DTV new rules 2026: apply where you live and bring a police certificate

Thailand's Department of Consular Affairs announced two changes to the DTV document list. Embassy notices date the announcement to 28 August 2026. Both took effect on 31 August 2026, worldwide.

Everything else stays the same: the 500,000 THB funds test, the 10,000 THB fee, 5-year validity and 180 days per entry. See the DTV rules page for every threshold and its source.

Missions may still ask for extra documents in any individual case.

No, if you submitted it in time. The Royal Thai Embassies in Moscow and Tel Aviv say DTV applications submitted through the e-Visa system before 31 August 2026 are processed under the previous document rules. Tel Aviv ties this to payment made before that date.

• Submitted and paid before 31 Aug 2026: old rules apply.
• Started but not submitted: treat it as new. You need the new documents.
• Already holding a DTV: the rule is about applying. Your existing visa stays valid for its term. Your next DTV application follows the new rules.

The national announcement does not define it, as The Thaiger reported. Each mission decides. Examples from mission pages and reports:

Tourist stamps, visa-exempt entries, hotel bookings, Airbnb receipts and short leases are widely reported as not enough. If you are a citizen applying in your own country, your passport usually covers it.

If you live abroad on a temporary work or student permit, check your mission's wording carefully. "Permanent" and "legal" residence are worded differently by different embassies.

You need a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or the country where you apply. Age limits and accepted types differ by mission.

Two more mission rules worth knowing:

• Oslo asks for the certificate only from applicants over 20.
• Fukuoka accepts evidence that you are too young to get a certificate, if that applies.

Order the certificate early. An FBI check that is older than 3 months when you submit will not meet the US rule.

Use this order. It keeps every dated document inside its limit.

1. Confirm your mission. Find the Thai embassy or consulate that covers where you are a national or permanent resident. Some countries split jurisdiction by state or region, as Germany does between Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.
2. Read that mission's DTV page. Note its police certificate type and age limit, its residence wording and its bank statement period.
3. Order the police certificate. It often takes longest.
4. Check your funds. You need 500,000 THB held for the period your mission asks for, usually about three months.
5. Gather your purpose evidence. Remote-work contracts and income proof, or a soft-power enrolment letter.
6. Get translations for anything not in English or Thai.
7. Submit on the Thai e-Visa portal and pay the 10,000 THB fee or its local equivalent.

Applying with family? Each dependant needs their own file. See DTV with family.

Only if you are a national or permanent resident there. Vientiane now accepts only Lao nationals and permanent residents. Ho Chi Minh City requires a Vietnamese residence card.

This ends the common pattern of flying to a nearby country to apply. What it means in practice:

1. Plan a trip home. If you are in Thailand on another status, you will need to apply from your home country.
2. Time your documents. Your police certificate has an age limit, and your bank statement must cover the last three months or so.
3. Use your passport country if you live abroad on a temporary permit. Your mission there will be the safe choice.
4. Do not apply at the wrong mission. It is now one of the most common reasons a DTV is refused.

With the visa exemption cut to 30 days, you also have less time in Thailand to sort this out after you land.