Thailand e-Visa 2026: who needs it and how it works
Every passport that is not on a visa-exemption list or a bilateral treaty, and not one of the three Visa on Arrival countries, applies for a visa before departure. For a holiday that means the tourist e-Visa.
Who needs it
Two groups. The first lost visa-free entry on 15 September 2026, when the 60-day exemption for 93 countries was repealed and replaced by a 60-country list: Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Panama, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, the Western Balkans, several Caribbean and Pacific states, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino among them. The second never had visa-free entry: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Nepal, Iran, Lebanon, Kenya, Ghana, Iraq and most of Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.
The tourist e-Visa
Applied for online at thaievisa.go.th, from the country where you live or hold residence. Upload the passport, a photo, the flight booking, the hotel booking and proof of funds. Processing usually takes 3 to 10 working days, and the fee depends on your country. The visa is single entry, allows 60 days, and can be extended once by 30 days at an immigration office inside Thailand for 1,900 THB. Airlines check for it before boarding.
Remote workers and long stays
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is for remote workers, freelancers and long-course students: five years, 180 days per entry, 10,000 THB, proof of 500,000 THB in funds, applied for from outside Thailand. Retirement, study and business stays use non-immigrant O, ED and B visas from a Thai embassy, extended for a year inside Thailand.
The arrival card is still required
An e-Visa does not replace the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Every foreign passport holder files it inside the 72 hours before landing, and immigration scans its QR code together with the visa.
Facts checked on 30 September 2026. Sources: Royal Gazette notifications of 31 August 2026, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Bureau.
Passports in this group
Visa required (lost visa-free entry on 15 September 2026) · 24
Questions travellers ask
Do I need a visa for Thailand?
If your passport is not on the 30-day list, not a treaty country and not Azerbaijan, Belarus or Serbia, yes. Apply for the tourist e-Visa before departure.
How long does the Thai e-Visa take?
Usually 3 to 10 working days after the documents are accepted. Apply at least two weeks before the flight.
How long can I stay on a tourist e-Visa?
60 days from the date of entry, extendable once by 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 THB.
Can I get the visa at the airport instead?
Only citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia can. Everyone else must hold the e-Visa before boarding.
Whatever the visa, you still apply for the TDAC
Every foreign passport holder files the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) inside the 72 hours before landing, whatever the visa status. It is free on the Immigration Bureau's portal. Assisted filing checks your details and emails the QR code, US$29 per traveller.