Process & steps

How to apply

Two processes, in order: register the marriage first, then apply for the visa. Here is exactly what each one involves.

Documents for marriage registration

Four steps, around 5–6 days in total

Obtain a certificate of single status

Foreign national

Issued by your embassy or consulate in Thailand, confirming you are free to marry.
Translate the documents into Thai

Certified translator

The translation must come from a certified translation company to be accepted.
Verify at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Department of Consular Affairs

Both the originals and the translations are legalised here. This step is done in Bangkok.
Register at the district office

One business day

Register the marriage at a local district office (amphoe) with at least two witnesses present.

Applying for a Thai marriage visa rewards careful preparation. Getting the evidence right the first time avoids problems later.

Documents confirming marital status — marriage certificate and wedding photographs.
Documents confirming the relationship is genuine — photographs together, transfers between you.
Financial evidence for both the applicant and the Thai spouse.
Check every document for completeness and accuracy before submitting.
Follow the immigration office procedures precisely.

Applying inside Thailand: you must be legally married to a Thai national and hold at least 14 days of remaining permission to stay. A further 30 days can be requested for document preparation.
Applying from your home country: prepare the documents your local Thai embassy or consulate specifies. You will receive a 90-day visa to enter Thailand.
Once you hold that visa you must travel to Thailand to apply for the extension.
For applications from abroad, at least 30 days of visa validity must remain when you apply for the 12-month extension.
Entered visa-exempt or on a tourist visa? You can still apply after registering the marriage in Thailand, provided at least 21 days of permission to stay remain.

Original passport plus a signed copy of every page.
Four 2-inch photographs.
Copy of your Thai spouse's house registration, signed to certify correctness.
Copy of your Thai spouse's ID card, signed to certify correctness.
Copy of the marriage certificate and the marriage record, both signed by each of you.
Copy of each child's birth certificate, if applicable.
Copy of each child's house registration, if applicable.
Original bank book plus a signed copy of the first page.
Bank deposit certification letter, dated the day of the application.
Ten wedding and family photographs — colour copies on A4, two per sheet. Black and white is not accepted.

Report to your nearest immigration office every 90 days using form TM.47.
If you travel outside Thailand, the 90-day count restarts when you re-enter.
Funds must have been in your bank account for at least three months before a renewal.
On divorce the marriage visa is cancelled automatically and the foreign spouse must leave Thailand.

Visa processing time: Approximately 3–4 weeks
Submit documents by: At least 3 weeks before your current visa expires
Registration time: 1 business day at the district office
Where to submit: Immigration Division Chaengwattana, or the office covering your registered address

Interested in applying for the marriage visa? Get in touch and we will start with a free eligibility check.