From January 1, 2025, the electronic visa system (e-Visa) will be deployed in all 94 Thai embassies and consulates worldwide. This announcement, made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa on December 17, marks a turning point in the country's reception policy.
Gone are the days when travelers had to queue for hours at embassies, armed with a pile of documents. Worawoot PongprapapantDirector General of Consular Affairs, is promising a revolution in the visa application process. Future visitors will now be able to apply for a visa in just a few clicks on the www.thaievisa.go.that any time of the day or night.
A real relief for globetrotters in a hurry! To date, only a handful of embassies offer this "service", with huge delays (around 1 month).
Who needs an e-Visa for Thailand?
While the e-Visa system makes the process much easier, it's worth remembering that nationals of 93 countries already benefit from visa exemption for stays of up to 60 days + 30-day extension on site. A generous policy that testifies to the kingdom's openness to visitors from all over the world.
The nationalities exempted are : Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, South Korea, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Uruguay, USA, Vietnam.
As far as e-Visa is concerned, travelers from exempt nationalities wishing to stay longer than 60 days or the travellers of non-exempt nationalities.
The e-visa, a history in the making since 2019 The Thai e-Visa adventure began in June 2019, with a first stage where applicants still had to drop off and pick up their passport at the embassy after submitting their application online. In September 2021, a further step forward was taken with the introduction of the "stickerless visa", making the 100% procedure digital. Today, some twenty Thai embassies and consulates are already using this system, paving the way for widespread use in the near future. |
Electronic visa on arrival: an option for 18 nationalities
In addition to the classic e-Visa system, Thailand also offers an electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA) for nationals of 18 countries. This option applies in particular toSaudi Arabia, China, India and Mexico. Eligible travelers can obtain their visa directly on arrival at certain Thai international airports, further simplifying their entry into the country.
What about ETA?
It was also announced several months ago, electronic travel authorization for Thailand to be introduced in 2025 for visa-exempt travelers. A double difficulty of comprehension to which we have already become accustomed in countries such as the USA, New Zealand and Sri-Lanka.