Why you need a proper dependent family visa
You already have a long term visa for Thailand, but your spouse or children are still on tourist stamps or living in another country. That might work for a short visit, but it does not work for school, health care, or a real family life. To live together in Thailand without constant stress, your family needs to be attached to your visa in the correct dependent category.
Thai immigration has different rules for dependents of workers, retirees, LTR holders, DTV holders, investors and students. Children usually must be under 20 and in full time education. Spouses need proof of a real marriage. Each visa type has its own rules on insurance, income and documents. On pure tourist visas, every family member – including each child – must hold their own tourist visa or exemption stamp, which is short term and unstable. This service exists to move your family away from those temporary tourist entries, match your real life to the correct dependent route, prepare every paper, and walk you and your family through immigration without drama.
Visa options for bringing your foreign spouse and children
If you work or run a business in Thailand (Non B or similar)
If you hold a Non Immigrant B or similar work visa, your legal spouse and unmarried children under 20 can normally apply for a Non Immigrant O dependent visa.
What this means in practice:
- Your spouse gets a dependent O visa linked to your B visa.
- Your children stay in Thailand under the same overall expiry as you, up to one year at a time, renewable with your work permit and company papers.
- Children can attend international school, Thai school or kindergarten, join sports teams and travel in and out with re entry permits.
A dependent Non O does not give your spouse automatic work rights. If they want to work, they normally need their own B visa and work permit. We plan that upgrade route while keeping the family legal during the transition.
If you hold a retirement style visa (Non O retirement, O A, O X)
If you are over 50 and hold a retirement based visa, your foreign spouse often cannot get the same retirement visa, especially if they are under 50. In that case they can use a Non Immigrant O dependent visa tied to your retirement status, usually renewable each year as long as your own retirement extension stays valid.
Key points:
- Your spouse applies as “staying with family of retiree.”
- The visa can be renewed every year alongside your retirement extension.
- Some embassies or immigration offices accept children under 20 as dependents in this category, others prefer that older teenagers use student or guardian structures. We confirm your local rules before we move money or book flights.
If you hold a Long Term Resident (LTR) visa
The Long Term Resident visa is a 10 year option for wealthy pensioners, professionals, investors and similar categories. Your legal spouse and children under 20 can receive their own LTR visas in the same category as you, with almost the same benefits.
This can give your family:
- Up to 10 years of stay with multiple entries.
- Only one immigration report per year instead of 90 day reporting.
- Easier work permission for you and sometimes for a legitimate spouse.
LTR rules on dependents and insurance are strict. We structure your family tree, insurance policies and finances so every box is ticked before you apply.
If you hold a Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
If you hold a Destination Thailand Visa as a digital nomad, remote worker or “soft power” participant, your legal spouse and dependent children under 20 can also come to Thailand on DTVs issued as dependents of your DTV.
In practice:
- Each spouse and child applies for their own DTV in the dependent category and pays a separate fee.
- Dependents share the same main features as you: a multiple entry visa valid for 5 years, with up to 180 days per entry and the option to extend that stay once per entry.
- There is effectively no strict numerical limit, but only immediate family (spouse and dependent children) qualify.
A DTV – including dependent DTVs – does not give automatic permission to work for Thai companies. It suits families where income comes from overseas work, online business, savings or investment. We structure your family’s DTV applications so every file clearly links back to you as the main holder, with relationship and financial proof set out in the way consulates expect.
If your foreign child will study in Thailand (student and guardian visas)
If your child is not Thai but will study in Thailand, the usual structure is:
- The child holds a Non Immigrant ED (education) visa through an international school or recognised Thai school.
- One parent holds a Non Immigrant O “guardian” visa that exists purely to look after that child.
Important fine print:
- The child must be in full time education, usually at least 6 years old and under about 20.
- Guardian visas are normally granted to one parent per child. If both parents want guardian visas, there usually need to be two children enrolled.
- You must show enough funds in a bank account to support the child and parent.
We coordinate directly with the school, collect the required letters, and build a package that immigration staff recognise immediately.
If you hold an investment, Smart, Privilege or other special visa
Some special visas, such as investment based Non Immigrant categories, Smart visas and Thailand Privilege (Elite) membership, allow you to include spouse and children as dependents under specific rules. Often this uses a mix of Non O dependents or linked programme benefits.
Instead of guessing which family member fits where, we read the latest rules for your exact visa, confirm what the programme office will accept, and then design one clear path that gets everyone into Thailand cleanly.
What your children can actually do on the right visa
Once your children have the correct dependent, student, DTV or LTR status, their daily life becomes simple.
They can:
- Enrol in international or bilingual school without the registrar asking for new visas every term.
- Join after school sport, dance, language or coding classes without worrying about “tourist only” limitations.
- Travel in and out of Thailand with you during holidays using re entry permits, without losing their status when they come back.
- Use Thai hospitals and clinics, apply for school ID cards and bank accounts where allowed, and show a stable address for things like club memberships.
Tourist visas are different. Each child must hold their own tourist visa or exemption entry, and these are usually limited to 30–60 days per visit. That is fine for a holiday, but not for a school year or long term family life. Our goal is to move your children from tourist stamps to a visa that matches how they actually live in Thailand.
Key age limits and rules to respect
Most long term dependent routes in Thailand use the same core age rules:
- Children must usually be under 20, unmarried, and genuinely dependent on you.
- Once a child turns 20, they normally need their own primary visa such as student, work, LTR or full DTV, not a child dependent.
- Spouses can be any adult age, but the marriage must be legal and recognised by Thai authorities.
- Many programmes, especially LTR, DTV and some guardian routes, require medical insurance or proof of funds for each dependent.
Our job is to build a timetable: when each child will age out of dependent status, when to change them to student or work routes, and how to keep everyone legal through those transitions.
Our process
- Map your current status.
You tell us what visa you hold now, where you got it, when it expires, and who is in your family. We review your passports and any school or employment offers and tell you exactly which family members can follow which route. - Design the family visa structure.
We draw a simple picture: main visa holder on top, spouse and children underneath, with the correct dependent, LTR, DTV, student or guardian visas marked. You see at a glance what each person will hold and how long it will last. - Prepare documents with your schools and employers.
We collect and check marriage certificates, birth certificates, bank statements, insurance policies, school acceptance letters and company papers. Where needed we arrange translations and legalisation so the Thai side will accept them. - File applications in the right order.
Sometimes it is best to get your work or LTR visa first, then add dependents. Other times the school wants the child’s ED visa filed before the parent’s guardian visa, or DTV dependents filed together as a group. We plan and book each application so nothing blocks the next step. - Guide you through immigration and renewals.
We brief you on what to say, accompany you or your family to immigration when possible, manage re entry permits and track future expiry dates. When it is time to renew, we already know which documents will be needed and start early.
FAQ
1. How old can my children be to come as dependents?
In most cases dependents must be under 20 and unmarried. After that age they will need their own visa, usually student, work, LTR or full DTV.
2. Can my spouse work on a dependent visa?
On a standard Non O dependent visa your spouse does not have automatic work rights. They can work if they later obtain their own work permit and B type visa, or in some LTR categories where spouses can get digital work permits. DTV dependents also have residence only; they need a separate work route to work for Thai companies.
3. Do my children need their own student visas if they go to school?
For foreign children in full time school, a student ED visa is often cleaner, with a guardian visa for a parent. Some families keep children as B, LTR or DTV dependents instead. We compare both options for you and pick the one your local immigration office prefers.
4. Can stepchildren qualify as dependents?
Stepchildren can sometimes qualify if you can show legal custody or adoption and the other parent’s consent. Rules vary by embassy and immigration office. We check your documents and give you a realistic answer before you move forward.
5. What happens if I change employer or school?
Dependent visas are tied to the main visa holder’s status. If you change employer or your child changes school, your family’s visas might also need to be updated. We plan the move so there is no gap between the old and new permissions.
6. Do dependents have to do 90 day reports?
Yes. Anyone who stays in Thailand longer than 90 days on a continuous basis must report their address, including dependents. LTR visas are the main exception because they use annual reports instead.
7. Can both parents get guardian visas for one school child?
Normally only one parent gets a guardian visa per child. If both parents want guardian status, there usually need to be two children enrolled in school.
8. My spouse does not meet retirement requirements. Can they still live with me?
Yes. Your spouse can often apply for a Non O dependent visa based on your retirement extension and renew it yearly as long as your retirement visa stays valid.
9. Can my parents come as dependents?
Under some programmes like LTR and, in some cases, DTV, certain parents and other legal dependents can be included. Under classic B or retirement structures it is usually limited to spouse and minor children. We check what your specific visa allows.
10. What if my main visa is cancelled?
If your main visa is cancelled or not renewed, your dependents normally lose their status as well. In urgent cases we can sometimes switch them to another visa type before the cancellation takes effect, but this must be planned quickly.
With this service you are not guessing visa codes on your own. You get one clear family structure, one checklist for each person, and a Thai team that handles the details so your spouse and children can live, study and grow in Thailand legally for the long term.
