Retirement Visa allows you to stay in Thailand for one year. You are not allowed to have employment while on this type of visa.
- Can a foreigner retire in Thailand?
- What do I need to get a retirement visa in Thailand?
- What types of visa is a retirement visa in Thailand?
- How much is a Thailand retirement visa?
- How much money can you have in the bank for a Thailand retirement visa?
- Can I work with a retirement visa in Thailand?
If you are asking any of the above questions, well, you have come to the right place. This complete guide shows you clear information on the knowledge of the Thailand retirement visa.
Before we learn about the many methods to know, let’s see the potential:
In This Post
What Is A Thailand Retirement Visa?
Thailand retirement visa (or Thai retirement visa) is available to foreign people over the age of 50 who desire to retire in Thailand. This visa may be obtained in Thailand or abroad at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General.
When applied for inside Thailand, it is recognized as a Non-Immigrant O Long Stay Visa (Non O Visa), and when applied for outside Thailand, it is recognized as a Non-Immigrant O-A Long Stay Visa (Non O-A Visa).
A Thai retirement visa allows a retired foreign national to stay in Thailand for one year and can be extended every year.
You can renew your Thai retirement visa as many times as you want as long as you continue to fulfill all the visa requirements. This visa is also available as a 5-year or 10-year retirement visa and single entry or multiple entry visas.
Keypoint
- Must be 50 years old or order.
- Must pass a criminal background check.
- Must have a valid passport for at least one year.
- Must have fulfilled basic financial conditions are allowed to live in Thailand for up to a year. ( make a security deposit of at least $24,500 in a Thai bank 2 months before applying or prove a minimum monthly income or pension of $2,000)
- The visa can be valid either for a single entry or multiple entries.
- The visa is renewable every 5- years, and the renewal process can be done inside Thailand (requirements for the visa renewal still apply).
- A retirement visa for Thailand does not allow the holder to work.
How many types of Thai Retirement Visa:
- The Thai government issues two types of retirement visas for foreign nationals:
- The One-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-A”), which is issued to foreigners aged 50+ of all countries and is valid for one year with the option to renew annually;
- The Ten-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-X”), which is only issued to foreigners aged 50+ from certain countries for five years’ duration. It is renewable once more for a maximum of 10 years.
Requirements To Retire In Thailand?
A- Retirement Visa O-A (Non O-A Visa) Requirements:
- Applicant must be at least 50 years old and fulfill any of the following financial requirements:
- A security deposit of THB 800,000 in a Thai bank account for two months before the visa application.
- Monthly income of 65,000 THB.
- Combination of a security deposit and annual income with a total of 800,000 THB
- Supporting documents are as follows:
- In case of a security deposit, you will provide an updated bank book or passbook together with a bank letter stating that the money had been deposited to the account from an overseas source for not less than two months.
- In case of income, a letter from your embassy in Thailand verifying your monthly income; or should your embassy does not issue an income letter, and you will provide a 12-month bank statement showing a regular deposit of 65,000 baht into a Thai bank account
- You must not have a criminal record in any country
- You must not have any of the following diseases: Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis.
- While it is not a common procedure, in some cases you may be required to provide the following:
- Police Clearance.
- Medical Certificate.
- Health Insurance.
- Applicant must be at least 50 years old and fulfill any of the following financial requirements:
* These are not usually required if the visa application is submitted inside Thailand, though there are rare cases, however, when an official from the Thai embassy or consulate may ask for them before issuance of the visa.
B- Retirement Visa O-X (Non O-X Visa) requirements: applying for a 10-Year Thailand Retirement Visa, you must adhere to the following requirements:
- Must be at least 50 years of age on the day you submit your application
- Must be from one of the following countries:
- Australia
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- United Kingdom
- Netherland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United States
- Must fulfill the financial requirements:
- A security deposit of at least 3 million Thai Baht in a bank account in Thailand.
- An annual income of at least 1.2 million Thai Baht.
- You must get Thai health insurance for the duration of stay with annual coverage of at least 40,000 Thai Baht for outpatient treatment and at least 400,000 Thai Baht for inpatient treatment. Health insurance has to be with one of the approved companies from the Thai General Insurance Association.
- You must not have any of the following diseases: Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis
- You have to report to the Immigration Officers in Thailand every year to ensure you continue to meet the requirements.
Process Of Applying For A Thailand Retirement Visa?
The application for the Thai Retirement visa can be processed either in your country of residency or in Thailand.
All necessary documents stated above must be submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in your country. You have two options when applying for a Non-immigrant OA visa:
- Application for the Non-Immigrant OA Visa in your home country:
All necessary documents stated above must be submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in your country;
Please note that not all the Royal Thai Embassies or Royal Thai Consulates-Generals in your country may be able to issue this type of visa.
- Application for the Non-Immigrant O Visa and extension in Thailand:
- It is required that you apply for a 90-day initial Non-immigrant visa from the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in your home country before you apply for a Retirement visa in Thailand;
- You will have to wait for 60 days to be in Thailand before you can file your Retirement visa application at the immigration office, or you must be on the last 30 days of your current permit to stay;
- Proof of address in Thailand (utility bills, rental agreement, etc.) is also require;
Note: The foreigner on a visa exemption stamp or a tourist visa can still apply for a retirement visa given that the foreigner has already met the requirements for the non-immigrant O visa and the one-year extension visa applications. This can be done at the immigration office in Thailand.
Documents Are Required For A Retirement Visa Application
When applying for a Thailand Retirement Visa, you will be required to provide several papers to prove your eligibility. It contains the following items:
- Your passport is valid for at least six more months and has at least one blank visa page. Your passport should be valid for at least another 18 months if you’re applying for a one-year visa.
- Completed and signed Visa Application Form, which you may either obtain from the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General ‘s website or pick up in person while submitting your application.
- Additional Retirement Visa Application Form (completed and signed)
- A passport size photo of yourself that meet the specified criteria:
- White background.
- Taken within the last six months.
- You must have a neutral facial expression, staring straight ahead
- Your complete face should be visible.
- Only religious headgear is permitted, and even then, only if it does not hide the face.
- Glasses are allowed only if they don’t cover your eyes and do not have heavy frames.
- Proof you meet the financial requirements as detailed above, through one of the following (as is applicable):
- Bank Statements and Letter of Guarantee showing the deposit in the Thai Bank which is no less than detailed above on “Eligibility…”
- Bank statements showing an annual income of no less than what is detailed above on “Eligibility…”
- Bank Statements have to be certified by a Notary Public.
- Police Certificate issued by the police authorities in your country, showing you do not have a criminal record. The certificate has to be certified by a Notary Public.
- Health Certificate issued in the past three months showing you are not infected with one of the prohibited diseases (Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis). The certificate has to be certified by a Notary Public.
- Proof of health insurance with annual coverage of at least 40,000 Thai Baht for outpatient treatment and at least 400,000 Thai Baht for inpatient treatment as detailed by the Thai General Insurance Association.
- Thailand Retirement Visa processing fee.
You may be asked to provide extra papers by the visa-issuing personnel at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General where you intend to apply.
How To Apply For Thailand Retirement Visa?
A Thai Retirement Visa must be applied for at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in your country of residence. The application process is as follows
- Contact the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General where you will submit the visa application. If one is accessible, you may also go to their website. Learn about the visa office’s opening hours, working days, and preferred form of payment.
- Make an appointment, if one is necessary. A list of the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General may be found here
- Collect the required documents for a Thailand Retirement Visa.
- Submit the documents and visa application. Depending on which Embassy/Consulate you apply in, you can apply:
- In-person
- By mail, in which case you must attach a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope.
- Allow time for the application to be reviewed.
- Grab your passport and visa. They will be returned to you if you applied via mail.
Note: If you are currently in Thailand on another type of visa, you can apply at the Thailand Immigration Department in Bangkok to change the category of your visa to a Retirement Visa. This does not apply to holders of a Thai Visa On Arrival.
After Getting The Thailand Retirement Visa
Once you have received your Thai retirement visa, you may enter the country for the period of the visa.
There are, however, certain restrictions that all expatriates in Thailand must follow.
One is that if you wish to leave, you must apply for a Thai Re-Entry Permit, and the other is that you must declare your address to Immigration every 90 days if you want to stay.
Application For Thailand Re-Entry Permit
You must get a Thailand Re-Entry Permit to leave Thailand within the term of your visa and return without trouble.
If you do not get permission before leaving, your visa will become invalid, and you will be unable to return until you obtain a new visa.
This is only true if you have been received a single-entry visa. If you have a multiple-entry visa, you may easily leave and return to the country.
How To Extend Thailand Retirement Visa?
You must apply for a visa extension every year if you have a one-year Retirement Visa.
In Thailand, you may apply for an extension through the Thailand Immigration Department.
The Thai O-X Retirement Visa, on the other hand, only requires you to request an extension after five years, following which you would be given another five-year visa.
You’ll need various supporting papers to renew your visa, including:
- A completed Visa Extension Application Form TM.7
- A passport-size photo.
- Signed copies of all your passport pages.
- Proof of accommodation in Thailand.
- Proof you meet the financial requirements to live in Thailand, such as bank statements, notarized affidavit of income, and so on.
How Much Does A Thailand Retirement Visa cost?
- For a 1-Year Thai Retirement Visa (Single-Entry): 2,000 Thai Baht
- For a 1-Year Thai Retirement Visa (Multiple-Entry): 5,000 Thai Baht.
- For a 5-Year Thai Retirement Visa: 10,000 Thai Baht.
Reminders To The Thailand Retirement Visa Holders:
Retirement visa holders are required to notify the Immigration Office regarding their current residential address every 90 days. This can be done either by mail or by personal visit to the immigration office. You may also enlist an agent’s services to do this on your behalf through a Power of Attorney.
If the retiree is not in the country when the report is due, the counting for the 90-days will start again after re-entry to Thailand.
If you plan to travel in and out of Thailand during your visa validity year, you will need a multiple re-entry permit to do so and avoid your visa from getting canceled. Otherwise, you need not apply if you plan to stay in Thailand the whole time.
In case you find the need to leave the country for whatever reason, you can apply for a re-entry permit at the nearest Immigration Office or the international airport before leaving the country.
- Bank Account
The retirement visa is valid for a year and can be renewed by presenting the same requirements during the initial application. Please note that your bank account’s required amount of funds must be at least three months old before you can renew your visa.
- Importation of Household Effects
Please note that retirees cannot import their personal effects to Thailand duty-free according to the Bureau of Customs.
Thailand Retirement Visa FAQs:
How long can you stay in Thailand on a retirement visa?
You can stay in Thailand on Retirement Visa for One Year (1 year)
A Thai retirement visa is valid for one year (12 months) and may be renewed annually. As long as you continue to complete all visa criteria, you may renew your Thai retirement visa indefinitely.
Can a foreigner retire in Thailand?
Yes, a Retirement visa, also known as a Non-Immigrant Long Stay Visa, is required to retire in Thailand. This may be done in Thailand or at a consulate abroad.
How much do you need to retire in Thailand?
A retirement visa requires a monthly income of 65,000 Thai baht (approximately USD 2,000) or savings of 800,000 Thai baht (approximately USD 25,000) in a Thai bank account.
How long will 500k last in Retirement?
It is possible to retire at the age of 45, but this is dependent on several conditions. According to the 4% rule, if you have $500,000 in savings, you will have access to around $20,000 over the next 30 years.
What is the difference between O and OA visas?
Some even distinguish between an O-A (granted exclusively at an embassy or consulate outside Thailand) and an O visa renewal based on retirement (which is supposedly only issued in Thailand).
Can I retire to Thailand from the UK?
Yes, you can. The Thai retirement visa for British people is provided to retirees or applicants in Thailand. Before applying for a Thai Retirement visa in Thailand, you must first get a 90-day visa from the Thai Embassy in London or your county of residence.
Is Thailand a safe place to retire?
Yes, Thailand is one of the safest nations in Southeast Asia, with few violent crimes against foreigners. The bulk of crimes committed by tourists, ex-pats, and retirees are pecuniary. Pickpocketing is one of these crimes.
