How To Get Your Smart Visa For Thailand

If you're looking to live and work in Thailand, the Thailand Smart Visa is a great option.

What is a SMART Visa In Thailand?

The Thai government runs a SMART Visa program that encourages highly qualified professionals, business owners, investors, and executives to settle in Thailand or make investments in certain sectors.

The SMART Visa offers long-term visas of up to four years, with no requirement for work permits and other benefits such as a fast-track immigration process and visa renewal. The Visa is available in five categories:

Technology, Investment, Executive, Startup, and Talent (T.I.E.S.O.).

It makes it easier for people to enter and stay in the country for those who can contribute to the economy's growth through their skills, knowledge, and investments.

What Are The Smart Visa Categories?

The following categories of Smart Visa will be allocated to Smart Visa applicants, depending on the purpose or activity you wish to conduct in the Kingdom of Thailand.

SMART T: This Visa is for highly skilled professionals in the targeted industries

SMART I: This Visa is designed to attract foreign investors to Thailand and promote investment in the country's targeted industries.

SMART E: This Is a type of Visa for senior executives working in technology-based companies in Thailand's targeted industries.

SMART S: The Smart S Visa is a type of Visa for technology-based startup entrepreneurs in Thailand's targeted industries.

SMART O: This Visa allows your spouse and children to live and work in Thailand just like you, with all the same benefits and opportunities.

What Is The Eligibility Criteria For Thailand Smart Visa?

Only certain categories of skilled workers and entrepreneurs are eligible for the Thailand Smart Visa. Applicants need to fit into one of the following categories to be eligible:

Talented individuals in targeted industries: This category includes individuals with expertise in targeted industries such as advanced manufacturing, biofuels and biochemicals, robotics, aviation, logistics, etc.

Investors: This category includes individuals who have invested at least 20 million T.H.B. in a Thai company or a government-approved venture capital fund.

Startup founders: This category includes individuals who have started or are in the process of starting a business in Thailand that is endorsed by a government agency.

Senior executives: This category includes individuals who hold senior management positions in a company endorsed by a government agency.

What Are The Requirements For A Thailand Smart Visa?

To be eligible for a Thailand Smart Visa, you need to meet the following requirements:

Education and Work Experience

Hold a degree or equivalent from a recognized institution

Have at least three years of work experience in the same field as your degree

Business Category

Be employed in one of the target industries for the Smart Visa, including:

Next-Generation Automotive

Smart Electronics

Affluent, Medical, and Wellness Tourism

Agriculture and Biotechnology

Food for the Future

Automation and Robotics

Aviation and Logistics

Biofuels and Biochemicals

Digital

Financial Requirements For Smart Visa

You'll have to meet the following financial requirements as well to be able to apply for the Smart visa:

Have a minimum income of THB 200,000 per month or THB 2.4 million per year

Hold a bank account with a balance of at least THB 600,000

Health Insurance

Hold a health insurance policy that covers hospitalization and outpatient treatment in Thailand.

Other Criteria

Have a clear criminal record

Pass a medical examination

Be endorsed by a relevant agency or organization

What Are The Documents Required For A Thailand Smart Visa?

When you apply for the Thailand smart visa, you'll need the documents:

A Valid Passport: The copies of all passport or travel document pages with Immigration or consular stamps and the latest arrival stamp. Required two-three blank pages for Smart Visa stamp.

Valid Notification Letter: A letter from the Board of Investment to the Immigration Bureau (print one-sided). The notification letter remains valid within 60 days from the issuance date. To be collected at Smart Visa Unit.

TM.90 Form: It's an application form for a smart visa. It needs to be printed on both sides, filled out, and signed.

Two STM.6 Forms: It is a criteria and conditions acknowledgement form for the temporary stay permit in Thailand printed on both sides, filled out and signed.

The Acknowledgment Form Of Penalties For A Visa Overstay: It has to be printed one-sided, filled out, and signed.

The Acknowledgment Of Practices For Recipients Of Smart Visa: It has to be printed one-sided, filled out, and signed.

Passport Photo: One passport-size photo 4 cm x 6 cm on a white background, dressed in business attire (t-shirt is not allowed) without wearing glasses or headgear, taken within 6 months (a photocopy or poor quality photos will not be accepted).

T.M. 6 Card is a form required to be filled by foreign nationals entering Thailand to be submitted to the Thai immigration checkpoint at the airport you arrived at in Thailand.

Receipt Of The 90-Day Report: A qualified applicant that once held a Thai non-immigrant visa which has been extended at least once must make sure to have made a 90-day report of current residence to Immigration before the issuance appointment date as the evidence of the report is required by the Immigration at the time of Smart Visa issuance.

Work Permit: In the case of the Non-Immigrant B visa holder.

What Are The Steps to Apply For Thailand Smart Visa?

To qualify for a SMART Visa, applicants must meet the requirements specified by the Board of Investment and have their qualifications confirmed by authorized agencies.

Here are the steps to apply for a SMART Visa in Thailand:

Step 1 Register for the qualification endorsement:

To start the application, you need to register for an online qualification endorsement application and activate your online account through a confirmation email.

Step 2 Complete the application form:

You have to complete the application form for the type of SMART Visa you wish to apply for (T, I, E, S, and O if applicable) and ensure you have a PDF version of the required documents to upload and submit after the application form.

Step 3 Upload the required documents and Submit:

Upload and submit the completed online application form and required documents. By completing the online application, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted the qualification endorsement requirements.

Step 4 Wait for approval:

Wait for up to 30 working days to receive notification from the O.S.S. regarding the result of your qualification endorsement application. The O.S.S. will notify the applicant, Immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and relevant agencies.

Step 5 Start the Smart Visa application if Approved:

If qualified, proceed to apply for SMART Visa issuance at one of the following places within 60 days from the issuance date of the endorsement letter, which will be used as one of the supporting documents for your application:

Royal Thai Embassies/Consulate Generals,

The Immigration at One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit (O.S.S.), or

E.E.C. Labour Administration Center in Chonburi.

Step 6 Pay the visa fee:

Pay the processing fee of 10,000 Baht per year of visa permission in cash only.

Step 7: Get Your Visa:

Once your SMART Visa is issued, you can live and work in Thailand for up to four years and enjoy various benefits, such as the right to work without a work permit and the right to stay in Thailand without having to do border runs.

Can I Extend My Smart Visa?

Yes, extending a Thailand SMART Visa at least 60 days before your current Visa expires is possible. However, you must reapply to have your qualifications endorsed before submitting an extension application to the Immigration Bureau's One-Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permits. (O.S.S.).

Everything You Need To Know About The Smart Visa For Thailand

This section covers everything extra you need to know about getting a smart visa for Thailand. This information includes:

What Are The Thailand Smart Visa Fees?

The processing fee for a Smart Visa is 10,000 Baht per year of visa permission, and the Visa is valid for up to four years. Additional fees may apply for qualification endorsement and other services.

What Is The Processing Time For The Thailand Smart Visa?

The processing time for the Smart Visa takes 30 working days for you to get the endorsement and verification for your documents. Then you can collect your Visa in 60 days.

How Long Can I Stay In Thailand With The Smart Visa?

A Smart Visa allows you to stay in Thailand for up to four years, depending on the validity of the visa permission granted.

What Is The Validity Of The Thailand Smart Visa?

The validity of the Thailand Smart Visa is different. It depends on the type of Visa:

SMART T visa: Up to 4 years

SMART I visa: Up to 4 years

SMART E visa: Up to 4 years

SMART S Visa: Up to 4 years

SMART O visa: Up to 4 years

What Are The Benefits Of Thailand Smart Visa?

The Thailand Smart Visa offers numerous benefits for skilled professionals and entrepreneurs who want to live and work in Thailand.

It allows for a longer stay of up to four years without needing a work permit, making it an attractive option for those who want to build a career or start a business in Thailand.

It offers more flexibility in terms of employment, allowing visa holders to work in any field or for any company in Thailand.

Smart Visa holders also receive privileges such as a multiple-entry visa, a waiver of the 90-day reporting requirement, and the ability to bring in their family members.

All Done

To sum up, the Thailand Smart Visa is a special kind of Visa intended to draw highly talented workers, investors, and businesspeople to the nation's selected industries.

Government Source

The information on the blog has been gathered from trusted government sources:

Thailand Smart Visa

Thailand Trade and Economic Office (Taipei)

The information was fact-checked and written with the assistance of an A.I.