Education Visa

Education visas may be applied for by those entering Thailand for educational purposes.

THAILAND EDUCATION (ED) VISA PROCESSING

Pursuant to the Immigration Act of 1979, Section 34 (10) allows foreigners to enter Thailand for a temporary stay for the purpose of education. Under Section 35 (3) of the Act, individuals entering Thailand for education purposes shall not be allowed to stay for a period exceeding one year. However, Section 35 further explains that if it is deemed necessary to stay for a longer time than the initial period, then permission may be granted but not more than one year at a time. Applying for a visa extension of temporary stay in Thailand each time can be done by submitting an application and paying the necessary fees required under the Ministerial Regulations at the immigration department.

When applying from abroad, you can apply for a non-immigrant “ED” visa at the Royal Thai Consulate or the Thai embassy in your country. It’s important to note that this visa will only be valid for a total of 90 days and the application fee will vary depending on the respective Thai Consulate or embassy of where the application is being filed.

When applying in Thailand with a non-immigrant “O” visa, a tourist visa, or a different type of visa, you can apply and proceed with a visa conversion to a non-immigrant “ED” visa at the immigration department in Bangkok or other major cities in Thailand. This student visa obtained will only be valid for 90 days in which you will need to file for an extension if you wish to stay in Thailand for a longer period. It is our recommendation when looking to apply for an extension of stay, that you contact the immigration department no less than 15 days before the expiry date of your visa. This allows the officials to easily process your application. The fee for an extension of stay for a student visa is 1,900 THB each time and the visa will be valid for 1 year. It is important to note that the student is responsible and required to notify the immigration office of staying in Thailand every 90 days.

Application process and required documents

Those looking to apply for a student visa should apply to the educational institution where they wish to study. Once the application itself is successful, the institution will then issue an acceptance letter or letter of admission which will be printed on the letterhead of the institution and have details such as the course name, dates of the first semester, etc. It is critical to obtain a letter of admission when applying for a student visa.

In the case of a private institution, approval is needed from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The institute will send over your application documents to the MOE for consideration, and upon approval, the MOE will then issue an approval letter which will be required for the application of your visa.

Upon receiving the letter of admission from the institute and the approval letter from the MOE, the student will be allowed to apply for a non-immigrant “ED” visa either at the Royal Thai Consulate or the Thai embassy in a country outside of Thailand or at the immigration department in Thailand. The following will be required:


  • A completed application form TM 87
  • A completed application form for change of visa TM 86 (for those applying for visa conversion from Thailand)
  • A certified true copy of the student’s passport
  • The letter of admission issued by the educational institution
  • An approval letter from the MOE (for private institutions)
  • A 4 x 6 cm photograph
  • A fee of 2,000 THB

When the application is found successful, the student will receive a non-immigrant “ED” visa which will be valid for 90 days from the date the student enters Thailand.

Before applying for the visa extension, the student will have to be enrolled into the educational institution and have a registration letter and a receipt of tuition fees ready as proof of payment. Once collected, the student can submit an application for an extension of stay in the Kingdom at the immigration department in Thailand. The following will be required:

  • A completed application form for temporary stay in the Kingdom TM 7
  • A certified true copy of the student’s passport
  • A 4 x 6 cm photograph
  • A fee of 1,900 THB

A certified document from the Dean of the faculty or the President of a private institution containing specific details such as the full name, age, nationality, level of education, total academic years, educational transcript, a student code (if known), and the student curriculum and funding will be needed as well.

In the scenario of a privately owned institution, a permit will be needed to establish a higher educational institution as well as an approval document of the President’s appointment.

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