The retirement visa is issued to foreign nationals aged 50 or above who intend to retire in Thailand. However, you cannot work in Thailand with a retirement visa.
The retirement visa can be applied for in Thailand or at the Thai Embassy or consulate in your home country.
Types of retirement visas
There are two types of retirement visas that can be issued to foreign nationals:
- One-year retirement visa (non-immigrant O-A)
- Five-year retirement visa (non-immigrant O-X)
Length of stay
The O-A visa allows you to stay in Thailand for one year, and it can be renewed every year.
The O-X visa allows a stay of five years and can be renewed for a maximum of 10 years.
Retirement visa qualifications
To apply for the retirement visa, you will need the following qualifications:
- Must be 50 years old or older
- Must not have the following diseases:
- Leprosy
- Tuberculosis
- Elephantiasis
- Drug addiction
- Third stage syphilis
- Does not have a criminal record in Thailand or your home country
- O-A visa applicants:
- Meet any of the financial requirements:
- Deposit of THB 800,000 in a Thai bank account for two months before the visa application
- Monthly income or pension of THB 65,000
- Have a combination of annual income, pension or deposit of at least THB 800,000
- O-X visa applicants:
- Must be from one of the following countries:
- Australia
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Meet any of the financial requirements:
- Deposit of at least THB 3 million
- Annual income of THB 1.2 million
- Must be from one of the following countries:
- Meet any of the financial requirements:
Requirements for the retirement visa
The following documents are needed for the retirement visa application:
- Passport with a validity of at least six months and 18 months in case of application for a one-year valid visa
- Visa application form
- Passport-sized photo
- Proof that you meet the financial requirements
- Health certificate issued within the last three months
US Embassy and Consulate in Thailand
Thai Embassy.com (Not official however, plenty of useful information)
In order to be allowed to leave Thailand during your visa’s validity and return without any problem, you have to get a Thailand Re-Entry Permit. If you fail to get the permit before you leave, your visa will become void, and you won’t be able to return unless you get a new visa.
However, this is only applicable if you have received a single-entry visa. If you have a multiple-entry visa, you are already allowed to leave and re-enter the country without difficulty.