What is the LTR visa?
You spend half the year in Thailand, and you would rather not renew a visa every year. The LTR was built for that.
The LTR visa is a 10-year, multiple-entry visa run by Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) for four groups of high-value foreigners. The BOI grants a first stay of five years, then extends it by five more if you still meet the rules. It brings lighter reporting and, for those who work here, a digital work permit.
The government launched the scheme to attract wealthy residents, retirees and skilled professionals. It sits above the usual long-stay visas. A retirement visa is renewed every year; the LTR runs for a decade and adds benefits ordinary visas lack.
The BOI reviews and endorses each applicant. Once endorsed, you collect the visa in Thailand or at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad. The BOI's own LTR site, ltr.boi.go.th, is the official source for the rules here. We name it for every legal point below.
Who is eligible for the Thailand LTR visa?
Four groups are eligible, says the BOI: wealthy global citizens, wealthy pensioners aged 50 or over, work-from-Thailand professionals and highly-skilled professionals. Each has its own money test. All applicants need health insurance of at least USD 50,000 or an approved alternative.
Wealthy global citizens. You need at least USD 1 million in assets, in Thailand or abroad, in your own name. You also invest at least USD 500,000 in Thailand. Options are Thai government bonds with at least 5 years left to run, a direct investment in a Thai-registered company, or Thai property. The BOI says the investment must be made before you apply.
Wealthy pensioners. You must be 50 or older, with passive income of at least USD 80,000 a year when you apply. Salary does not count. With passive income between USD 40,000 and USD 80,000 you can still qualify. You invest an extra USD 250,000 in the same Thai bonds, companies or property.
Work-from-Thailand professionals. You need personal income of at least USD 80,000 a year on average over the past two years. Your employer must be a listed company or a qualifying private company. A private company needs at least 3 years of operation and combined revenue of USD 50 million over the last 3 years. A wholly owned subsidiary of either also qualifies. With income between USD 40,000 and USD 80,000, a master's degree or higher can count instead.
Highly-skilled professionals. You need the same income level of USD 80,000 a year over two years. With USD 40,000, you need a master's degree or higher in science or technology. You must work for a Thai or foreign company in one of the BOI's target industries, or prove expertise in a field the BOI names. People working for Thai government agencies are exempt from the income test.
The categories fit different lives. A family office principal uses the first. A retiree with investment income uses the second. A regional director for a large overseas company uses the third. An engineer or scientist hired by a Thai company in a target industry uses the fourth. Unsure? Our visa comparison sets the LTR beside every other long-stay route.
Couples should decide who applies. The main applicant must meet the money test alone, and the spouse joins as a dependant. In most families, the person with the larger passive income or the qualifying job applies first.
How much does the 10-year LTR visa cost?
The LTR visa costs ฿50,000 per person when you collect it in Thailand, says the BOI. Applying and the BOI's review are free. Collect it at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad, or as an e-visa, and the fee may differ. The BOI warns it can be considerably higher.
There is one running cost. Holders who work in Thailand pay ฿3,000 a year for the digital work permit. The BOI says this permit is not available to the work-from-Thailand professionals category, whose work is for an overseas employer.
Families pay per person. A couple with two children who all take the visa in Thailand pay ฿50,000 each. Budget too for health insurance and document translation. Wealthy global citizens and some pensioners also make the investment itself, which stays your asset.
Set the fee against what it replaces. Ten years means no yearly renewal visits, no 90-day reports and no re-entry permit for each trip abroad. For a family that travels often, the time saved is worth as much as the money.
What are the requirements for a Thailand LTR visa?
In 2026 you meet your category's money test and hold health insurance of at least USD 50,000. You also supply documents proving income, assets or employment, says the BOI. In place of insurance, the BOI accepts Thai social security cover or a bank deposit of at least USD 100,000 held for 12 months.
Dependants have their own health rule. Each needs insurance of at least USD 50,000, Thai social security cover, or a deposit of at least USD 25,000 per dependant. The deposit is held for at least 12 months in the applicant's or the dependant's name.
Expect to provide:
- a valid passport and recent photographs;
- proof of income for the last two years, or proof of passive income, assets and investments;
- an employment contract and company documents for the two professional categories;
- your health insurance policy or proof of the alternative;
- marriage and birth certificates for any dependants.
The BOI may ask for more documents during its review. Documents from abroad need certified English translations in most cases. We prepare a checklist for your category before you start, so the review raises fewer questions.
What are the benefits of the LTR visa?
The BOI lists clear benefits: a 10-year renewable stay and a digital work permit. You file a yearly address report instead of the 90-day report, and you need no re-entry permit. The BOI also lists what it calls a fast track service at international airports. Highly-skilled professionals get a 17% personal income tax rate.
- Reporting. Most long-stay foreigners must report their address every 90 days, according to the Immigration Bureau. LTR holders report once a year instead.
- Travel. The BOI grants a multiple re-entry permit, so you can leave and return without a separate permit each time.
- Work. Holders who work receive a digital work permit. The BOI also lifts the usual rule that a company must employ four Thai staff for each foreign employee.
- Tax. The BOI lists a 17% personal income tax rate for highly-skilled professionals, and a tax exemption for overseas income. Take personal tax advice before you rely on either.
- Airport. The BOI lists a fast track service at international airports in Thailand for LTR holders. It is a benefit of the visa, not a paid service.
- Family. Your spouse and children under 20 can join you, up to four dependants in total. The BOI now accepts same-sex spouses.
- Service. Visa and work-permit matters are handled at the BOI's One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit.
For a family that splits time between Thailand and another home, the reporting and re-entry rules matter most. They cut the paperwork that ties ordinary long-stay visa holders to the calendar.
Compare an ordinary long-stay visa. The Immigration Bureau charges ฿1,900 for each extension of stay, and ฿1,000 for a single re-entry permit or ฿3,800 for a multiple one. A late 90-day report costs a ฿2,000 fine. On the LTR, those routine costs and deadlines largely fall away.
How do you apply for the LTR visa, step by step?
You apply online on the BOI's LTR portal and wait for the BOI to endorse your qualifications. Then you collect the visa in Thailand or at a Thai embassy abroad. The BOI gives its endorsement result within 20 working days, it says, longer if it asks for more documents.
- Check your category. Match your income, assets or job to one of the four groups.
- Prepare documents. Gather proof of income or assets, your insurance and any employment papers.
- Apply online. Submit everything on the BOI LTR portal. There is no charge to apply.
- Endorsement. The BOI reviews the file and endorses you, normally within 20 working days.
- Collect the visa. Collect it in Thailand for ฿50,000, or at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad, where the fee may differ.
- Work permit. If you will work, the BOI issues the digital work permit, normally in 3 to 5 working days.
The BOI also lists a pre-approval step of 1 to 3 working days. From a complete file to a visa in your passport, allow about six weeks for questions and travel. Keep copies of everything: you need them again when you extend after five years.
Check three points before you file. Income proof that covers the full two years. A policy of at least USD 50,000. An investment made before the application, not after. Those are the three gaps that slow a review most.
Can a US citizen live permanently in Thailand?
A US citizen can live in Thailand long term on a visa such as the LTR, but the LTR is not permanent residence. It is a renewable long-stay visa. Permanent residence is a separate application to the Immigration Bureau, with its own rules. Americans visiting as tourists get up to 30 days without a visa.
Since 15 September 2026, nationals of 60 countries and territories get up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism only. The United States is one of them. To stay longer, you need a long-stay visa. For those who qualify, the LTR is the strongest choice. Others take Thailand Privilege, the DTV for remote work, or a retirement visa from age 50.
Whatever your passport, the rules are the same for each visa. The only long-stay route limited by nationality is the O-X retirement visa, which the government offers to 14 nationalities, including the United States.
LTR or Thailand Privilege?
Choose the LTR if you meet its money test and want work rights or lighter reporting. Choose Thailand Privilege for a long stay without proving income. It is a paid membership, from Gold at ฿900,000 for 5 years to Reserve at ฿5,000,000 for 20 years or more, by invitation.
The other tiers are Platinum at ฿1,500,000 for 10 years and Diamond at ฿2,500,000 for 15 years. Privilege is simple to get, but gives no right to work. The LTR asks more of you at the start, costs less in fees and gives more once you hold it. See our Thailand Privilege visa guide.
Remote workers who do not meet the LTR income test can look at the DTV. It is a 5-year, multiple-entry visa with stays of up to 180 days per entry. It needs a ฿10,000 fee and ฿500,000 in savings, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read our DTV visa guide.
What is daily life like on an LTR?
Life on an LTR is the same as for any long-term resident. You rent or buy a home, choose schools and doctors, and manage tax. Foreigners may own a condominium unit freehold, within the 49% foreign quota set by the Condominium Act, but not land. Land leases run up to 30 years per term.
For healthcare, Bangkok has several JCI-accredited international hospitals, including Bumrungrad International, Samitivej Sukhumvit, BNH and Vejthani. Phuket has two: Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Bangkok Hospital Siriroj.
Take tax advice early. Under the Revenue Code, you are tax resident after 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year. Under the Revenue Department's instruction Por. 161/2566, residents pay tax on foreign income that arose from 1 January 2024 when it is brought in. The LTR's own tax benefits may change your position, so plan before you move money.
Our Live in Thailand guide covers homes, schools, healthcare and banking in one place.
Plan your move with Tanner
Tanner, your planner, handles the life around the visa. We shortlist schools, arrange drivers, and connect you with licensed visa and tax advisers. We refer you to a recruitment partner for permanent household staff. For a home, we can introduce an agent we trust and a lawyer who acts for you alone. Tell us who is moving and when. We get back to you right away.
Our relocation services page shows how we support a move from the first scouting trip to the day your family settles in. One planner stays your contact throughout.
