Over the recent years, Chiang Mai has been gaining a lot popularity as an alternative place to come to retire either full time or part time and the number of foreigners moving to Chiang Mai each year to retire has been steadily increasing as they enjoy an amazing culture & people that are very tolerant and accepting of them as well as reasonable living costs and beautiful country side.

 

If you are over 50 years of age you may qualify for a retirement visa which will allow you to stay in Thailand without leaving the country for a full year till your next renewal.

Retirement Visa in Chiang Mai Requirements –

 

  1. A Non Immigrant O visa is required first. If you don’t already have a retirement visa or a Non Immigrant O visa please feel free to organise a consultation with one of our English speaking staff to see if you qualify for a Non Immigrant O visa.
  2. Must be over 50 years of age.
  3. Meet the financial requirements.
  • 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank account.
  • Or an annual income of over 800,000 Baht.
  1. Proof of residence –
  • A rental contract.
  • A copy of your condo paperwork if you own your own condo.
  • A letter from the hotel or guest house that you are staying at.

Additional information to consider for your retirement visa.

 

  1. You will need to deposit 800,000THB into a Thai bank account at least 3 months before you visa submission.
  2. The money must be in an account in your name. No dual accounts or savings or investment accounts will be accepted.
  3. Certification of income by foreign embassies has recently stopped. We will update the website if anything changes in the future.
  4. You cannot work or be a director of a company on a retirement visa.
  5. You can come to Thailand on a tourist visa and transition through all the steps towards your retirement visa from within Chiang Mai rather than leave the country if you prefer.
  6. We advise that you also obtain at the very least a single re-entry permit when you apply for your retirement visa. Without a re-entry visa your retirement visa will be cancel when you come back into Thailand. You can get a re-entry permit just before you go overseas but can be an issue when you need to make an emergency trip outside Thailand.
  7. With a multiply re-entry permit you can leave Thailand as many times as you like without disconnecting your retirement visa.
  8. We send out reminders to our clients for their visa renewal about 45 days before their visa expires and generally start the process 30 day before, though, you can start your retirement visa renewal process up to a maximum of 45 days before if you require.
  9. Your foreign wife/husband can follow you on your retirement visa providing they have a non-immigrate O visa, able to prove their relationship with you as well as some additional requirements.
  10. You will need to report to the immigration office every 90 days. Your retirement renew is not classified as a 90 day report meaning you will need to do 4 90 day reports in 1 year (please refer to the 90 day report section of website for more details).
  11. Sending your passport to another province other than the province that you live to gain your retirement visa is illegal. Though has been used as an alternative for some people in recent years, it can put your stay in Thailand in jeopardy especially now that the immigration is starting to crack down on this practice.

Our Retirement Visa service

 

  1. We’ll confirm if qualify for a retirement visa as well as is it’s the best visa options for you.
  2. We’ll provide you all the correct & current Immigration information for your retirement visa submission. We do not provide any illegal visa options that will put your stay in Chiang Mai at risk in the future such as sending your passport to another province for approval!
  3. Take your visa application photo.
  4. Complete all paperwork for your retirement visa submission at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office.
  5. Open a Thai Bank account if required.
  6. Take you to your consulate in Chiang Mai to certify any documents if required. Please note this service has been stopped and we’ll update this website if the service resumes in the future.
  7. Obtain a Thai Immigration queue on your behalf and confirm the time of your appointment for you visa submission.
  8. Arrange and accompany you to the Chiang Mai Immigration office from our office.
  9. Stay with you at the Chiang Mai Immigration office throughout the visa submission process helping you with any advice and communication with the Thai Immigration staff. This is important step to ensure you have nothing to worry about while submitting your visa as it’s at this point that things can get a little confusing.
  10. We will also compliment your 90 day report (for 1 year) for your retirement visa.
  11. We will contact you one week before your 90 day report is due to remind you to bring your passport to our office and we will complete your 90 day report at the Chiang Mai immigration office on your behalf.
  12. You’ll be able to pick up your passport from our office either later that day or the next day.

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