How to get a Thai Education Visa?

Requirements to get a Education Visa

In order to be able to apply for a Thai Non-Immigrant ED Visa, you need to be accepted for a full-time course, training program or internship at a school/institute that is recognized by the Thai government with at least 100 hours of class every 90 days. The requirements to obtain one are as follows:

1. Passport with at least 6 months of validity and two blank pages for the visa.
2. Passport photocopy.
3. Filled and signed Thailand Student Visa application form. The form is available at the Thai Embassy website.
4. A letter of admission addressed to your local Thai embassy/consulate where you will apply for the visa.
5. If your school is a private institution then an Approval letter from the Ministry of Education in Thailand is also required.
6. Passport sized photo of yourself with the following specifications:
   1. Dimension of 4*6cm.
   2. White Background.
   3. Taken in the last 6 months.
   4. Face fully visible.
7. Proof of Funds for the duration of your stay amounting to 20,000THB ($610) if you are travelling alone or 40,000THB ($1,220) if you are travelling as a family.
8. Police clearance certificate issued by authorities in your home country stating that you do not have a criminal background. (Only required for courses of 1 year or more).
9. A paid return flight ticket as proof of leaving the country.
10. If you are under 20 years of age, a Notarized copy of your birth certificate and your legal guardian’s passport and consent letter may also be required depending on which country you’re applying from.

Please also note that all supporting materials in any languages other than English must be accompanied by certified English translations and certified by the embassy only.

Application Procedure

The Thai education visa must be applied at your local Thai embassy/consulate. Before applying, you must first enroll and be accepted into a Thai educational institution and prepare all of the documents listed above. Once you have prepared all the documents, the procedure are as follows:

1. Contact your local Thai embassy/consulate or check their website to find information about opening hours and preferred method of payment for the visa fees.
2. If required, make an appointment for your Thai Student visa application.
3. Fill and sign the Visa application form prior before going to your appointment.
4. At the appointed date, submit your filled and signed visa application form as well as all the required documents listed above. Check with your embassy if you have to submit it by post or walk-in as well as pay for the Visa application fee.
5. Wait for the processing time. It takes around 5 business days for walk-in document submission and a minimum of 15 business days for post document submission.
6. Once your application is processed, you can collect your passport and visa at the embassy or it might be mailed to you in case you mailed them your documents suring application.

Important Information

• Do not apply for the visa too early because it becomes effective on the date of issuance so if you apply too early then the visa may expire before your trip which means that you have to re-apply again and pay the visa fees again.
• Visa validity- For the first time, you will be granted a Non-Immigrant ED visa with a validity of 90 days, this can be extended for 1 year when you make your first 90 day reporting. In order to be able to get an extension, you must complete your course registration and pay your tuition fees in full with a letter issued by your school/institute confirming your registration and payment.
• Visa Cost
  • Single entry: $80
  • Multiple entry: $200
• 90-Day reporting- With the Thai Education Visa, you will still have to do the 90-Day reporting. The 90-day reporting is when you have to go to the Thai immigration office every 90 days to report your address.
• Re-entry Permit- The single entry visa requires you to apply for a re-entry permit everytime you decide to leave Thailand, otherwise your education visa will be void. A re-entry permit can be obtained at the Thai Immigration Office or the International Airport. You should try to get a multiple entry visa if you plan on leaving Thailand and possibly travelling to nearby countries.
• Please also keep in mind that you NEED to register for a Thailand Pass, which replaced the Certificate of Entry (COE) used earlier.

How to register for Thailand Pass

Even though Thailand has opened up and started to allow fully vaccinated tourists and students to visit the country without the mandatory 14 day quarantine, it is not that easy as you must register for a Thailand Pass, which as of 1st November, 2021 has replaced the previous Certificate of Entry (COE), which had to be requested at the local embassy/consulate. You can register for a Thailand pass at https://tp.consular.go.th/ at least 7 days prior to your flight to Thailand. Requirements to obtain a Thailand Pass and to enjoy quarantine free travel are as follows:

• Must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before traveling to Thailand. Need vaccination certificate to upload on the system.
• Must be from one of the 63 countries on the list available on the Thai Embassy’s website.
• A “Test and Go” package hotel booking for 1 night in an ASQ or SHA+ certified hotel which includes transport from the airport to the hotel, meals and a PCR test that must be taken on arrival.
• Flight booking to Thailand.
• Medical insurance with minimum coverage of $50,000.
• Negative PCR test result issued within 72 hours of travelling. Not needed to register for Thailand Pass but must be shown on arrival to Thailand.

Once you have all the required documents, you can simply register on the website and fill the form as well as upload all of the required documents, you will then get a barcode within 7 days after registration. Please note that the barcode is required before checking in for your flight to Thailand, so register for the Thailand Pass as early as you can to avoid issues.