Education visa in Thailand.

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

Thailand ED – Education
visa processing.

Pursuant to the Immigration Act of 1979, Section 34 (10) permits foreigners to enter the Kingdom for temporary stay for the purpose of education. Under Section 35 (3) of the Act, those entering the Kingdom for educational purposes shall not be permitted to stay here for a time period exceeding one year. However, Section 35 further states that if it is deemed necessary to stay for longer than the prescribed period, permission may be granted, but for no more than one year at a time. When applying for extension of temporary stay each time, the foreigner shall submit an application and pay the fees as required under the Ministerial Regulations.

Two ways to apply for an education visa.

Applying from abroad: You can apply for a non-immigrant “ED” visa at the Royal Thai Consulate in your country country. This visa is valid for 90 days and the application fee depends on the respective Thai Consulate where the application is being filed.
Applying from Thailand: If in Thailand on a non-immigrant “O” visa, a tourist visa or a different type of visa, you can apply for a visa conversion to a non-immigrant “ED” visa at the immigration department in Thailand. The new student visa obtained will be valid for 90 days and the fee for visa conversion is 2,000 THB.

Having obtained a student visa, which is valid for 90 days, you will need to file for an extension if you wish to stay in the Kingdom for a longer period. It is recommended that you contact the immigration department for an extension of stay no less than 15 days before the expiry date of your visa, in order for the officials to process your application. The fee for extension of stay for a student visa is 1,900 THB for each time, and is valid for one year, whereby the student will be required to make a notification of stay in the Kingdom every 90 days at any immigration office throughout the country.

Application process and required documents.

Firstly, those wishing to apply for a student visa should apply to the educational institution where they wish to study. Once their application has been successful, the institution will issue an acceptance letter or letter of admission which should be printed on the letterhead of the institution and have details of the course, such as dates of the first semester, names of courses, etc. This letter of admission is a necessary document for the application of a student visa.
In the case of a private institution, approval needs to be obtained from the Ministry of Education (“MOE”). In that case, the institution will forward your application documents to the MOE for consideration, and upon approval, the MOE will issue an approval letter, which will be required for the application of your visa.
After receiving the letter of admission from the institution, and an approval letter from the MOE in case of a private institution, the student may apply for a non-immigrant “ED” visa either at the Royal Thai Consulate in a country outside of Thailand, or at the immigration department in Thailand, along with the following:
1. A completed application form TM 87
2. A completed application form for change of visa TM 86 (for those applying for visa conversion from Thailand)
3. A certified true copy of the student’s passport
4. The letter of admission issued by the educational institution
5. An approval letter from the MOE (for private institutions)
6. A 4 x 6 cm photograph, and
7. A fee of 2,000 THB
When the application has been successful, the student will receive a non-immigrant “ED” visa, valid for 90 days from the date the student enters the Kingdom.
Before applying for the visa extension, the student will need to be enrolled into the educational institution and have a registration letter and a receipt of the tuition fees as proof of payment. The student can then submit an application for extension of stay in the Kingdom at the immigration department in Thailand, along with the following:
1. A completed application form for temporary stay in the Kingdom TM 7
2. A certified true copy of the student’s passport
3. A 4 x 6 cm photograph
4. A fee of 1,900 THB
5. A certified document from the Dean of the faculty (in case of a government institution) or the President of a private institution containing the full name, age, nationality, level of education, total academic years, educational transcript, a student code (if any), the student’s curriculum and funding
6. In the case of a privately owned institution, a permit to establish higher educational institution and an approval document of the President’s appointment