. Dependent DTV visa

I applied for the main applicant on June 2nd and here was my timeline main applicant

•2June 2025 submitted application (in the evening on a Monday)

•Embassy closed for the Queen’s birthday Monday and Tuesday

•5June 2025 Document requested “blurry photo” on Thursday (submitted document within an hour of request) changing status to pending approval

•8 June 2025 (on a Sunday!) DTV approval granted!

3 Business days (2 holidays in between and a blurry photo) it could have been faster

I made another post with what i sent with my application check it up if you want to take the business owner route . It will help you secure your application

Now the timeline and documents submitted for my wife dependent dtv

10 June 2025 submitted application (in the evening on a Tuesday)

11 June 2025 Application went into Pending Approval no further documents were requested

16 June 2025 (on a Monday!) DTV approval granted!

3 business days

We ended up with 4 folders

Location Folder

Vietnam Visa

§ Boarding Pass and Passport Stamp

§ Airbnb Reservation in Hanoi

§ Long Term Lease Thailand ( This is not a requirement but i added it in case they might wanted to have an interview)

Marriage certificate folder

&Marriage Certificate

§ Marriage Certificate’s Apostille

Main Applicant Visa Holder folder

$DTV of the Visa Holder

§ Approval for the DTV of the Visa Holder ( email)

§ Passport of the DTV Visa Holder

Dependent Visa Applicant financials

§ Cover Letter “ why you qualify for this visa , what you plan on doing in thailand include you will not seel local employment and your source of income comes from seasonal sources 6 month and the money comes from outside Thailand balance over 1 million bath

§ Recommendation Letter I did this visa as a business owner so i sent a letter of recommendation from My own business.

§ Sponsor Letter This i did a personal sponsor letter where i said i was responaable for her financially.

§ Bank Statements (Bank of America. You need 6 months some people have been able to do with just 3 but again you only get one shot. Balance over a million bath . No refunds if you dont convice them you can sustain yourself with your financials. Just to give you an example 500k comes at about 17000 usd /1825 days ( 5 years) put it on a calculator comes at about 9 usd per day 🤣 not enough

*update Approvals are granted over the weekends here at Hanoi.

Check your information at least 5 times before you submit the application. We spent one hour before we submitted it. Do not trust the passport reader. Check each number one by one . When they ask you for where your passport was issued put the country of issuance. I worked many years ago as an intern on an embassy . The consulate/ embassy you applied that piece of land is considered part of that country. If your passport is American and you got it at the american embassy in Hanoi or Bangkok put United States

On the first application i was told i was Lucky this second one confirms im not lucky i just spent enough most time putting the info together and thus the results

Good luck everyone!