When speaking of a Retirement Visa, we consider people who are fifty [50] years of age or older and conditionally allowed for a single stay of one [1] year extension in Thailand. One needs to apply at any Thai Consulate for a Non-Immigrant Visa categorized as “O-A”. The Thailand Retirement Visa is also called a Non-O visa pre-approved for retirement. When applying a visa of this category, you have to state your intention or plan to permanently retire in Thailand. Upon the approval of the visa, you are now allowed for a ninety [90] days stay in Thailand.
Once in Thailand, you have to apply for the extension of nine [9] months of your stay when only thirty [30] days are left with your ninety [90] days right of stay in the Kingdom. This will complete your stay in Thailand to one [1] year for your purpose of retirement.
To apply for Thailand retirement visa you need the following:
- Original and Copy of Passport with remaining validity of not less than 18 months
- letter from the police clearing you of any criminal record.
- Proof of 800,000 baht [or equivalent in another major currency] in a Thai bank which is in your name’s account or an income of not less than 65,000 baht per month or a combination of the two are needed to show that you meet the financial requirements.
In cases where the applicant has a poor health or sensitive to a colder climates or had resided in Thailand for a long period, and at the age of 50 to 59, the applicant may have a privilege to be given due considerations but needs to submit medical certificate and proof that she/he had lived in Thailand for a long period of time. As a policy, medical certificate is no longer required for a retirement extension.
As a holder of retirement extension for the first time, your current non-immigrant visa [90 days] can be extended to nine [9] months completing your stay for one [1] year. Future renewal of extension will automatically be one [1] year and can be done in Thailand at any Immigration office for a 1,900 baht provided that you maintain 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account or show an evidence of an income of 65,000 baht per month or a combination of both.
The Thai immigration as a requirement needs to check your bank account. Any foreign account or monthly pension you have must be transferred to your Thai bank account. You need to secure a letter from your bank which you need for your application of extending your visa to the immigration. The letter of the bank is pre-printed form. The bank needs a copy of your passport at the page where the visa is stamped and your bank book. The process will not take you long as you could have the bank’s letter for 200 baht with the signature of the bank officer.
If you need assistance on obtaining your Thailand retirement visa, please contact us.