Thailand visa for Iranians 2026: e-Visa needed

What changed for Iranians on 15 September 2026

For Iranians, 15 September 2026 did not change anything. Thailand narrowed visa-on-arrival to just three passports that day, but Iranian citizens were never part of that arrangement in the first place, so the update made no practical difference to how you enter the country. Before that date you needed a visa to visit Thailand, and you still need one now, because the Iranian passport does not sit on Thailand's list of visa-exempt nationalities and there is no bilateral agreement covering Iran. In practical terms, this means you should plan your trip exactly as you would have before September: arrange your visa well ahead of departure, since nothing about the process has become quicker or looser for Iranian travellers.

Before you fly

• Check that your Iranian passport has at least six months of validity left on the day you land in Thailand, plus one blank page for the visa and entry stamp; renew before applying if it's close to expiring.
• Apply for your tourist e-Visa online at thaievisa.go.th well before you fly, since Iranian applicants should allow roughly 3 to 10 working days for processing before the single-entry 60-day visa comes through.
• Carry evidence of funds in case of a spot check at immigration: officers can ask Iranian visitors to show 20,000 THB per person, or 40,000 THB for a family travelling together.
• Fill in the Digital Arrival Card on the Immigration Bureau's portal in the 72 hours before your flight lands; it's free, and the QR code it produces gets scanned when you reach immigration.

Staying longer than the visa allows

If 60 days isn't enough, Iranians on a tourist e-Visa can apply once for a 30-day extension at an immigration office inside Thailand, for 1,900 THB. Those planning a longer stay for remote work or a long course should look at the Destination Thailand Visa instead: it runs for five years, allows up to 180 days per entry, costs 10,000 THB, and asks for proof of 500,000 THB in funds, all arranged from outside Thailand before you travel. Leaving the country and re-entering isn't a shortcut for Iranian travellers, since the two-trips-a-year land border allowance only covers visa-exempt entries, which don't apply to an Iranian passport; overstaying instead risks fines and an entry ban.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Iranian passport holders aren't on the list of 33 nationalities allowed through the automated e-gates, so you'll head to the Foreign Passport counters and go through immigration with an officer rather than a machine. Have your Digital Arrival Card ready on your phone or printed, because the QR code it generates is what gets scanned at the counter, alongside your passport and visa, before you're allowed to enter Thailand.

Facts checked on 30 September 2026. Sources: Royal Gazette notifications of 31 August 2026, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs bilateral list, the Immigration Bureau. Rules change; your embassy has the final word.