Everything You Need To About How You Can Get A Retirement Visa In Thailand

The amazing weather, incredible food, relaxed lifestyle and the warm welcome of the Thai people are just a few of the reasons that expats choose Thailand as a retirement destination, there are currently around 3-4 million foreigners living here, 80,000 of those being expat retirees. This guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about retirement visas in Thailand including what you need, how much it costs, and how long you can stay in Thailand with a Thai retirement visa.

The amazing weather, incredible food, relaxed lifestyle and the warm welcome of the Thai people are just a few of the reasons that expats choose Thailand as a retirement destination, there are currently around 3-4 million foreigners living here, 80,000 of those being expat retirees. This guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about retirement visas in Thailand including what you need, how much it costs, and how long you can stay in Thailand with a Thai retirement visa.

There’s a good standard of living here, the healthcare system is excellent and health insurance is affordable. There’s quite a range of cost of living depending on where you wish to live, a basic cost of $650-$1,700 per month or $7,800-$20,400 annually can be achieved in somewhere like Chiang Mai, however, in Bangkok your monthly outgoing will obviously be higher from $700-$3,000 a month or $8,400-$36,00 annually, these figures will obviously depend on your lifestyle choices.

How Many Types of Retirement Visas Are There In Thailand?
And How Long Can I Stay In Thailand With A Retirement Visa?

The Thai government issues two types of retirement visas for foreign nationals:

1. The One-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-A”), which is issued to foreigners aged 50+ of all countries and is valid for 1 year with the option to renew annually.
2. The Ten-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-X”), which is only issued to foreigners aged 50+ from certain countries for 5 years’ duration. It is renewable once more for a maximum of 10 years.

What Is A Thai Retirement Visa O-X? What Are The Requirements?

In 2016, the Thai Cabinet announced the introduction of a new type of visa. The Non-Immigrant O-X visa is aimed at the over 50’s of 14 countries and is a 10 year visa, given in two, five year stages. As it’s a retirement visa, you are not permitted to work whilst holding it and there are financial stipulations also. You must be able to meet several requirements in order to qualify for the visa. You must be over the age of 50 and you must be from:

In addition, you must have medical insurance from an approved company for 40,000 baht outpatients and 400,000 baht inpatient cover, and you must not be suffering from Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis. Once all of these requirements are met, you must also report to the Immigration Office on an annual basis.

What Do I Need To Be Able To Get A Thai Retirement Visa O-A Type?

To qualify for the O-A visa, you must be over 50, have not been refused entry to Thailand or have a criminal record here, and must be able to meet the financial and health insurance requirements. Here’s a handy document checklist for a Thai retirement visa:

• Passport, valid for six months with at least one blank page.
• Visa application form, completed and signed.
• Retirement visa application form, completed and signed.
• Standard passport sized photograph, usual stipulations apply.
• Proof of financial requirements.
• Police certificate from your home country, certified by a Notary Public.
• Health certificates, less than three months old.
• Proof of health insurance coverage.
• Thailand Retirement Visa processing fee

The list above is what is required according to the Immigration Authority, however, it’s not unheard of for individual immigration offices to ask for additional documentation. The application process involves a lot of paperwork and, if one piece is missing or wrong, this can set you back in time. This is why the next topic we’ll tackle is ‘what’s the best way to get a retirement visa in Thailand?’

Best Ways To Get Your Retirement Visa?

If you are applying for the visa before entering Thailand, you can do this through the Thai Embassy in your country. If you are already in Thailand and have plenty of time left on your current visa, and have experience with dealing with these matters, you can do this yourself. However, if there are time constraints and you wish to save yourself the stress, you can hire a specialist lawyer or employ the services of a reputable visa service agent.

If you are applying to the Embassy in your country you should contact them by visiting their website or calling to make an appointment. The required documents can be sent by registered post, including a pre-paid return envelope, or delivered in person. Your visa can be collected when ready or, if you posted it, it will come back in the mail. If you are already in Thailand on another type of visa (excluding visa on arrival), you can change the category of your visa at the Immigration office.

What You Should Do Once You Have Your Visa?

Congratulations! You have your visa. Now there are just a few more things you should be aware of. Firstly, you must attend the Immigration office of your registered address every 90 days, this is called 90 day reporting, it’s quick, painless and free.

If you want to leave the country for any reason, you must get an exit permit for which there is a fee of 1,000 baht. A multi-exit permit is recommended for those of you who be traveling a lot. The multi-exit permit costs 3,800 baht and will allow you to come and go as you please. If you leave without an exit permit, your visa will be void so this is important.