Updated
TH-FI
The O-A retirement visa
A one-year visa for those over 50, renewable inside Thailand itself. The deposit of 800,000 baht stays your money in your own account — it is neither a contribution nor an investment.
01 / About the program
Non-Immigrant “O-A” is a visa for foreigners over 50 who want to live in Thailand for a long time and do not intend to work there. It gives a year of stay from the date of first entry, after which the status is renewed at the Immigration Bureau inside the country.
That is a strict condition: the visa is issued only to those who have turned fifty. For younger applicants other grounds exist.
A deposit of no less than 800,000 baht, or a monthly income from 65,000 baht, or a combination of deposit and annual income coming to the same 800,000 baht.
A policy is required covering inpatient care of no less than 400,000 baht a year and outpatient care of no less than 40,000 baht a year.
The visa is issued to those with no intention of working in the kingdom. Employment requires a different type of visa and a work permit.
02 / What you get
The visa gives a year from the date of first entry and is then renewed inside the country, with no trip abroad for a new permission.
Rent, food and services cost markedly less than in Europe. For living on a pension that is the key factor.
The private clinics of Bangkok and Phuket take foreigners and work with insurance policies.
The renewal is arranged at the Immigration Bureau on evidencing the same financial conditions.
A spouse may arrange an accompanying visa of category O; the procedure and the timelines are checked with the particular consulate.
Direct flights across Asia and a convenient base for those still running affairs remotely.
A preliminary assessment
Set out who is applying with you. With the calculation you get the full Thai picture: the version of the condition that suits, the budget, the timelines and a plan of action.
Who is applying for the visa?
about a minuteno calls and no obligationsconfidential
03 / Why people apply
Thailand is chosen for the climate and the cost of living. It is a status for residence, not an instrument for a second passport: citizenship is not provided for along this line.
For the same money the standard of living is higher than in Europe: rent, services and medicine all cost less.
A warm winter and the sea — the main reason pensioners move here in particular.
Age, deposit and insurance — every condition is named directly, with no evaluative criteria.
International hospitals, schools and services for foreigners in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and on the coast.
There is no need to return to your country of citizenship every year: the renewal is arranged in Thailand.
A convenient point for travel around the region if your business or interests are tied to Asia.
04 / Travel
The visa gives the right to live in Thailand and to leave once a re-entry permit is arranged, but it does not lead to citizenship.
A year from the date of first entry, then renewal at the Immigration Bureau on evidencing the financial conditions.
To keep the status when leaving, a re-entry permit is arranged; without it the visa counts as used.
The visa is issued to those with no intention of working in the kingdom. Work requires a different type of visa and a permit.
Travel to third countries follows your passport of citizenship; the Thai visa does not affect it.
Sources: the rules of Thailand’s Foreign Ministry on the Non-Immigrant “O-A” visa and the renewal procedure of Thailand’s Immigration Bureau.
05 / The composition of the application
The visa is personal: the applicant evidences the financial condition. Open a row to see the conditions.
06 / Cost
The financial requirement is alternative: a deposit, an income or a combination of the two. Below are the three options under the rules of Thailand’s Foreign Ministry.
A bank deposit · the main option
800,000 THB
≈ $22,000
Evidenced At the date of filing and on renewal
A monthly income · an alternative to the deposit
65,000 THB
≈ $2,000
Evidenced The whole term of the status
A deposit plus an income · the combined option
800,000 THB
≈ $22,000
Evidenced At the date of filing and on renewal
The version of the condition
The conditions follow the requirements of Thailand’s Foreign Ministry for the Non-Immigrant “O-A” visa and the renewal procedure of the Immigration Bureau. On top of that come the consular fee, the insurance, the housing and the support. This is a preliminary calculation, not a decision of a state authority.
07 / Comparison
The Asian programmes cost less to enter than the European ones, but they do not lead to citizenship and require annual evidence.
| Thailand | Malaysia MM2H | The UAE | Portugal D7 | Greece FIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The requirement | 800,000 baht or 65,000 a month | a deposit from $150,000 | an income of AED 180,000 | €11,040 a year | €24,000 a year |
| An age requirement | from 50 | from 25 | from 55 | none | none |
| The term of the status | 1 year | 5–20 years | 5 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| A path to citizenship | No | No | No | 10 years | 7 years |
| The right to work | No | No | No | Yes | No |
The conditions are given as at the date this page was updated. The requirements for renewing the O-A visa are evidenced every year at the Immigration Bureau.
Full program comparison →10 / How it works
The age, the financial option chosen and whether the insurance is suitable. At this step you can see whether the case works.
A bank statement or a certificate of income, a certificate of no criminal record, a medical certificate and an insurance policy with the cover required.
The file is submitted at the Thai consulate for your place of residence. The visa is issued before entry into the country.
After entry — renting a home, a local bank account and registration at the address of residence.
Foreigners on a long-term visa confirm their address of residence at the Immigration Bureau every 90 days.
The renewal is arranged inside the country on evidencing the same 800,000 baht and a valid insurance policy.
Age from 50, a deposit of 800,000 baht and insurance with the cover written in.
Go through your situation11 / Our role
The formalities are simple but there are many of them: insurance with exact cover, the certificates, the reporting every 90 days and the annual renewal.
The policy must cover inpatient care from 400,000 baht and outpatient care from 40,000 baht a year. An ordinary travel policy does not do.
A deposit, an income or a combination — we choose the option that is easier for you to evidence and gather the documents in the form required.
The reporting every 90 days, the re-entry permit, the renewal of the visa — we hold the calendar for you.
An account with a Thai bank, renting a home, medical care and contact with the authorities.
12 / Team
The application is run by a permanent team: a lawyer for the programme, a documents specialist and a coordinator.
Anna KovalevskayaHead of LegalThe strategy for the programme and complex cases
Karim NaserHead of Istanbul OfficeRunning the application legally and the documents
Dmitry NagyInternational Tax ConsultantTax residency and structure
Irina ShternHead of Hungary OfficeCoordinating the family and contact at every stage15 / Materials
Materials on the O-A visa: the financial conditions, the insurance, the documents and the renewal procedure.
The main materialPresentation
The presentation gathers the essentials: the conditions as to age and money, the requirements for the insurance, the documents and the renewal.
Inside:
PDF · free · current as of August 2026
A short check: the age, the financial option and your readiness for an annual renewal.
The list, marking what has to be translated and legalised.
We calculate the fees, the insurance, the housing and the support.
All the materials are updated regularly by our team and are used when supporting BRIDGES clients.
16 / News
The financial condition of the O-A visa: a deposit of 800,000 baht, an income of 65,000 baht a month or a combination coming to 800,000 baht a year.
Insurance is compulsory: cover for inpatient care from 400,000 baht and for outpatient care from 40,000 baht a year.
Worth having
The short document we give clients before the start: the conditions, the insurance, the documents and the timelines.
Inside the document
We will send it after a short form - no call or obligation.
17 / Questions
Age from 50 and one of the financial conditions: a deposit of no less than 800,000 baht, an income of no less than 65,000 baht a month, or a combination of deposit and annual income coming to 800,000 baht. Insurance is also required, covering inpatient care from 400,000 baht and outpatient care from 40,000 baht a year.
A year from the date of first entry. After that the status is renewed at the Immigration Bureau inside the country on evidencing the same financial conditions.
No. The visa is issued to those with no intention of working in the kingdom. Employment requires a different type of visa and a work permit.
Foreigners on a long-term visa confirm their address of residence at the Immigration Bureau every ninety days. It is a formality, but missing it brings a fine.
Yes, but a re-entry permit is arranged before you leave. Without it the visa counts as used and the status has to be obtained again.
Yes, a spouse arranges an accompanying visa of category O. The requirements and the procedure are checked at the consulate where the application is filed.
No. It is a long-term stay, renewable. The path to permanent residence and Thai citizenship is governed separately and in practice is open to few.
Living there more than 180 days in a calendar year, yes. The tax consequences, the rules on foreign income among them, are worked out before the move.
Usually one to two months: gathering the certificates, arranging the insurance and the consideration at the consulate. The medical certificate and the certificate of no criminal record take longest.
There are no restrictions on citizenship. The main difficulty is transferring the funds to a Thai account and evidencing their origin for the bank.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
