A tourist stay in a nearby country is no longer a base for a DTV. Your residence proof must be for the country where you submit.
What this section covers
- What changed on 31 August 2026, and why it decides your embassy.
- What each post we read says about who may apply.
- A lookup by your situation: citizen, foreign resident, temporary permit, already in Thailand.
- The four US posts and the states they cover.
What changed on 31 August 2026
The Department of Consular Affairs announced on 28 August 2026 that the "document indicating current location" is replaced by "proof of permanent residence", and that a criminal record certificate is added. The change took effect at 00:00 on 31 August 2026, Thai time. Applications submitted with payment before that moment follow the old rules.
The announcement is about documents. The embassies then explain who may apply. Their wording is not the same.
What each post says
| Post | Who may apply | Residence proof named | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid[4] | Spanish or Andorran nationals, or permanent residents of Spain or Andorra | Not listed | Nationality country or Spain/Andorra; may ask for other countries where you lived |
| Vientiane[3] | Lao nationals or permanent residents | Not listed | Laos or your country of nationality |
| Singapore[5] | Singapore citizens and permanent residents | Blue Identity Card and Re-entry Permit for PRs | Not on the page |
| Oslo[6] | Residents of Norway or Iceland | Proof of permanent residence in Norway or Iceland | Norwegian or Icelandic police |
| Osaka | Proof of permanent residence in the country or territory of application | Permanent residence | Nationality or permanent residence country |
| London | Proof of permanent residence in the UK, Ireland or British Overseas Territories | For example UK indefinite leave to remain or Irish long-term residency | Within 6 months of submission |
| Paris[13] | Not stated in these words; residence is shown by the tax return | Latest tax return | Casier judiciaire under 3 months |
| Fukuoka[14] | Permanent residence in Japan | Japanese: juminhyo. Others: proof of permanent residence in Japan | Nationality or permanent residence country |
| Munich[8] | The consulate that matches your consular area and residence. Be in Germany to submit and pay | Not listed | Not older than 3 months |
| Washington DC[10] | Residents of its US states | Valid US visa or permanent resident card | FBI, within 3 months |
The DTV fee at each post is in the fee table on the DTV requirements page.
Find your case
| Your situation | What the pages suggest |
|---|---|
| Citizen and resident of the same country | Apply to the post that covers your home address |
| Citizen of country A, permanent resident of country B | Madrid and Vientiane write "national or permanent resident" of their own country. A post may accept either link, but your residence proof must be for the post's country. Ask the post if you are not sure |
| Temporary permit, student visa or long visit in country B | Not clearly a permanent resident. Washington DC lists a valid US visa as residence proof, and Los Angeles also lists a driving licence, so wording differs. Ask the post in writing |
| Already in Thailand | Washington DC says it cannot issue visas to foreign nationals who are in Thailand. Ask other posts |
| You moved to Spain recently | Madrid may ask for a certificate from your earlier country of residence |
Which paper comes from which country
- Proof of permanent residence must be for the country where you submit. See proof of residence.
- The criminal record certificate may come from your country of nationality or your country of permanent residence (Osaka, Fukuoka, Munich). Vientiane names Laos or the country of nationality. See police clearance.
The United States: four posts
Washington DC publishes the list of states each US post covers.
| Post | States | Certificate rule |
|---|---|---|
| Washington DC[10] | Alabama, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico | FBI, within 3 months |
| New York[12] | Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont | "Issued by State or FBI" |
| Chicago | Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin | See the Chicago page |
| Los Angeles[11] | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and U.S. Pacific territories | FBI, within 3 months |
How to order the FBI check is on the United States guide.
Other countries with more than one post
- Australia: Canberra covers the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, plus several Pacific nations. New South Wales residents apply to the consulate-general in Sydney. Non-Australian residents add a VEVO record.
- Japan: Osaka and Fukuoka both publish DTV rules. Ask the post that serves your address.
- Germany: Munich says to apply to the consulate that matches your residence, and to be in Germany for submission and payment.
How to choose your post, step by step
- List the countries where you hold nationality or permanent residence.
- Open the DTV page of the Thai post for that country. Check its date.
- Check that it names your residence document. Ask if your document is unusual.
- Check which certificate it wants and how old it can be.
- Apply on thaievisa.go.th and pay the fee that the post sets.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the embassy by fee instead of by nationality or residence.
- Using a tourist stay in a nearby country as the base for a DTV application.
- Sending a certificate from a country that the post does not accept.
- Applying from inside Thailand to a post that does not accept it.
- Trusting a blog written before 31 August 2026.
Before you apply
- You are a national or permanent resident of the post's country.
- Your residence document is one the post names, and it is in date.
- Your certificate comes from a country the post accepts.
- You are in the country the post requires during submission, if it says so.
- You read the post's current page, dated after 31 August 2026.
We cannot say which post will accept your case, and we never promise approval. Our DTV pre-check checks your documents against the post you pick.
Not confirmed yet
No official page we read states these points. Ask your embassy before you pay or submit.
- The rules at Berlin, Frankfurt, Canberra, Sydney, Ottawa, Rome, Stockholm, The Hague and Chicago. We found no readable page with the 31 August 2026 wording.
- Helsinki's residence and certificate rules for Finnish and Estonian applicants.
- A prefecture list for Osaka and Fukuoka.
- Whether any post accepts a citizen of one country who is a permanent resident of another without asking.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the DTV at any Thai embassy?
No. Since 31 August 2026, several posts accept only their own nationals or permanent residents, and every applicant needs proof of permanent residence in the country where they apply.
I hold one passport and live in another country. Where do I apply?
Your residence proof must be for the country of the post. Madrid and Vientiane accept nationals or permanent residents. If you sit between two countries, write to the post before you pay.
Can I apply from inside Thailand?
Washington DC says it cannot issue visas to foreign nationals who are in Thailand. Ask your own post.
Which US post covers my state?
Washington DC, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles each cover a list of states. See the table above.
Is a temporary residence permit enough?
The wording differs. London gives only permanent examples. Washington DC and Los Angeles list a valid US visa. Ask the post in writing.
Does the old "current location" document still work?
No. Since 31 August 2026, proof of permanent residence replaces it.
Sources
- moscow.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/adjustment-to-supporting-documents-for-destination-thailand-visa-dtv-a (read 22 Oct 2026)DCA announcement of 28 Aug 2026 as copied by Moscow: effective 00:00 31 Aug 2026 Thai time; residence proof replaces current-location document; criminal certificate added; earlier applications use old rules
- osaka.thaiembassy.org/en/content/announcement-updated-requirements-dtv (read 22 Oct 2026)Osaka (posted 28 Aug 2026): proof of permanent residence in the application country or territory; certificate from the country of nationality or permanent residence; effective 31 Aug 2026; no separate nationality test in the text
- vientiane.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/applying-for-a-visa (read 22 Oct 2026)Vientiane: new DTV applicants must be Lao nationals or permanent residents; certificate from Lao PDR or their country of nationality; from 31 Aug 2026
- madrid.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/dtv (read 22 Oct 2026)Madrid: Spanish or Andorran nationals, or permanent residents of Spain or Andorra; may ask for certificates from other countries of residence; page updated 22 Sep 2026
- singapore.thaiembassy.org/en/page/dtv-visa-workcation (read 22 Oct 2026)Singapore: DTV granted only to Singapore citizens and permanent residents; PR proof Blue Identity Card (front and back) and Re-entry Permit (Form 7); page updated 7 Sep 2026
- oslo.thaiembassy.org/en/page/dtv (read 22 Oct 2026)Oslo: residents of Norway and Iceland; proof of Norwegian or Icelandic residency; criminal record certificate; page updated 15 Sep 2026
- london.thaiembassy.org/en/content/adjustment-of-supporting-docdtv (read 22 Oct 2026)London (8 Sep 2026): proof of permanent residence in the UK, Ireland or British Overseas Territories, for example UK indefinite leave to remain or Irish long-term residency; police certificate within 6 months of submission; effective 31 Aug 2026
- munich.thaiembassy.org/de/page/dtv2 (read 22 Oct 2026)Munich: apply through the consulate that matches your consular jurisdiction and residence; be present in Germany for submission and payment; certificate not older than 3 months; the page shows no date
- washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa-information (read 22 Oct 2026)US posts and their states (Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles); embassy cannot issue visas to foreign nationals currently in Thailand; page updated 19 Oct 2026
- washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/page/dtv-visa (read 22 Oct 2026)Washington DC: residence proof valid US visa or permanent resident card; FBI certificate within 3 months; page dated 10 Sep 2026
- thaiconsulatela.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa-information (read 22 Oct 2026)Los Angeles: valid driving licence, valid US visa or permanent resident card; FBI certificate within 3 months; page dated 31 Aug 2026
- newyork.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa-visa-information (read 22 Oct 2026)New York: criminal record certificate 'issued by State or FBI'
- thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa-rdv/les-types-de-visa-et-les-documents-necessaires/dtv/ (read 22 Oct 2026)Paris: latest tax return as residence proof; casier judiciaire under 3 months
- fukuoka.thaiembassy.org/en/page/endtvvisa (read 22 Oct 2026)Fukuoka: DTV page current as of 7 Sep 2026; Japanese: juminhyo; non-Japanese: proof of permanent residence in Japan
- canberra.thaiembassy.org/en/content/visa (read 22 Oct 2026)Canberra jurisdiction (ACT, VIC, QLD, WA, TAS, SA, NT and Pacific nations); NSW residents apply to the consulate-general in Sydney; VEVO for non-Australian residents
- helsinki.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/destination-thailand-visa-dtv (read 22 Oct 2026)Helsinki DTV page updated 3 Sep 2026
Reviewed by the Thai Visa Pre-Check team
We check documents; we are not a law firm and not the Thai government. We read each embassy page named in the sources on the date shown.
We sell a document check. We do not apply for you, and only the embassy decides your visa.
- Last checked
- First published
What changed
- first published. Merged the "which embassy" guide into this hub. Added a lookup by situation, the four US posts with their certificate rules, and the Australian posts.
Found an error? Write to support@tdac.info.