Retirement visa (Long stay visa)

Keywords: Mazars, Thailand, Legal, Long Stay Visa, Retirement Visa, Immigration Act, 10 years, Health Insurance

8 December 2016

On 22 November 2016, the Cabinet approved extending the length of stay for this type of visa to 10 years. When this visa is issued in future, the initial length of stay will be for five years, and the visa will be renewable for an additional five years.

Eligibility

• The applicant must be aged 50 and over on the date that the application is submitted.

• The applicant must not be prohibited from entering the Kingdom under the Immigration Act, 2522 B.E. (1979).

• The applicant must not have a criminal record in Thailand or in his country of nationality or residence.

• The applicant must have nationality or permanent residence in the country in which the application is submitted.

• The applicant must not have the following diseases or conditions – leprosy, tuberculosis, drug addiction, elephantiasis, or tertiary syphilis.

• The applicant must have monthly income of at least 100,000 baht, or at least 3 million baht in a bank account, which amount must be maintained for at least one year after receiving the visa. 

• The applicant must have health insurance coverage for a minimum of 1 year equivalent to USD 1,000 for outpatient treatment and USD 10,000 for inpatient treatment.

• The applicant must notify the 90 days report.

• The intention of this change in the visa rules is to promote medical and wellness tourism in line with the government's policy. The target group for this visa are those from Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and the United States.