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The Thailand Retirement Visa Guide

This post will provide you with all the information you need to obtain your retirement visa, and answer all the nagging questions to which you have seen conflicting answers for all over the Internet.

Let's get started.

What is a Retirement Visa?

In truth, there is no such thing as a retirement visa, per se. However, when we talk about a retirement visa, we refer to it as such because people applying are generally retirees intending to spend their retirement in Thailand.

Moreover, you can't work on this type of visa, so it's generally for those who've stopped work and entered the sunny side of life.

What most refer to as a retirement visa is officially known as an extension of stay based on retirement.

The way the extension of stay based on retirement is obtained is by entering Thailand on a Non Immigrant O Visa, which we will discuss a little later, and then by obtaining the retirement extension from an immigration office – provided you meet the requirements.

thailand-retirement-visa

Retire in Thailand, enjoy the good life.

What If I Don't Meet the Financial Requirements?

Perhaps you don't have an ฿800,000 lump sum of money to put in a Thai bank account, or a monthly income of 65,000 THB. In this case you can still meet the financial requirements by combining the two. 

For example, let's say that you earn 50,000 a month. That would equal 600,000 THB a year.

In this case you would only need to deposit 200,000 THB in your Thai bank account to make up the required 800,000 THB. However, you would need to provide both the letter from the bank and the proof of income letter from your embassy

(British and US nationals are currently unable to obtain this income letter). 

What Documents Do I Need for a Retirement Visa?

To obtain the extension based on retirement, you will need to attend an immigration office, such as the office located at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok. On the day you will need 5 things, as follows:

  1. Passport with Non Immigrant O Visa inside. Photocopies of: photo page of passport, page showing visa, page showing last entry date into Thailand.
  2. TM.7 (extension of stay form completed and signed). Attach a passport photo and include phone number by your signature.
  3. Departure Card (TM.6) (make a photocopy)
  4. 2 passport size photos
  5. Proof of funds and or proof of income (letter from bank/embassy). Bank letter cannot be more than 3 days old. If using the lump sum application route, you'll need an updated photocopy of your bank book page that shows the balance. Obviously take your bank book along too.
  6. Proof of address (copies of rental agreement, and utility bills (if you have them))
  7. Application fee of ฿1,900 THB

*Sign all photocopies. 

90-Day Reporting

Once you have your retirement visa,  there are two important rules that you must follow to ensure that you do not overstay your visa or invalidate your visa.

  1. You must conduct 90 day reporting. This means you must report to an immigration office in Thailand every 90 days.  This is because Thailand has a law that states that a foreign national must produce his/her address if staying in the kingdom for 89 or more days. The address is reported on a TM48 form.
  2. Perhaps the most common mistake foreign nationals make when living in Thailand on a retirement visa is leaving the country without getting a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit can be obtained from an immigration office or the airport before leaving the country.

This permit will be stamped in your passport and protects your visa from  expiring while you are outside of the country. If you do not get a re-entry permit, then your visa will be invalidated and when you re-enter Thailand you will get a standard 30 day exemption stamp.

As noted, you can obtain a re-entry permit as you are leaving the country. However, if you are able to plan in advance, it may be better to get one a few days before you leave to ensure that you get it done in time and don't miss your flight if you are in a rush to the airport. The re-entry permit form is known as TM13.

I have written extensively about the re-entry permit in this post here.

How to Renew Your Retirement Visa

Your retirement visa (extension of stay based on retirement) will last for one year. But don't wait until that year is almost up before you start planning to renew it. In fact, you can renew your visa up to 45 days before it expires.

Remember that you need to ensure that your Thai bank account balance does not fall below the 800,000 THB threshold three months prior to renewing your visa. 

Also consider that if you need a proof of income letter from your embassy, you should plan this at least a few weeks before you apply for your visa.

Some embassies require you to make an appointment and they may be busy at the time you apply. Don't worry though, the letter from your embassy will be valid for six months, so is perfectly fine to obtain the letter up to a couple of months before you need to renew your visa.

Rules for Those Retiring with a Spouse (Dependent)

It may be the case that you're a foreign couple who want to retire to Thailand. In this situation, there are two possibilities for obtaining a visa:

  1. Each partner obtains a retirement visa by following the financial requirements laid out above: that is 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account two months prior to applying; or proof of 65,000 THB income per month, as verified by your embassy; or a combination of the two.
  2. One of you obtains a retirement visa and the other receives a visa as his/her dependent.  The visa holder is generally the male party.

The easiest route is for you to both independently get visas. One reason for this is that if the main visa holder were to pass away then the dependent's visa would be immediately void.

This could be problematic because it would  present you with a visa issue to overcome at a time when you would be going through a lot of grief and having to sort out a lot of other things in your life.

In this situation, you could essentially leave the country and come back in on a 30-day exemption stamp, or get a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a neighbouring country. But this still might not give you the time you need to get all your affairs in order and take care of probate.

It sounds quite morbid, but it is worth considering – because at a time like this you would not want the hassle of sorting out visa issues.

I have a comprehensive article on eligibility and requirements for a dependent visa here.

Spouse Under 50 or Ineligible for a Retirement Visa

If your spouse is under 50 or doesn’t meet the qualifications for a Retirement Visa, they can still accompany you by applying for a Thai Dependent Visa.

Key details to know:

  • The visa is renewable annually.
  • It will be revoked if you and your spouse file for divorce.

Requirements include:

  • A passport with at least 6 months' validity.
  • Proof of relationship (such as a marriage certificate).
  • Financial documentation showing the spouse can support the dependent.

The applicant can apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa based on spousal dependency either at the Thai embassy or consulate in their home country. Alternatively, if already in Thailand on a Tourist Visa, the Non-Immigrant O visa can be processed locally, provided all requirements are fulfilled and the current Tourist Visa has at least 21 days of validity remaining. To extend the Non-Immigrant O visa for one year, the application must be submitted to the immigration office within 21 days before the 90-day stay period expires.

Note that as a dependent, immigration requires the financial aspect of the extension to be provided by the retirement visa holder (not the dependent), and not through a joint bank account.

Similarly, if you are using a letter from your embassy to prove your income to extend your visa, this must solely be in the retirement visa holder's name and not in joint names. 

Getting Your Non Immigrant O Visa

The most common pathway to getting the extension based on retirement is to obtain a Non Immigrant O Visa (90 day validity) from your home country before you arrive Thailand. You can do this via the E-Visa system.

You can obtain this visa in Thailand, but then that's an extra step that you will have to go through with immigration before applying for your extension of stay based on retirement. It really isn't difficult to get from your home country either, so it is advisable that you do this.

Here are the requirements for the UK Thai Embassy. Please note that requirements may differ slightly from country to country.

  • Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months and at least 2 blank pages, as well as the photocopy of passport. The actual passport must be submitted with visa application form.
  • Two (2) recent photos (taken within the past 6 months)
  • Supporting documents for the purpose of visit to Thailand. (Please see details for each type.)
  • Financial evidence showing monthly income of no less than 65,000 THB (£1,500), or a current balance of 800,000 THB (£18,000). Applicant’s bank statement must show name and address (screenshots are not accepted). 
  • Health insurance policy for the 90-day period that covers 400,000 inpatient and 40,000 outpatient treatment.

Once you have your Non Immigrant O Visa,  you can enter Thailand and stay for 90 days. You will have to wait 60 days before you can file your retirement visa application at the immigration office and follow the steps laid out in this post.

Getting a Retirement Visa (O-A) Instead

You should also know that you can obtain a long-stay visa (generally known as a retirement visa) inside your home country. It's known as an O-A visa.

Rather than include all the details in this post and confuse the two options, I wrote a separate post on this. 

In a nutshell, there's more paperwork involved and it requires you to have a specific insurance policy. Though it does have some benefits that the extension we have discussed here doesn't have.

+ Read more on the O-A visa here

Have I missed anything? Still got a question? Leave it in the comments below.

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Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

  1. William Gain says

    When I arrived to Thailand in August 2023, no one gave me a TM6 departure card (airlines or immigration). When I extended my visa, the immigration officer said that the TM6 is deleted. Is this true? If not, how do I get a new/replaced card? BTW, I currently do not have an out-going flight as I am looking for work within Thailand.
    Reply

  2. Peter H says

    I know that returning to Thailand from overseas, with a multiple reentry permit on a 1 year retirement extension of non-immigrant O visa, to my same address as in my yellow housebook, I am required to update my TM 30 (immigration office Chiang Mai). But there are so many differing answers as to whether I need to update my TM 30 when I have stayed briefly in a hotel within Thailand. In 2020, I read the following:

    "The Thai Immigration Bureau recently announced that starting from 30th June 2020, landlords will no longer need to file reports on their foreign guests every time they arrive at their properties. Landlords refer to Thai and foreign nationals who own property in Thailand, hotel managers and other accommodation operators.

    Previously, landlords needed to comply with section 38 of the Immigration Act, which states that property or hotel owners who take in foreign guests must notify officials within 24 hours. This is known as the TM 30 rule.

    To end the requirement to file the reports again if they leave the premises temporarily only to return, or when they have multiple-entry visas or re-entry permits, the Immigration Bureau has now changed the reporting requirement to only when they arrive. The Immigration Bureau called the change "a move to end duplication".

    My question is whether this is still in effect? I have received different answers from different immigration officials and I cannot get a definitive answer. Hoping you can help.

    Thanks as always - Peter
    Reply

    • Max says

      It doesn't matter what it officially says. It's basically up to the local immigration office. At several offices you don't need to submit a new TM30 when travelling in Thailand and returning to the last reported address (the address on the TM30 receipt in your passport). Just do the next 90 days report and you're back on track. BUT,this is Thailand and you'll never know the rules today. When coming back from abroad, it's unfortunately the same thing. The best thing is to visit your immigration office within 24 hours after arrival or following Monday if you arrive during a weekend and ask them. This is to avoid a ฿1.600 fine.
      Reply

  3. Jerry says

    Hello,
    I have a Non-O Retirement Visa, have completed a couple Ext of Stays, and get a Re-Entry Permit each time. I think I read on TheThailandLife its a good idea to get the re-entry the same day as ext of stay, in the event you have an emergency (medical, etc) and need to leave for a short time. I have not departed from Thailand since arriving.

    My question is about leaving and returning. Does leaving for example 30 days and returning before the ext of stay expires have any impact on the Ext of Stay date stamped in my passport?
    Does it automatically extend 30 days, or remain thd same as the stamped date in the passport?
    Sorry if you covered this elsewhere, I could not remember.

    Thanks in advance for the advice,

    Jerry
    Reply

    • Max says

      You can get the re-entry permit at the airport if you have to leave in a hurry. Same price, ฿1.000. Your extensions expiration date won't be affected by leaving and returning using a re-entry permit. It will be the same.
      Reply

  4. Roger Van Stelle says

    Are you aware of any recent changes in Thai immigration that disallows a spouse from applying for a non_O?
    In March 2023 my Laos wife (<51) was unable to get a 'dependent'/spouse Non-O visa in Vientiane. In December 2022, when she entered with a Tourist visa via Bangkok, she had been told a Non-O visa was absolutely required in order to get a visa extension as a spouse. I have a retirement visa/valid marriage docs. I have considered going thru Phnom Penh.
    Thanks for your great site and any help offered,
    R.
    Reply

  5. Sally A Clark says

    As I understand it, at the moment, health insurance is NOT a requirement for an "O" retirement visa. However, when filling in the application form online ...question #6. asks for health insurance proof to be uploaded. Can you explain this to me? Thanks so much.
    Reply

    • Max says

      You need a 90 days insurance to be able to apply for the 90 days Non-immigrant O visa back home. Go for the cheapest one. When in Thailand, when extending the stay another year at the local immigration office,no health insurance is needed.
      Reply

    • Simon says

      Hi, Sally - the usual gang here are far more knowledgeable about all this stuff than me, but I have just gone through exactly the same process and filled out exactly the same form, as a resident of the UK.
      From that perspective, for the 90-day non-immigrant O visa - that you apply for from the UK, but without having to do a full medical and so on in the UK beforehand - you DO need to have medical insurance.
      Specifically, you are required to have a policy for that 90-day period that gives THB400,000 inpatient coverage and also THB40,000 outpatient coverage.
      My experience was that if there is nothing wrong with you at all, just go to the Mister Prakan website and pick one of the cheapest ones available for that period - but it has to have the inpatient and outpatient coverage.
      If there is anything wrong with you, in terms of pre-existing conditions, then you will find it more tricky.
      I ended up paying around 50% more for the coverage I bought from an international health company than I pay for BUPA in the UK. The initial quote they gave me DID NOT include outpatient coverage, and when that was added it was the extra 50%.
      After the first 90-day period, I will re-assess my coverage, but - in short - yes, you need at least the precise coverage leveos mentioned; hence question number six.
      Reply

        • Simon says

          Hi, Max - they were no use for me, I'm afraid. I have one, minor, pre-exisitng condition, and they asked for my entire medical records and so on and so on - it was endless.
          In the end I went with the Silver Plan of a well-known international medical insurance company and the initial quote was okay (around the same as BUPA in the UK), but then I noticed that it did not include outpatient coverage - it is an add-on (that costs nearly as much as the entire Silver Plan). Its Silver Plan includes inpatient and day patient, but outpatient is not the same as either of those two. Whether the people looking at the form know that day patient is not the same as outpatient, I don't know, but I didn't want to take any chances.
          I will re-assess the plan coverage after the 90 days, as it can be cancelled at any time without penalty.
          Reply

          • Max says

            Simon,if you're going for a health insurance from a foreign company, you'll need a so called "Foreign insurance certificate".
            According to a couple of expat forums, most insurance companies refuses to sign that certificate.
            Reply

            • Simon says

              Hi Max - it's Cigna, which although international does have significant business in Thailand, and is still Peter's personal health insurance provider, so far as I know.
              I already have my 90-day O visa, incidentally, and will be there on the 8th. If you happen to be around Phuket at any point, I'll buy you a drink, as thanks for all the great advice you've given me in the past few weeks.
              Reply

                  • Max says

                    What are your plans for the future? Is it staying long term in Thailand,I'm talking about years? If it is, Cignas global health insurance is not the one to go for. It's not designed for Thailand. It's designed to cover costs in the most expensive hospitals in the world. You should go for an insurance with a proper cover, meaning it should cover costs at a good private hospital, it doesn't have to be the most expensive hospital in Phuket, if that's where you're going to stay. Just a short travel to the mainland will be cheaper.
                    Reply

                    • Simon says

                      Hi, Max - yes, it is my intention to stay for years, so any other specific recommendations (except for Pacific Cross, which were useless) would be much appreciated to think about for after the first 90-day period. Thank you.

      • Sally A Clark says

        Hi Simon, really appreciate your response. Unfortunately, my husband and I both over 75 so Mister Prakan offers us nothing! Do you know if travel insurance (ie emergency coverage) would suffice? They don't break down their coverage into "in patient" "out patient" - just give an overall coverage amount.
        Reply

        • Simon says

          Hi Sally,

          On point 1, your ages, that makes sense. Unfortunately, as you are probably aware, over 70 often marks a new band for health insurance, and many of the local companies would not offer it on that website. However, the leading international health insurance compsnies would, although this would be reflected in the costs.
          On point 2, the Thai regulations are very clear about it being firstly specific health insurance and secondly what the levels are for each category (inpatient and outpatient), as far as I am aware.
          However, that is just for the 90 days of the non-immigrant O visa. After that, as Max said, strictly speaking you don to require any apparently (as yet, at least).
          Reply

  6. Jerry says

    Question on the 800K for the retirement visa Non (O, OA).
    Are the "Thai Banks" where the funds needs to be held only the ... Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn, Siam Commercial etc...? Or are banks such as UOB, CITI, and others I see around Bangkok acceptable? I know those are Thai owned subsidiaries of the namesake bank. I was asked by a friend doing the paperwork for a retirement visa and was unsure about an answer?

    Thanks in advance,

    J
    Reply

    • Max says

      If you're talking about a 1 year extension on an initial O or O-A any bank in Thailand is ok. I don't actually know if there are any advantages if going for UOB or Citibank. Requirements might differ between those banks and for example Bangkok Bank when opening a savings account. A few years ago 1 million baht was a requirement at Citibank. I think Citibank doesn't issue bank books which comes in handy at immigration when doing 1 year extensions. Instead you have to pay for 12 months bank statements.
      Reply

  7. Andrew says

    Hi. I'm planning on entering Thailand on a Non Immigrant O Visa and then applying for the one year retirement extension which requires me to report in every 90 days. However for the first few years I will need to return to Australia for at least 6 months of the calendar year, ( spending 6 months in one period in Australia ), and will not be able to report in every 90 days during this period away from Thailand. My question is. Does the one year retirement extension allow this and still remain valid for 1 year while I'm out of Thailand for 6 months? ( assuming I apply for a re-entry permit before leaving for this period of time ). My second question is. Can I return a week before the expiry date of the 1 year extension and renew the visa for another year?
    Reply

    • Max says

      You're only doing 90 days reports while in Thailand 90 days or more, counting from the day on each entry. You need a re-entry permit when leaving and you must return before the 1 year extension expires. You can of course apply for the extension 1 week before it expires, but you must be really sure you have everything in order, like meeting the requirements, including the financial part. Do you have a Thai bank account? You need one if you're going to apply for the 1 year extension using the money in the bank method.
      Reply

  8. Simon says

    Sorry, me again,

    I should add that I am from the UK and have the required minimum £10,000 in a personal bank accounto get the Non-Immigrant O Visa, which I then intend to extend to the OA for the year, after opening a Thai Bank account and putting THB800,000 into it.
    Reply

  9. Simon says

    Good morning,

    I am going through the Thai Embassy website to get my Non-Immigrant O Visa and have reached a part that asks me for my flight number.
    I thought I would book the flight after I knew whether I had successfully got my visa, which seemed reasonable to me.
    So, is this right then, I have to book a flight before I apply for the visa? Or do I just make up a flight number?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Yes, you need a confirmed itinerary. If you know the airline you will fly and what time/day you will fly, you can look up the flight number and use that. The numbers usually stay the same on popular routes. If you need to show an actual ticket confirmation you can use a service like OneWayFly
      Reply

      • simon says

        That is, as ever on this site, exceptionally helpful. Thanks, Peter.

        One addendum: when I get the visa and do actually book the flight, do I book it return (and then just not use the return bit if and when I get my one-year visa)?

        I suppose in the event I do not get the visa then I don;t want to be stuck there without a flight out, right?
        Reply

          • Simon says

            Good afternoon, gentlemen, and thanks very much for your great help so far. I now have a 90-day non-immigrant O visa for travel from the UK to Thailand and the correct amount of money in the right sort of bank account ready to transfer to a Thai bank once I arrive, thanks to you.
            Just to confirm one thing Peter said: I will be allowed to get on the plane of any major airline with my 90-day non-immigrant O visa and JUST a ONE-WAY ticket, right?
            Thanks in advance for your help.
            Reply

              • Simon says

                Hi, Max - previously I had a lot of money in my business accounts and almost nothing in a personal account but now I have GBP20,000 in a UK personal account (and can put in a lot more if required), which I will exchange into THB (to meet at least the minimum THB800,000) at a Thai bank within the first 30 days of arrival (which for me will be in the second week of June) - basically as soon as I can get a Thai bank account opened.
                I was thinking about using Wise but I don't like the idea that they seem occasionally to just hold up these transfers for whatever reason and they are not easy to get hold of to talk to.
                So I may just do the transfer through an HSBC Global Money account or something similar. I know you pay more, but at least I know I can get hold of someone within two rings of the phone.
                Reply

                • Max says

                  I've been using Wise since 2017 without any problems what so ever. Don't believe the bs you've been reading. I think Peter agrees. My transfers to Bangkok Bank have never been delayed. In my opinion,when people are complaining about delayed transfers there's something wrong on their side, it's not Wise's fault. You must transfer the money exactly the way Wise tells you. If the membership number is needed (when for example using the low cost transfer option) and you forget to add it, the transfer will be delayed automatically. When you have opened your Thai bank account, register at Wise,then transfer a small sum from your personal account back home. Don't go for fast transfers, it's just a waste of money,who needs money in 30 seconds? Keep the fees down.You'll get the hang of it in no time.
                  Reply

                • JamesE says

                  Simon, in my years of using Wise I have never experienced a transfer held up for any reason. (I'm pretty sure that Max, with even more experience with Wise, hasn't either.) I think you have to keep in mind that there are circumstances outside of Wise's purview - like a dodgy history with your home bank or even just the time needed between when a bank deposit is credited and when it is available - that can influence the mechanics of a transfer. Wise just makes a better target for blame than the person in the mirror, if you get my meaning, so that's the review/complaint/Reddit post that gets written.
                  Reply

  10. Eric says

    Hi - I must have misunderstood the immigration rules. I had applied for a non-immigrant O visa (multiple entry), then entered Thailand with this visa, opened the bank account, deposited 800k, waited two months while flying in and out of Thailand a few times. Today I went to the immigration department Chaeng Wattana. They told me I couldn't apply for the one year extension (or at least not now, because I just arrived yesterday from abroad). However, they said my visa is valid for one year already and allows me to enter multiple times with a max duration of 90 days each time. Hence, no need to apply for a one-year extension and multiply re-entry permit at this point, and no 90 days reporting, but it left me confused. So isn't it then always easier to just apply for the multiple entry non-immigrant O visa?
    Reply

    • Max says

      Normally when you apply for a one year extension based on retirement, you're supposed to live in Thailand. You might travel a bit after you've got the extension stamp in your passport using a re-entry permit. Who wants to leave every 90 days as a retiree? The answer is no one.
      Reply

    • Robert B Morton says

      Eric, yes you are very confused about several things. First, you can apply for the 1-year Retirement Extension based off your Non-O, but you must apply no sooner than the final 30 days (some offices 45 days) prior to the expiration of your current 90-day Entry Stamp. Second, the 90-day Reporting requirement has NOTHING to do with the Residence Certificate used for Thai Driver's License. You can easily apply for the Residence Certificate any time at your local Immigration Office, by just showing copy of your current residence Rental Agreement, and get it back within 1 day if you pay a 500 Baht "Rush Fee". Good Luck.
      Reply

      • Max says

        At several immigration offices, a TM30 must be submitted before it's possible to apply for a Residence Certificate. It's also possible to get the RC the same day without paying an extra fee, it depends on which office you belong to. I got my last RC in less than one hour and I paid 300 baht and that was actually the normal price.
        Reply

      • Robert B Morton says

        JAMES: Yes, of course, BUT, usually takes longer and costs more to get Affidavit from Embassy, than Certificate of Residence from Immigration. But, either way works. The point is, the OP, was totally "confused.".

        MAX: Yes, of course, some Offices also require TM30 -- notably Chiang Mai. But OP, didn't raise that issue. And, yes, some Offices have slightly different cost for Cert. of Residence. Again, not really the question(s) posed by OP. Topic was exhausted, with earlier replies. No need to keep "beating the bush". :)
        Reply

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