The Thailand Retirement Visa is necessary for foreign nationals or Thai ex-pats exceeding 50 years of age and willing to retire and stay in Thailand. But it must be noted that a Thailand Retirement Visa restricts an individual from working or carrying out any professional practice in Thailand.
How to Apply:
Thailand Retirement Visa can be applied by an individual either while staying in Thailand or while overseas. If the applicant is staying overseas, he or she has to do the application at the nearest Thai Embassy or Consulate.
Types of Visa Applications:
If the Thai Retirement Visa applicant is staying in Thailand, he or she has to apply for a non-immigrant O type Long Stay Visa.
While applying from overseas, the applicant should apply for a Non-immigrant OA type Long Stay Visa. The application can be for single entry or multiple entries.
Another category of Thai Retirement Visa is the Non-immigrant OX Visa which is applicable for citizens of some particular countries (it is having some specializations and restrictions which will be discussed in our upcoming blogs).
Validity of Retirement Visa:
The validity of a retirement visa is for a period of 12 months and can be renewed annually. There are no restrictions on the number of times of renewal of Retirement Visa in Thailand.
Thailand Retirement Visa Requirements
The primary and most important requirement to be eligible for a Thai Retirement Visa is attaining the age of 50 years at the time of application for the Visa.
Henceforth, any one of the following criteria makes an individual eligible for Thailand Retirement Visa:
- Have a bank account in Thailand funded with a minimum of 800000 baht. The account should be funded with the amount 2 months prior to the application of a Thailand Retirement Visa.
- Have a monthly income or pension of at least 65000 baht with a certification proving the same.
- Have a consolidated total of 800000 baht comprising of annual income or pension and money in the Thai bank account opened in the applicant’s name.
The above funding or fund transfers need certification by proofs like the following depending upon the criterion suitable for the applicant –
- To certify the security deposit of 800000 baht, the applicant must be able to produce a passbook or bank book of the Thai bank account in the applicant’s name. It should accompany a letter from the bank clearly mentioning the amount which is a minimum of 800000 baht. The deposit must be in the applicant’s bank account from an overseas source. The applicant must do so two months prior to the date of application for the Retirement Visa.
- For income certification, the applicant must be able to produce a bank statement of the last twelve months. It should show a deposit of 65000 baht every month. The same must attestation of a bank letter by the Embassy of the applicant in Thailand.
Although it is not mandatory in the majority of cases, for some applications, the applicant might need to produce Police Clearance Letters or Medical Certificates.
Application Process for Thailand Retirement Visa
One can apply for a Thai Retirement Visa by staying in Thailand or in his or her native country. In both cases, it is a prerequisite that the applicant must have the documents to certify the security deposit. They should also have income along with the clearance and certificates. They should be able to produce these documents with the relevant visa application form.
- To apply for a Thai Retirement Visa within Thailand (Non-Immigrant O-Long Stay Visa):
The applicant must start the application process by applying for a 90-day non-immigrant visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate outside of Thailand. Henceforth, the applicant can make an application for a retirement visa in Thailand. One cannot apply for a retirement visa while staying in Thailand on a 30-day entry stamp or Tourist Visa.
The applicant then has to stay in Thailand for at least 60 days. Else, within the last 30 days of the current visa stamp expiry. They have to do so before submitting the retirement visa application to an immigration office.
The applicant must provide proof of address in Thailand. A rental agreement or utility bill in favour of the applicant can be good proof for the same.
- To apply for a Thai retirement visa outside of Thailand (Non-Immigrant OA-Long Stay Visa):
The applicant must submit all the required documents, supporting material, along with the application form. They must do so at a Thai Embassy or Consulate within which the applicant is currently resident.
It is important to note that not all Thai Embassies and Consulates are able to supply Thai retirement visas. So it is important to check before making the application.
For all types of guidance and assistance related to Thai Retirement Visa, mail at [email protected] for a free consultation session.
