Thailand visa question No. 179/20: Can I travel to Thailand with a Non-immigrant OA?
Questioner: Els
I have been 'stuck' in the Netherlands for a while and would like to go back to Thailand. During my stay in the Netherlands, my re-entry permit for my retirement visa expired, so I no longer have a valid visa. With a valid OA visa, you could get a Certificate of Entry (update October 31).
I have had email contact with the embassy in The Hague in recent days and I get the impression that this is now possible. hague.thaiembassy.org
Does anybody have experience with this? Requested an OA, received it and received a CoE on that basis? I am very curious.
Reaction RonnyLatYa
If you have had contact with the embassy, it should already be clear that a Non-immigrant OA visa gives the possibility to return to Thailand. Can also see on your link. You can also find all the information to obtain that visa and the CoE (Certificate of Entry) there.
Furthermore, almost all questions (13 of the 16) that have been asked on the blog since October 6 relate to applying for that Non-immigrant OA. Just take a look from Visa question 163 onwards. You may also find the necessary information there.
Perhaps there are readers who have recently left on a Non-immigrant OA and would like to share their experience or have new information that may be useful to you.
I hope that the people who want to return to Thailand from the Netherlands read this so that a lot of questions about the same subject can be avoided.
I have applied for my Non Imm OA according to the guidelines published on the website of the Thai Embassy in The Hague. This visa indeed gives access to the Kingdom.
This all went well and where necessary the embassy gives quick and good advice.
Received visa yesterday, applied for COE the same day via the website coethailand.mfa.go.th and received COE approval today.
Immediately uploaded the ticket (Swiss Air) and the ASQ reservation in the follow-up process and hope to have the statement tomorrow (according to an acquaintance, it also takes 1 working day instead of the 3 working days as stated in the application).
Please note that these two things must be uploaded within 15 days of approval, otherwise you can start again.
Then apply for a fit to fly declaration four days before departure, in this case at Medimare, and RT-PCR test the day before the flight. in this case at Coronalab Breda (note only this RT-PCR test is accepted), tested in the morning, results in the evening around 10 o'clock.
It seems like apple, egg here, but it takes quite a bit of time (eg extract from Rotterdam birth register takes 10 working days) and puzzling before you have the necessary pieces. 4 documents must be legalized twice and 1 same three times.
Total costs € 175 for visa, € 40 legalization by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, € 60 legalization by Thai embassy. Legalization by BRIC, doctor's statement is free.
Don't forget to request a Statement of Insurance from the health insurer, including a COVID-19 note. Make sure to state the maximum insurance period of 1 year on your statement, the embassy looks at that and in my case has noted this on the visa.
That's about it, strength and success.
Oh yes, I almost forget, compliments for the efforts and service of the Thai embassy in The Hague.
Dear Matthew,
I have a question about your detailed route description. Which document did you legalize at the BRIC?
When I see the word legalize I already think of a very long time that you actually don't have.
what do you need to legalize? which RT-PCR test ?
Hi Matthew,
Next Tuesday I have an appointment at the Thai embassy. I now have all the documents in order, and tomorrow I will go to The Hague for the legalizations at the CBIG and Foreign Affairs. On the website of the Th. embassy it is not mentioned anywhere that the Thai embassy also legalizes the documents for 60 euros. New to me.
Regards,
Rob
Hello Mattheus, in your message I read that the health insurer has issued the insurance statement including Covid19. What insurance is that? My De Friesland refers me to the European insurance card and my travel insurance Aegon refers me to an insurance statement abroad on which I cannot discover any Covid note. OOM's expat insurance is very expensive for me.
Ticket and ASQ reservation must be uploaded within 15 days. My question: can the departure take place at a later time or must it be within these 15 days? Not entirely clear as this is not described on the website, maybe you or someone else has this information, because this upload condition also applies to a COE using a Non Immigrant O visa.
Dear Mattheus, can you tell us when you leave, does your departure fall within the stated 15 days that you have to upload your data or is the stated 15 days period the period of upload and you can leave after these 15 days.
It has been possible to enter with OA for more than a month.
Another possibility also seems not yet known to everyone: you can get a visa B if you meet ONE of the following conditions (useful for people under 50):
…. OR(2)Applicant has invested in a condominium in Thailand or in Thai government bond worth no less than 3 million Baht; OR(3)Applicant must have Thai bank account(s) with no less than 3 million Baht deposit. You can read this via the following link:
Main link: https://hague.thaiembassy.org/th/content/118896-measures-to-control-the-spread-of-covid-19
Direct link: https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/SRBviAC5gs/COVID19/1_11_non_Thai_nationals_who_are_permitted_to_enter_the_Kingdom_under_a_special_arrangement_(Non_B)_121020.pdf
The surprising thing is that on Thai embassy websites in other countries (at least the ones I've looked at, e.g. the one in London: https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/119247-requirements-for-certificate-of-entry-during-travel-restriction) is not OR but AND. So for the Dutch: only owning a condo of 3 million is enough, in (some?) other countries a condo AND 3 million in the bank.
For the questioner: you must physically apply for an OA visa in The Hague. I had OA in 1 week, then COE in 3 working days. Unfortunately, the preliminary phase for OA with medical certificate, etc., took a few weeks longer.
COE can be done online in the Netherlands via: https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/
(I heard from a Belgian that the COE must be physically applied for there.)
For a very detailed description of various steps: https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/images/RegistrationGuideEng281020.pdf
Indeed, in Belgium everything has been done by appointment in the embassy so far. Make an appointment by email. [email protected] . First appointment is about your visa… if everything is in order you will get an appointment for the COE. At that appointment you must be able to present the hotel reservation as well as the insurance and also the e-ticket.
If everything is approved, you will receive an appointment to collect your COE. That usually takes about 10 working days. So keep that in mind when booking your hotel and flight.
I'm in Thailand now and I'm staying in a hotel for two weeks.
I first had to provide re-entry permit copy to get a chance to go.
If you submit the first application, make sure that you fill it out correctly, otherwise you will still have a problem, namely that your paper will come back with the message rejected without the reason, which is wrong.
A reason for returning was also requested.
From the copies I sent it was clear that I have a retired visa, but something went wrong at the embassy and they turned it into a work permit. When that was made clear, I had a Dutchman on the phone and he fobbed me off, after which my wife called the embassy again and a Thai explained the problem and he arranged the papers that the Dutchman did NOT want to do and told him that it would probably be rejected, but thanks to the Thai employee I still received the commitment from the embassy at the end of the day.
Even though my wife called her after a comment from someone on this blog who claimed something that was not true and with the accusation that you should follow the embassy and not talk from others.
I am currently in the process of obtaining a non-immigrant visa “O” based on retirement. The procedure is the same as before. However, you can only start with the application if you have received a COE (certificate of entry). Without a COE, the visa application will not be processed. Applying for a COE is completely digital. On https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/ you will find all the info and you will be guided through the application program. My biggest problem was the health insurance required by the embassy. An English statement of coverage must clearly state that you are insured for COVID19 for a minimum amount of $100,000. Despite the fact that a Dutch insurance policy covers this, they are not prepared to put this down on paper. I have taken out a separate, temporary foreign insurance policy with Oom. Uncle does give this specific statement.
A few details about the health insurance, "The coverage of $ 100.000 demonstrated with a temporary foreign insurance policy", does not the Embassy look at the term of that policy and should it not be at least 1 year?
Are you later forced to take out insurance with a Thai insurer with a term of 1 year upon renewal in Thailand?
What I understand is that for a Non Immigrant OA you get a stay of 1 year and therefore have to submit a corresponding health insurance policy of 1 year. For a Non Immigrant O visa you get a one-time entrance and that is then valid for a 90 day stay, for this visa there is nothing described about the term of the health insurance and I assume, to be on the safe side, that you take care that you are insured during this 90-day stay in Thailand and no longer because then the period of stay ends (and you can possibly extend it via Immigration in Thailand).
Because this is currently not a requirement for obtaining a Non-immigrant O, just as it is not a requirement for extending a period of residence obtained with a Non-immigrant O.
Which does not prevent you from insuring yourself, of course.
On the embassy's site I saw a reference to a COVID insurance with the required amounts of 32 million baht. For 90 days I saw that it costs 12160 baht. What is mentioned is that you must be insured during the stay, which means that for a Non Immigrant O visa you will have a maximum of 90 days. That is why it is advisable if you go for this visa O that you prove it with a return ticket (if you stay longer and ask for an extension in Thailand, I think you move the return date) and you meet the conditions.
Something is wrong. You will only receive a COE if you are eligible to travel back. Not everyone is allowed to return... Only people with a valid reason (the list can be found on all embassy websites). You must first obtain a valid visa before you are eligible for the COE. I do not think that a NON imm O visa solely on the basis of a pension without having other ties with Thailand is sufficient to qualify for a COE.
If you are retired and not married or have no Thai children, then I think you will have to go for a non OA visa.
Only when this is granted will you be considered for the COE.
OOM insurance is very expensive. The intention is that you take out Thai insurance that is significantly cheaper. I took it out with AXA for 3 months at a price of 7500 baht.
It really can't be cheaper and after payment you will immediately receive the statement stating Covid-10 plus the minimum amount of $ 100.000.
Handy if you have a Thai bank account because then you have that statement the same day.
Do they accept 3 months temporary insurance? Shouldn't that be an annual policy?
For Non Immigrant O you will be granted a residence period of 90 days and then 3 months is sufficient. With an extension you fall under the existing Thai regulations and they do not prescribe health insurance for an extension of the stay on the basis of this visa.
No health insurance is also requested when applying for a Non-immigrant O. You therefore do not have to provide health insurance for 3 months.
do you have a link from AXA
Am 60+ and married to Thai and seek sun insurance
Also have a Thai account
Thank you
[email protected]
Now I don't understand anymore. You only get a Certificate of Entry if you have the required visa, I think I can conclude from all the previous information, right? And don't you mean an OA instead of an O visa?
Holders of non-O are not allowed to enter Thailand yet???
James,
Apparently you have taken out separate health insurance with Uncle, can you give me the address? Kind regards Jos.
See here: https://www.reisverzekeringblog.nl/ziektekostenverzekering-thailand-met-covid-19-dekking/
I thought that you can't get a non-immirgant visa O based on retirement, but you can get a visa on the basis of marriage, child and something else. Then you can start by taking out insurance via OOM and start the first application, but then you will receive a rejection because you do not meet the conditions for a COE and, in addition, if you actually apply for a visa (if you do not have one), you will receive no positive message. Maybe you can explain this.
Dear James,
It is true what you write here, BUT one thing I do not understand and that is the insurance you have taken out.
I simply asked my insurance company for a statement written in English and was handed in at the embassy without mentioning an amount and, as I said before, I am now in a hotel in Thailand, bored.
So I wonder if you didn't enter something wrong somewhere, because after a lot of calling, a Thai employee at the embassy told me what was wrong with my application, which the Dutch man at the embassy did NOT want to tell me, which taught me that the Thai and Dutch applications are made by different departments.
Dear James,
I read your comment regarding applying for a non-immigrant visa “O” based on retirement. I'd like to do the same. Can you give me your email address so I can contact you about this.
My email address is [email protected]
Thanks for the effort.
Gr Dick
You can take out cheap Thai insurance with a validity of ONE year, with 200.000 baht deductible, 400.000 baht inpatient and 40.000 baht outpatient coverage. For someone aged 65, this costs only 7700 baht.
Handy if your Dutch insurer does not want to issue the correct statement and/or if you want to extend OA after 1 year and are obliged to take a Thai insurer (in addition?).
Via AA Insurance in Hua Hin, also in Pattaya. http://www.aainsure.net