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Retirement visa for Thailand

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Everything about the Thailand Retirement Visa

Thailand is known as one of the most spectacular retirement destinations. Most Expats who have chosen Thailand for retirement, applied for retirement visa renewal once it expires. This fact confirms that Thailand is for sure a dream location where everyone lives peacefully and in total harmony. If you are interested in moving here to enjoy your retirement years, we can help you with obtaining Thailand’s retirement visa easily and quickly.

We are a J&E Concierge agency and we deal with helping foreigners get Thai visas, open businesses, in obtaining driving licenses, and many others. In short, we make expats’ lives easier in Thailand and we can do it for you as well. Get in contact with us and we will provide you with the best solutions.

This article contains everything you need to know about Thailand’s retirement visa, from how to apply for it, what are the requirements to obtain it, and how to renew it. Read it and find out what it takes to obtain permission to live as long as you wish in Thailand for retirement. Are you eligible? Check the information below contact us and apply for a Thai retirement visa now.

How to stay in Thailand with Retirement Visa?

It is not a new fact that Thailand offers special visas for people over 50 years old who want to spend their retirement years here. Thailand is already famous as a retirement location. So, if you have plans, look at what you have to do to move to Thailand and spend a long period here.

It is easy to visit Thailand and fall in love with the amazing lifestyle, weather, people, beaches, and everything. But what you don’t know is that Thailand is very strict when it comes to staying permissions. Mostly, for those with long validity. Thai retirement visas, for example, may have short or long validity. This type of Thai visa refers only to foreigners over 50 and allows them to live here for 1, 5, or 10 years with the possibility of renewal. But until then, foreigners have to accomplish a list of requirements.

Thai Retirement Visa requirements for expats

As stated before, there is a list of conditions for obtaining a retirement visa in Thailand. It includes:

  • the age of applicant must be over 50 years;
  • people who come to Thailand with Retirement visas are not allowed to work here;
  • during their stay in Thailand, foreigners are required to find a place to stay based on a contract of residence with a duration of at least 12 months;
  • applicants must have a clear criminal record;
  • applicants must present a health record before arriving in Thailand. People who suffer from prohibitive diseases such as leprosy or tuberculosis are not accepted in the country.

That is to say, if you want to be eligible for a retirement visa, you also need to fulfill the following financial requirements:

  • to have a security deposit in a Thai bank of at least 800,000 baht;
  • have a monthly income or pension of 65,000 baht.

Are you eligible? Apply for Thailand’s retirement visa by respecting the following procedure.

How to apply for a retirement visa?

If you have decided to move to Thailand for retirement, you have to apply for the proper visa. There are two ways in which you can obtain it: doing it on your own or hiring a visa agency. If you are common with the Thai language and regulations, then it will be simple. If not, we recommend getting in contact with one of our consultants. In this way, you can be sure that you will obtain your visa quickly and with no stress.

The procedure for obtaining a Thailand retirement visa consists of the following steps:

  • You need to contact the Thai Embassy or the Consulate where you intend to submit your application. Pay attention to the opening hours.
  • Complete and submit your application for the retirement visa. You have to possibility to submit it online from your home country. Pay attention to the application fees.
  • Collect all the required documents for obtaining the visa and submit them.
  • Make an appointment at one of the embassy offices and present there physically at the established hour. Wait for the approval and go to collect your visa.

Take into consideration that you will need a bank account opened in a Thai Bank. There, you will have to deposit the required funds 2 months before submitting your application.

Nevertheless, pay attention to the fact that you need health insurance before arriving here and a contract of residence that proves you will have a place to live.

Non-immigrant Thai retirement visa for 10 years

Non-immigrant Retirement Visas in Thailand are available for foreigners over the age of 50 who have a bank deposit and are in good health. If they want to move to Thailand during their retirement years, they are welcome. This visa’s purpose is to attract more expats to the beautiful lands of Thailand. But it has plenty of conditions to obtain it. Moreover, the duration of the stay is also limited. The holders of retirement visas are permitted to stay in the country for a certain time. It depends on the type of retirement visa you chose and you received approval for.

There are three types of non-immigrant Thai retirement visas and they are:
  1. One-year Thailand Retirement visa. This visa is available for foreigners over 50 years old from any country. Its validity is for one year of stay with the possibility of renewal annually.
  2. Five-year Thailand Retirement Visa. This visa is available for people from certain countries, that accomplish the conditions required. It works as an extension to the Thai retirement visa of 10 years. The five-year retirement visa offers its holders residence in Thailand for another 5 years in Thailand after their first 5-year Thailand retirement visa expires.
  3. Ten-year Thailand Retirement Visa. This visa is also issued and available for people over the age of 50 from certain countries. They will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 10 10-year duration with the possibility to renew it once for another 5 or 10 years.

Thailand’s retirement visa of 10 years consists of two visas with 5 years of validity. It is suitable only for people over the age of 50 who live in one of the 14 countries accepted by the Thai government. Therefore, the holders of this type of visa must have domicile and citizenship in one of the following countries: Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.

Also, the rules for application are stricter than in the case of the one-year Thailand Retirement Visa. Financially, applicants must have a minimum of 3 million baht in a Thai bank account and an income of 1.2 million baht annually.

Thailand’s retirement visa renewal

Being that, if you wish to stay longer in Thailand, know that you can do it. All it takes is to apply for Thailand’s retirement visa renewal. How to apply for such an extension and what the requirements for application, discover further in this article.

Look what you have to do before your Thai retirement visa expires in case you intend to long your stay permit:

First of all, pay attention to the expiration date of your actual Retirement visa. You can be surprised how quickly time flies in Thailand. You may find yourself in an unpleasant situation, such as staying here illegally. Mostly, if you intend to renew your visa and stay more in your favorite country.

 The request for Thailand’s retirement visa renewal must be filed one month before your present visa expires. You can submit your application once is complete but not too late. Also, consider that you will have to file some extra documentation to get the approval. You will have to complete a TM7 extension of stay and prove that you got in a Thai bank deposit of at least 800,000 baht.

If you want to obtain Thailand’s retirement visa effortlessly and quickly, you can hire someone to achieve it on your behalf. Our agency is ready to help you. In this way, you won’t waste a lot of time dealing with Thai regulations and authorities. 

We are professional workers in the immigration domain and have extended knowledge about Thai visas. Our visa agents speak both English and Thai, so they will communicate more effectively with Thai institutions. Contact us for additional information about your stay permit in Thailand during your retirement years. 

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