Retirement Visa for Thailand – Here’s how!

Getting a retirement Visa in Thailand is fairly easy once all the correct documents have been submitted to the competent Embassy. However, there are a few requirements that could cause problems for some applicants. The financial aspects of the Visas aside, there are some alluring sides to holding a retirement Visa in Thailand, multiple-entry travel and Visa extensions only once a year to name a few.

There are two options for retirees to choose from when they apply for a Visa. The first one is the Non-immigrant Visa OA (OA long stay), and the second one is the extension of the Non-immigrant Visa O.

The Visas are mostly similar. One of the differences being that the holder of the OA long stay is immediately allowed to stay in Thailand for a year, and the holder of the Non-immigrant O is allowed to stay for 90 days, after which the Visa could be extended, consequently converting the Visa to a retirement Visa.

For the Non-Immigrant O Retirement Visa, the Embassy may require a pension certificate, as this is reserved exclusively for retirees. Wealthy seniors should take a look at the 10-year Long Term Resident Visa.

The main requirements for the retirement Visas are that the applicant must be 50 years old and above, hold a valid passport, have proof of funds lasting for the whole duration of the stay in Thailand, and have sufficient health insurance. It should be noted that any kind of work is strictly prohibited when holding a retirement Visa.

SUFFICIENT FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The biggest difficulties in obtaining a retirement Visa might be the financial requirements. There are a few options on how to prove the availability of funds.

Firstly, the applicant could show that they have at least an amount of THB 800,000 in their bank account. Secondly, there is the option of showing proof of monthly income, usually pension, of at least THB 65,000 from a foreign source.

Lastly, the combination of the two options above could be demonstrated, with the money in the bank account and a year’s worth of the monthly foreign income amounting to at least THB 800,000. These aforementioned amounts are the ones usually required from applicants, but some embassies may set out different requirements, so retirees wanting to apply for a Visa should confirm them with the Embassy in their home country.

PROOF OF HEALTH INSURANCE

Another more complicated aspect of the application process is the requirement of health insurance for the duration of the stay. Regarding the OA long stay, the requirement in question was amended in October 2021 and is now stricter than before. Nowadays, the applicants need to show that they have adequate health insurance for their entire stay, the coverage being not less than THB 3,000,000 or $100,000, also covering the medical expenses in the case of Covid-19. For Non-Immigrant O Visas, the coverage amount is currently (still) 40,000 outpatient and 400,000 THB inpatient.

NO VISA WITH CRIMINAL RECORD AND DRUG ADDICTION

In addition, the applicant must not have a criminal record in Thailand or in his or her country of citizenship or residence and must not have any “prohibitive diseases” such as leprosy, tuberculosis, drug addiction, elephantiasis, or third stage syphilis.

ENTRY AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

Once the Visa application gets accepted, the holder of the Visa needs to enter Thailand within 90 days of the issuance of the document. The validity period starts on the day of entering the country. One of the requirements of the OA long stay Visa, or the year-long Non-immigrant O Visa extension is that the holder of the Visa needs to report to an Immigration office in Thailand every 90 days in person.

After the initial year, the Visas can be renewed in one-year long periods. The abovementioned requirements apply to the renewal as well.