Thailand LTR Visa – Highly Skilled Professional

Application Process — Step by Step

1. 01

   Confirm the employer is BOI-promoted or otherwise qualifies (government agency,…

   destination

   Confirm the employer is BOI-promoted or otherwise qualifies (government agency, university, state enterprise) in a targeted industry

   Typical duration:

2. 02

   Submit application with income, degree, and experience documentation to the BOI…

   destination

   Submit application with income, degree, and experience documentation to the BOI LTR e-portal

   Typical duration:

3. 03

   Receive BOI endorsement letter (approx. 20 working days)

   destination

   Receive BOI endorsement letter (approx. 20 working days)

   Typical duration:

4. 04

   Apply for the LTR visa at a Thai embassy abroad or convert status in-country

   destination

   Apply for the LTR visa at a Thai embassy abroad or convert status in-country

   Typical duration:

5. 05

   Pay the visa fee (THB 50,000) and receive the 5-year visa block within the…

   destination

   Pay the visa fee (THB 50,000) and receive the 5-year visa block within the 10-year total validity

   Typical duration:

6. 06

   Elect the flat 17% tax rate when filing Thai personal income tax and complete…

   destination

   Elect the flat 17% tax rate when filing Thai personal income tax and complete annual immigration reporting

   Typical duration:

Documents Required

Realistic Costs

Lawyer/agent fee reflects the well-established BOI LTR visa-agent market rate range, not an official BOI schedule. Health insurance figure is a rough estimate for a compliant USD 50,000-coverage policy for a working-age applicant; actual premiums vary by age, provider, and pre-existing conditions. Excludes the value of the flat 17% tax election, which is a tax-rate benefit, not an upfront cost. 5-year total adds the 5-year renewal fee (USD 1,400) plus modest re-verification assistance costs.

Realistic Timeline

• Consulate wait1–3 weeks
• Decision → arrival3 weeks
• Residence card issuance1 weeks
• Total to residence card6–10 weeks

BOI's LTR endorsement review is officially cited at roughly 20 working days (~4 weeks); this can extend if BOI requests additional documentation confirming the employer's targeted-industry/BOI-promoted status. Consulate/One-Stop-Service visa stamping is generally fast once the endorsement letter is issued.

Renewal

First renewal after

60 months

Subsequent cycle

60 months

Renewal fee

$1,400USDEURGBPCADAUDINRAEDTHBSGDBRLMXNZAR

Requirements

At the 5-year mark, BOI re-verifies that the applicant remains employed in a qualifying targeted-industry role and meets the income threshold before extending into the second 5-year period of the 10-year total validity. Moving to a non-qualifying employer ends eligibility for both the visa category and the flat 17% tax rate.

Path to Permanent Residency — Details

~ Some details in this section are industry estimates or general guidance rather than officially verified — confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Years required

3

Language test

Required

Integration test

Required

Path to Citizenship — Details

~ Some details in this section are industry estimates or general guidance rather than officially verified — confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Years required

Language test

Yes

Civic test

Required

Oath

Required

Dual citizenship

Allowed

Tax Residency

~ Some details in this section are industry estimates or general guidance rather than officially verified — confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Trigger

180 days/year of presence

Taxation scope

Worldwide income

Exit-tax country

No

Health Insurance

~ Some details in this section are industry estimates or general guidance rather than officially verified — confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Mandatory

Yes

No co-pay required

No

Minimum coverage

$50,000USDEURGBPCADAUDINRAEDTHBSGDBRLMXNZAR

Examples: Pacific Cross, AIA Thailand, Allianz Ayudhya, Bupa Global

Banking Setup

~ Some details in this section are industry estimates or general guidance rather than officially verified — confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Open account before arrival

Not typically possible before arrival

Family Specifics

Spouse work rights

Spouse receives an LTR dependent visa but must separately obtain a work permit to be legally employed in Thailand; the dependent visa itself does not include automatic work authorization.

Child school enrolment

Children can enroll in Thai international schools or Thai public/private schools; Thailand does not restrict school enrollment by visa type, though international schools are the more common choice for LTR families in Bangkok and other major cities.

Parent inclusion

Not eligible

Sibling inclusion

Not eligible

Gotchas — Things to Watch For

• ⚠The 'targeted industry' list is specific and periodically updated by BOI — not every tech or engineering job qualifies
• ⚠The flat 17% tax rate applies only to eligible employment income from the qualifying employer, not to other income sources
• ⚠Changing employers to a non-qualifying company can end eligibility for both the visa category and the flat tax rate
• ⚠The 5-year work experience requirement is assessed against documented, verifiable employment history, not self-reported CV claims

What This Visa Does NOT Allow

• ×Self-employment or independent consulting — this category requires employment with a qualifying BOI-promoted employer, government agency, university, or state enterprise
• ×Automatic application of the 17% flat tax rate — it must be elected when filing and requires ongoing eligibility
• ×Automatic Thai permanent residency or citizenship — both require separate, quota-limited applications
• ×Retaining the flat tax rate or visa category after moving to a non-qualifying employer

Before You Arrive — Checklist

1. Confirm the employer is BOI-promoted or otherwise qualifies (government agency, university, state enterprise) in a targeted industry
2. Assemble proof of at least 5 years' relevant work experience, or PhD/government-employment documentation if the experience requirement is waived
3. Assemble income documentation evidencing the applicable USD 80,000 or USD 40,000 threshold
4. Purchase health insurance meeting the USD 50,000 minimum coverage requirement
5. Submit the application to the BOI LTR e-portal and obtain the endorsement letter before applying for the visa

After You Arrive — Checklist

1. Apply for the LTR visa at a Thai embassy abroad, or convert status in-country at Thai Immigration
2. Pay the visa fee and collect the 5-year visa block within the 10-year total validity
3. Elect the flat 17% tax rate when filing Thai personal income tax
4. Complete annual (not 90-day) address reporting with Thai Immigration

Common Rejection Reasons

• •Employer not on BOI's targeted-industry list, or not otherwise a qualifying government agency, university, or state enterprise
• •Less than 5 years' documented, verifiable work experience (where not waived for PhD holders or government-agency employees)
• •Personal income below the applicable USD 80,000 (or USD 40,000 reduced-tier) threshold
• •Health insurance coverage below the USD 50,000 minimum threshold
• •Self-employment or independent contracting presented in place of a qualifying employment relationship

Recent Legislative Changes

• 2025-01-01

  BOI eased Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa eligibility criteria across categories, as part of a package intended to increase LTR programme uptake following its 2022 launch.source ↗

Frequently Asked Questions