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O-A Long-Stay Visa Guide: Benefits, Requirements, Reporting

The O-A visa is issued to those over 50 years old and provides a long-stay option in Thailand. It's often referred to as a “retirement visa”.

This visa is applied for in your home country, at a local Thai embassy or consulate. The application can usually be done by mail and takes a minimum of 15 days to process.

In this post, I'll run through the benefits of the visa and the requirements you need to meet to be approved.

O-A-visa-thailand

Beautiful Koh Lanta. Image credit: Wojciech Portnicki

O-A Visa Benefits

The visa is active from the date of issue. You are granted a 1-year stay from the date of entry to Thailand.

This is a multiple entry visa. What that means is: you can leave Thailand and re-enter as and when you please, within the validity of the visa.

The great thing about the O-A visa is that the multiple entry aspect allows a further one year stay on any entry, so if you exit and re-enter just before the visa expires you get another one year's stay.

When your visa has expired and your permitted stay inside the country is coming to an end, you can extend the visa inside Thailand, at an immigration office. A little more about that later on.

O-A Visa Required Documents

There's a fair bit of documentation to get together. Here's what you will need to submit to your local Thai embassy or consulate.

  1. Your passport and a copy of your passport. Your passport must have validity of at least 18 months and have at least one empty page.
  2. The visa completed application form (in black or blue ink).
  3. A medical certificate (notarized) showing no prohibitive diseases in accordance with the Ministerial Regulation No.14(B.E. 2535).
  4. Three passport-size photographs (2″x2″). Photographs must have a lightly color background with a full-face view of the person with no hat or dark glasses. Photos must be no more than 6 months old.
  5. Bank statement showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate (original not a copy) with a monthly income of not less than
    65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht. Submitting a bank statement requires a letter of guarantee from the bank (original not a copy).
  6. A letter of verification from the relevant authority in your country to show that you have no criminal record. Internet documents are not accepted.
  7. A copy of your airline tickets.
  8. The required health insurance (as discussed below)

O-A Health Insurance Requirement

The O-A visa has a mandatory health insurance requirement. The policy must cover a minimum 440,000 Baht, or the equivalent if the policy is issued outside of Thailand.

The total must cover inpatient services.

The policy can be obtained from a Thai or foreign insurance company, and must state that you are medically insured for the period, with the aforementioned coverage.

If you use a foreign insurance company, you will need to provide the original policy and two copies. You will also need to get the insurance company to fill out and stamp a form, which can be seen here.

If you use a Thai company, you will only have to provide the two copies.

The easiest option is to take out your insurance with a reputable Thai company, although one with English-speaking customer service is highly preferable.

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O-A for Your Spouse

If you have a spouse over the age of 50, she/he can apply for an O-A visa too.

If your spouse is younger than 50, he or she can apply for temporary stay under the Category ‘O’ visa. He or she will need to provide your marriage certificate as evidence.

90-Day Reporting

All long stay visas come with a 90-day reporting requirement, which involves producing a number of documents for immigration.

You can report in person, by mail and online. In person is easiest, but when working, the online system is convenient, particularly if you live far from an immigration office.

The reporting requires the following documents:

  • Passport
  • Notification form (TM47)
  • Copy of passport info page (with photo, name, passport number, etc.)
  • Copy of current visa
  • Copy of latest entry stamp
  • Copy of latest visa extension
  • Copy of departure card (TM6)
  • Copy of previous 90-day slip (if any)

Extending Your Stay Inside Thailand

As mentioned previously, you can extend your stay in Thailand beyond the validity of your visa. But don't wait for your visa to run out to do this. Instead, start the process 30 days beforehand.

This extension requires you to prove an income of 65k Baht per month income by way of a confirmation of income letter from your embassy, or 800k in a local Thai bank account 3 months prior to the application. The latter requires a confirmation letter from the bank and a copy of your bank passbook.

You will also need to fill out a TM7 (extension of stay form).

At this point it is worth noting that you can avoid applying for an O-A visa in your home country and instead obtain a long stay by doing this exact extension process in Thailand.

So instead of applying for an O-A Visa, you would apply for a Non Immigrant O Visa at your local Thai embassy or consulate instead.

The Non Immigrant O Visa gives you a 90-day stay on arrival. Before this expires inside Thailand (up to 30 days), you can do the one year extension at an immigration office.

So if you'd rather avoid applying for the O-A visa in your home country and having to provide the medical certificate, criminal record check, and the insurance requirement, you can take this alternative route.

I've written about this type of “retirement visa” extension here.

In Summary

The route a person takes to obtaining a long stay usually depends on the timeframe they are working with and how quickly they want to get to Thailand.

Applying for an O-A visa in your home country does have its benefits: You get stamped in for a year as soon as you enter, and you can exit and re-enter just before your visa expires and get stamped in for another year.

Some people would rather just have everything sorted before they leave and not have to think about doing an extension of stay in Thailand, whereas others may want to avoid that criminal record check (ahem).

I appreciate that if you're applying for a visa for the first time there may be some confusion and questions. So feel free to ask away in the comments section below.

———–

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  1. Richard says

    Hi Peter: I just returned from a 45 day Visa Exempt trip, I’m a US citizen. I have a complicated itinerary/Visa question if you can offer a suggestion. I meet all the requirements for a Thai Retirement Visa but don’t want to pursue that right now. So:
    I would Arrive in Thailand late September
    Want to stay there through mid December and then need to fly to China for 3 days.
    Then return to Thailand for 30 days and then return to China again for 3 days.
    Then fly back to Thailand and stay at least 90 days or as long as I can. Perhaps at that point apply for the Retirement Visa or a long stay 1 year Visa

    I can’t figure what the best mix of Thai Visas, single or multiple entry Visas get me through this back forth to China and then give me the maximum amount of time in Thailand once I’m finished with China.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Richard,Trip 1: No visa required for 30-day visit. Trip 2: You can get a single entry tourist visa, which lasts 60 days. Extend at a local immigration office for 30 days for 1,900 Baht. (90 days) Or, if you want to get the 1-year extension of stay based on retirement apply for a Non Immigrant O visa through the eVisa online system. Once inside Thailand open a bank account and get the required finances and documents together to present to immigration after 60 days.
      Reply

  2. ERNEST GEEFAY says

    I an a US citizen living in Thailand on a retirement visa.
    I have been married to a Thai lady for 43 years.
    My daughter (born and living in the US) has become a Thai citizen. My grandson, born and living in the US has become a Thai citizen.
    I am the only one in our family who is not a Thai citizen.
    Is there any way I can apply for permanent residency or citizenship and skip the yearly 1 year Retirement visa process?

    I heard from a friend that the Thai government had extended the priviledge of citizenship not only to THai men who marry foreign women..but to Thai women who marry Foreign men.

    Is that true?
    Reply

  3. Fred says

    Upon the moment of extension within Thailand, having first applied outside of Thailand with the 800K bank statements, and then wanting to change to the 65K income requirement.... does this mean to immediately open a Thai bankaccount and starting sending over 65K from abroad once arrived in Thailand? Does the home embassy still need to certify the sources of the income or is this done with immigration in Thailand?Thanks
    Reply

    • Ken F says

      I’m no expert on the subject but in all the research I did before coming over here 18 months ago I did not see anything that would indicate that you needed to show that you were making transfers of your monthly income into a Thai bank. Of course, the rules are always changing so I could be wrong but why on earth would they care how much of that 65,000 Baht income you transfer into Thailand and when. Obviously if you are going the lump sum route they want the 800K in a Thai bank 3 month prior to your application but the income verification is just that; a verification of your income. And even as nonsensical as Thai rules and regulations are I can’t imagine that they would want to monitor when and how much of that income you transfer to Thailand each month. As for me I bring in money from the states only when the exchange rate is very, very favorable and if it gets very bad I just live off of what I have in my Thai bank account and then bring more over when the rate is favorable once again. Anyway, I’m sure Peter will know if they now not only want a verification of income but also a verification that you are converting that income to Thai Baht every month. In any case if I were you I would set the bank account up as soon as possible regardless. By the way, I was planning on going the 800K route after I came over but I did not get my Thai bank account set up in time and I ended up having to pay a visa service to help be get everything sorted out. I could have saved myself a lot of money by getting the bank account set up sooner.
      Reply

  7. Lisa nugent says

    Hi Peter,
    We are currently pulling our hair out applying for an OA E visa. The supporting documents asked for:
    1. A medical certificate. Our GP has never heard of this and has just issued a letter stating that we have no infectious diseases. Is this, ok?
    2. The health insurance asks for at least three types of evidence...so confused! What do we actually need?
    Hoping you can help.
    Thanks
    Reply

    • JamesE says

      1) No. There is a very specific list of diseases. "LEPROSY, TUBERCULOSIS, ELEPHANTIASIS, DRUG ADDICTION, THIRD STEP OF SYPHILIS".
      2) The insurance requirements mentioned on the embassy website are: Coverage amount, coverage period (must be as long as your permitted stay, and, in the case of a non-Thai issuer, a Foreign Insurance Certificate. As far as the certificate goes I've been able to enter with a policy declaration page that specifies the first two and explicitly states that the coverage is in force in Thailand.
      Reply

        • JamesE says

          You could do a search for "visa assistance" but because the O-A must be applied for in your home country and not Thailand you might not have a lot of agents to pick from with any meaningful experience. The basic rule with anything to do with Thai officialdom is that you haven't given them enough paper even if it would duplicate something you've already sent up. If you have specific questions your best bet is to ask them here (as you did above) and to also go to the Thai Embassy website and look at the requirements for the O-A. They may (will?) be presented more clearly with links to specific forms (like the medical certificate and foreign insurance certificate) you will need.
          Reply

    • Nick says

      18 months ago, My Doctor refused to sign the declaration on the basis that they only fill in forms about diseases I do/have had!!
      However my Pharmacist who gives me flu jabs and any travel vaccinations I need was happy to sign me off as he was fairly sure I don't look like I have Elephantitis! All went through fine....I am not too sure they check up on what is sent to them as long as you send all the correct forms with official stamps and signatures!
      My pharmacist has plenty of letters after his name but is not a GP.
      I am now 18 months and 1 OA renewal down the line...6 trips and now living in Thailand permanately with no checks on my syphilis to date although sure my wife might mention it if it became an issue!

      Ask around eventually you will find someone happy to sign the form...I think I found an online Dr at the time but tried my Pharmacist first so never needed to get online Doc involved but sure they were prepared to do so for a fee.
      Reply

  8. Lars Georg says

    Hi - hope you can help. I apply for a Thai O-A visa on thaievisa.1. Do I need a return ticket or is a one-way ticket ok?2. Applicant must upload his/her passport pages which contain all travel records for the past 12 months (1 year) since the last international trip - I didn't have any international travels in the past 12 months. Should I just upload the blank pages from my passport?
    Reply

  10. Paul Haynes says

    Hi l am confused as to when my 1 year will start from . I am applying on the evisa site for OA multi entry in the UK . What exactly will it say on visa on date.Let’s say l get my visa and it says 1st December but l don’t leave till 30th December,does my 12 month start from when enter Thailand or from 1st December. Also do l have to book my flight and give details when applying. Lastly l intend to spend 6 months in Thailand before returning England,then returning after 3 months . Do l still have to get the 12 month medical cover if so will it be valid after l leave,and valid on return. Regards Paul Haynes
    Reply

    • G says

      Hi Paul, Looking at my last OA it looks like the visa will start on the date it is issued and the limit of your stay will be to the day your insurance expires. I am no expert and not currently sure what the rules are regarding compulsory insurance. I have some serious health conditions so picked up a cheap Thai policy accepted by immigration (which I didn't use) along with my English policy (which I did use). More anecdotal information on request. G
      Reply

    • JamesE says

      Your visa will be valid from the date of issue but your 1-year permission to stay begins on the day you arrive in Thailand. Have a look through the comments as you'll find ways to have your 1-year visa work out to be a 2-year visa. If you're leaving and returning don't forget to get a reentry permit (or a multi-entry visa when you apply). Your health insurance must be valid for your permitted stay in Thailand. So, if you arrive on January 1 with the plan to leave for a bit on June 30, you will still be stamped in until December 31 and your insurance will have to cover the entire one-year period, regardless of your intention. One of the reasons why the O(Retirement) visa is a better option than the O-A is that it only has a 90-day insurance requirement.
      Reply

      • Paul Haynes says

        Hi So if l enter Thailand on new OA multi entry visa for example 1st November,return UK 1st April, then return 1st October therefore with 1 month left of my original 12 month medical , will that not suffice will l have to have new 12 month insurance. One more thing do l have to book flight to get visa . Regards Paul Haynes
        Reply

      • Paul Haynes says

        Hi James With the OA multi entry visa if you arrive Thailand stay 6 months ,return UK for 4 months ,then return with just over 1 month left and get stamped in for a further year, providing you then get re entry permit and new insurance can you keep repeating this procedure thus never in effect applying for new visa in UK . Hope that is not confusing. Paul
        Reply

        • JamesE says

          No. Your O-A will expire during your stay and once you leave it becomes invalid. This is one of the benefits of the O (Retirement) option. With a re-entry permit you can keep coming and going as needed and your original visa exists in some kind of limbo state. Max is the wizard on this, maybe he'll weigh in with the actual mechanics of the system.
          Reply

            • JamesE says

              TTL's correct. (I spaced that it's already multi-entry). You have to keep in mind two things: First - Your visa is valid from its issue date (the date it's approved by the embassy) and, Second - your permitted length of stay (one year with the O-A) which begins when your passport is stamped on arrival. So, within the one-year period of visa validity you may enter the country as many times as you want and each time you will be given a one-year permission to stay. Once your visa expires (one year from its issue date) you can't reenter the country under that visa regardless of whether you've been stamped in longer earlier. So to your question: "won’t my OA multi entry keep being re stamped for new 12 months as long as l leave then return with a re entry permit within the 12 months?" Your visa doesn't get stamped when you enter, its valid dates are etched in stone, your passport does. If you leave before your visa expires, your passport is stamped as having left and your one-year permission to stay is cancelled. Assuming you return before your visa expires you can enter and get your passport stamped again for another year's permission to stay. It can get confusing.
              Reply

              • Paul Haynes says

                I must be stupid so does does 1 year start from date l arrive Thailand through immigration example 1st November. Not date on visa issued in England example 1st October. So theoretically l could return England May return Thailand example 15 October and get another year from 15 October
                Reply

                • JamesE says

                  Okay. Your 1-year permission to stay starts when you are stamped in by immigration. That has nothing to do with your visa's valid dates. Look at this example: If your visa was issued on 1-October, 2022 it is valid until 30-September 2023 - your visa is valid for one year. That is the period of time you are allowed ENTRY into Thailand. So, if you ENTER into Thailand on 1-November, 2022 then you will be permitted to STAY until 31-October, 2023 - your permission to stay is valid for one year even though your visa will have expired a month before you have to leave the country. In your scenario, leaving in May, 2023 and returning 15-October, 2023 your visa will have expired on 30-September, 2023 so you would only be stamped in for 30 days under a visa exemption. The dates on your visa is the period when you are permitted to ENTER while the dates stamped on your passport is the period you're allowed to STAY. The short version is visa dates = permission to enter, passport stamp dates = permission to stay. They're not the same thing.
                  Reply

                  • Paul Haynes says

                    Thank you James so l can apply for visa in UK now even though not planning to leave till mid November. Dorian has told me l need to book flight before applying can anyone else confirm that the reason being l am getting conflicting answers elsewhere , and cannot get through to embassy.
                    Reply

                    • JamesE says

                      You can but I'd wait until mid/late-October to apply. This goes back to the visa permission to enter/passport permission to stay difference. If you apply now you're effectively cutting over two months from your visa's one-year validity as your visa will expire in late August/early September, 2023 depending on when it is issued. This really puts a crimp on the 2-year stay trick. Yes, you do need to have your flight booked prior to applying for the visa. It's in the visa requirements on the Thai Embassy's website (USA, anyway. Not sure about the UK.). It's almost impossible to get through to any embassy or consulate.

                • Dorian says

                  My first OA visa worked like this. Came in on February 2021 with one year insurance so stamped in for one year from that arrival date. Left in August 2021 no re entry permit needed. Came back February 2022 just before end date of visa and bought another years insurance so stamped in for the free 2nd year. If i leave again then i need a re entry permit. My 2 years of OA will expire February 2023 so will have to decide wheather to renew or go home and start the process all over again.
                  Reply

          • TheThailandLife says

            Correct. The visa allows unlimited entries for one year from the day it is issued. It is possible to get a total stay of almost 2 years by entering Thailand just before the visa expires. At the point of expiration a re-entry permit isn't applicable because a re-entry permit only applies to a valid visa. You won't need a re-entry permit to leave and return while the visa is valid because it is multiple entry.You only need proof of insurance to enter the country in that first year.
            Reply

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