Guardian Visa also known as Non Immigrant O Visa

If you wish to join your minor child who is a Thai citizen or if you have a child studying in Thailand, you can come and stay in Thailand with her through a Guardian Visa also known as a Non Immigrant O Visa.

The visa is valid for one year in case of a parent supporting a Thai child with an option to renew after the visa’s expiration. As for the parent attending to her minor child studying in Thailand, her visa will depend on the validity of her child’s student visa or duration of the child’s studies. The visa can be applied for at the applicant’s home country from the Thai embassy or it can also be accomplished at the Thai Immigration Office inside the country.

What are the requirements?

The applicant should provide the following basic requirements:

  1. Proof of relationship to the child i.e. Birth certificate. This needs to be legalized by your embassy in Thailand.
  2. Proof of the child’s enrollment in a school in Thailand i.e. enrollment forms, admission letter and the like
  3. Financial requirement – show a deposit of THB 400,000 in a Thai bank account. The funds should be there 3 months before the visa application

Visa Application Process

An initial visa can be obtained from the applicant’s home country from the Thai embassy. This visa is usually valid for 90 days. Eventually, this initial visa can be extended into a Guardian visa 21 days before its expiration and once all the requirements have been met. This is done at the Thai Immigration office.

90-day Notice or report

Guardian visa holders should report their residence address to the Immigration Office every 90 days as part of the requirements in maintaining the visa. Failure to follow this rule results in the cancellation of the visa and a fine of not more than 2,000 Baht. The 90-day report can be done by mail or in person.

Renewing the Guardian Visa

The visa can be renewed as long as all requirements are met.  The process this time would be easier compared to the first application. Note however that the financial requirements are still important to consider especially the term of deposit. The renewal can be done at the nearest Immigration Office.