Get the 5-year Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) with FITFAC

“Digital nomad visa” is the informal name for the DTV’s workcation category — remote workers and freelancers with a foreign employer or clients. The visa itself is the Destination Thailand Visa, and it has two other categories: Thai soft-power activities such as a Muay Thai course, and spouses and children of DTV holders.

The validity (5 years), the 180-day stay per entry, the fee and the 500,000 THB financial rule are the same for all three. Most of our applicants use the Muay Thai route because it does not depend on an employment contract.

No, you cannot. This is because the embassy will require proof of your current residence (outside Thailand), such as checking all pages of your passport, verifying your entry stamps, and asking for accommodation bookings if you apply outside your home country. They may also randomly request you to attend an interview at the embassy.

If you cannot provide sufficient evidence of legal residence in the country where you are submitting your visa application, your visa application will be rejected.

Yes — you can typically apply for DTV at any Thai embassy or consulate where you are legally residing at the time of application, but some embassies may require proof of residence permit.

Additionally, some embassies may not be suitable for your situation because they may request extra documents that you may not be able to provide, which could increase the risk of refusal.

We have experience submitting DTV applications at over 30 embassies worldwide, so you are welcome to consult with us first.

We can advise you on which embassy is most suitable for your case to maximize your chances of approval.

The processing time from submitting your application to receiving the approved visa can range from 5 days to 6 weeks.
This depends on the specific embassy’s policies, the completeness of your application, and the time of year you apply.

Reach out to us and we can give you a ballpark estimate of how long each embassy usually takes to issue the visa.
(Please note that this is only an estimate.)

Yes, you are required to show proof of having at least 500,000 THB in your bank account when applying for a DTV visa. Most Thai embassies will request bank statements covering the past 3 months to confirm that you have genuinely maintained this amount over a continuous period, rather than depositing it temporarily right before your application.

In addition, the 500,000 THB must be held in a personal savings or checking account only. Funds held in investment accounts, corporate or business accounts, or cryptocurrency accounts are not accepted.

However, requirements may vary depending on the embassy, and these details are often not clearly stated on embassy websites.

If you are unsure, you are welcome to ask us first so we can help ensure that your documents are prepared correctly.

The following individuals can act as your sponsor for a DTV visa application:

• Parents or legal guardians
• A legally married spouse
• Immediate family members who can provide proof of relationship

For the Workcation and Soft Power categories, the sponsor must transfer the required funds into your bank account to prove the source of funds according to embassy requirements.

In addition, the sponsor must provide the following documents:

• Sponsorship Letter
• Proof of relationship
• Proof of money transfer to you (if applicable to the category)
• The sponsor’s financial evidence

There are currently no official guidelines from the Thai Government regarding ongoing Soft Power attendance.

However, based on our experience, none of our students have ever been asked by immigration to show ongoing course attendance after their initial training package with us has ended.

Therefore, we believe that you do not need to keep renewing your FITFAC course throughout the 5 years of your DTV visa.

That said, because rules can change at any time, we recommend keeping some form of evidence in case immigration asks. This could include:

• A photo of you training Muay Thai (it does not have to be at FITFAC)
• A Muay Thai gym membership
• Any photo or video showing that you still occasionally practice Muay Thai

One advantage of applying under the Muay Thai Soft Power category is that it is completely normal for someone to continue practicing Muay Thai for many years — unlike categories such as cooking school or medical treatment (after all, who would study cooking for 5 years straight unless they plan to open a restaurant?).

By continuing Muay Thai training from time to time, you not only stay fit but also have credible and natural evidence to show immigration if they ever ask why you are in Thailand.

You may apply for the DTV visa again, either under the same category or a different one. However, the risk of being rejected again remains high—even if you submit your application at a different embassy—unless the reason for your initial refusal was simply due to incorrect personal information.

Therefore, you should prepare complete supporting documents or enroll with a credible institution from the very beginning to maximize your chances of approval.

Any nationality can apply — the Thai government publishes no list of eligible countries, and each embassy decides case by case. In practice, Thailand keeps a watchlist of nationalities considered high-risk for long-term visas because of recurring immigration issues.

For this reason, FITFAC does not issue Letters of Acceptance to passport holders from:
China, Hong Kong, India, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and all African countries except South Africa.

Although citizens of these countries may still apply through other Muay Thai gyms or Soft Power schools, FITFAC cannot take the risk of jeopardizing our license. If immigration were to investigate or raid a school for issuing acceptance letters to high-risk applicants, all visas obtained through that school could potentially be revoked.

No, health insurance is not required for the DTV visa. However, if you plan to stay in Thailand long-term, we strongly recommend getting some form of health insurance. If you become sick or have an accident, being admitted to a Thai public hospital can be challenging — they are often overcrowded, and English-speaking staff may be limited. Having proper insurance is especially important in Thailand, which has one of the highest road-accident rates in the world.

Health insurance premiums in Thailand typically range from 40,000–50,000 THB per year for a healthy 40-year-old male.

If you would like help, we can refer you to a trusted health insurance agent. We do receive a small commission for the referral, but you will pay the same price as everyone else. This can also save you a lot of time searching for a reliable agent on your own.

DTV holders are not eligible to open a Thai bank account, as most banks classify the DTV as a visa similar to a tourist visa, despite its long validity period.