Thailand visa for Italians 2026: 30 days visa-free

What changed for Italians on 15 September 2026

Until 14 September 2026, Italian passport holders entering Thailand visa-free were stamped in for 60 days. A Ministry of Interior regulation published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 brought that down to 30 days for anyone arriving from 15 September 2026 onwards. The change came from Thai authorities, not from Italy, and it applies specifically to the visa-exempt entry that most Italians use for holidays. If your passport was already stamped before 15 September 2026, you keep the full 60 days shown in it. For any Italian arriving after that date, the practical effect is a shorter window to fit in a trip, so it's worth planning dates, extensions or a different visa route around the new 30-day limit rather than assuming the old allowance still applies.

Before you fly

• Check that your Italian passport is valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date in Thailand and has at least one completely blank page for the entry stamp.
• Have proof of onward or return travel ready, since immigration officers can ask Italians arriving visa-free to show they plan to leave Thailand within the 30-day stay.
• Carry evidence of enough money for your trip, as Thai officials can spot-check for 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family during entry checks.
• File the Digital Arrival Card in the 72 hours before landing via the Immigration Bureau's portal, and if you need more than 30 days, apply for an e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th several working days before you fly.

Staying longer than 30 days

If 30 days isn't enough, Italians have legitimate ways to stay longer rather than repeatedly leaving and re-entering. An immigration office inside Thailand can grant one extension of up to 30 days for 1,900 baht, applied for before the stamp expires. Italians who know in advance they need more time can instead apply for an e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th before travelling, giving a single 60-day entry that can also be extended once by 30 days. Remote workers or long-course students with substantial savings can look at the Destination Thailand Visa, valid five years with stays of up to 180 days per entry. Since visa-free land-border entries are capped at two per calendar year for Italians, treating border crossings as a way to reset the clock isn't realistic.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Italians are among the nationalities allowed to use the automated arrival gates, provided you have already filed your Digital Arrival Card and this isn't your first trip to Thailand entering visa-free; first-time visitors and other airports still go through a staffed immigration counter. Either way, the officer or the gate scanner reads the QR code generated when you submitted your arrival card, alongside your passport, so have both ready to show or scan as you approach the immigration point.

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.