Visa on Arrival: How to Enter Thailand in 2026

Visa on Arrival (VOA) is a visa applied for at the Thai border. From September 15, 2026, this scheme is available to citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia for tourist stays of up to 15 days. Visa-free entry and a visa obtained in advance are separate options: applying at the border does not suit every traveler.

Current as of September 2026. Below we look at how to choose the right option, gather documents, prepare cash for the fee, and choose when to submit the Digital Arrival Card. Start with your citizenship and length of trip: if your route falls outside the VOA conditions, the visa question needs to be resolved before departure.

Preparation does not end with buying tickets. You will need proof of accommodation, a suitable photo and an application form, and the arrival card is completed separately from the visa. This guide will help you put everything together and check the permitted stay date after entry.

Who is eligible for a visa on arrival after the 2026 changes

As of September 2026, the current VOA list includes Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Citizens of these countries may apply for a visa for a short tourist trip. The list and the effective date of the rules can be checked on the official page of the Thai Embassy.

For holders of ordinary Russian passports, the Thai Embassy in Moscow confirms visa-free stay of up to 30 days under a bilateral agreement. The Embassy in Helsinki lists India on the new visa-free entry list. The claim that Indian tourists can only use VOA does not match the current conditions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand reports that the regulatory changes were published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, 2026, and took effect on September 15, 2026. The former 60-day visa-free scheme has been abolished, but this does not mean that all grounds for entry without a visa have been canceled.

It is easy to get confused here: news about the cancellation of one scheme does not answer the question about a specific passport. Choose the option based on your citizenship, passport type and length of trip. For comparing options, see the general guide on how to choose a visa for Thailand.

Length of stay, fee and proof of funds

A visa on arrival is valid for a stay of no more than 15 days — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand states this limit. This is the upper limit, and when planning your departure, rely on the permitted date in your entry stamp. Do not plan a routine extension of your vacation after entry.

The conditions below are current as of September 2026. The fee and the financial guarantee are different requirements: money for living expenses is not an additional payment to the state.

According to the Thai Embassy in Doha, the fee is 2,000 baht in cash, paid in Thai baht; check the current amount before your trip. It cannot be paid by bank card, and the fee is not refunded. The Tourism Authority of Thailand separately specifies the financial guarantee: 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family.

Prepare cash for the fee in advance. Relying on currency exchange or cash withdrawal right at the counter is inconvenient: the location and availability of such services depend on the entry point. Having money to pay the visa fee does not replace proof of funds for living expenses.

Documents for application: passport, photo, ticket and accommodation

Gather your VOA documents before the trip and keep them together. This makes it easier to present the application form, ticket and proof of accommodation when they are needed during processing. As of September 2026, the Thai Embassy in Nairobi lists the following documents:

• VOA application form.
• Passport.
• Photo sized 4 × 6 cm, taken within the last 6 months.
• Confirmed return ticket within the next 15 days.
• Proof of accommodation in Thailand.

Separately, prepare proof of financial guarantee and cash for the visa fee. Check that your departure date matches the permitted length of stay, and that your proof of accommodation can be shown quickly. It is better to keep your hotel booking at hand together with your ticket than to search for it while submitting documents.

There is a nuance with the passport. The updated page of the Thai Embassy in London specifies at least 6 months of validity and at least 2 blank pages, as of September 2026. Official materials differ on the remaining validity period, so a shorter period cannot be considered definitively acceptable for every route.

If your passport is valid for less than six months, get confirmation of the conditions from the relevant consular office and your carrier before arranging your trip. This depends on your specific passport and route, not on picking the shortest requirement from different publications. Checking in advance is more useful than arguing about the rules before departure.

The arrival card is completed separately; it is also convenient to keep its confirmation with your documents. It does not replace the application, photo, ticket or proof of accommodation required for the visa.

How to get a visa at the airport: step-by-step guide

VOA is processed at designated immigration checkpoints. The Thai Embassy in Moscow explicitly states this option for holders of Belarusian passports: as of September 2026, the permitted stay is up to 15 days and the fee is 2,000 baht. Therefore, before the trip, check whether processing is available at your chosen entry point.

This guide helps you prepare, but it does not describe a single queue system for all airports. The location of counters and the order of stages depend on the place of arrival. On site, follow the signs and the instructions of staff.

1. Before departure, check your entry point. Make sure your chosen route allows you to apply for VOA, and compare your travel dates with the permitted length of stay.
2. Prepare your passport, photo, ticket, proof of accommodation, proof of financial guarantee and cash for the fee. Separately, complete the arrival card within the appropriate period.
3. After arrival, follow the signs to the processing area. If the procedure is unclear, ask the staff.
4. Fill out the application and present your documents as instructed. The application form is on the list of the Thai Embassy in Nairobi; the arrival card does not replace it.
5. Pay the visa fee in cash in Thai baht and complete processing as instructed by staff.
6. Go through the necessary stages of immigration control. Check the permitted stay date in your entry stamp.

Do not consider your entry complete until immigration control is finished and the corresponding stamp has been received. If the date on it raises questions, contact an officer right away. Plan your departure by the permitted period, not only by your hotel booking dates.

Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): when to submit

The Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) and the VOA application serve different purposes. The card must be prepared separately: it does not replace the visa and is not proof that a visa has been granted. Keep the arrival card confirmation and the documents for the visa on arrival at hand.

As of September 2026, the immigration service requires the card to be submitted within 3 days before arrival in Thailand, including the day of arrival. This rule is set out in official answers about the arrival card. The period is counted from arrival, not from departure.

In practice, the process is as follows:

• Determine your arrival date in Thailand based on your route.
• Fill out the card within the required period.
• Keep the confirmation at hand together with your other documents.

Do not leave filling it out until you need to find the visa counter. Preparing in advance means you do not have to deal with the card and submit VOA documents at the same time. At the same time, the absence of a pre-filled card should not be described as an automatic refusal of boarding by every airline.

There is an exception for transit: if the passenger does not pass through immigration control, the card is not required. When planning a connection, distinguish between transit without passing through immigration control and entry into the country. For a detailed walkthrough of the procedure — the Digital Arrival Card guide.

Can the stay be extended, and when is a visa needed in advance?

A routine extension of stay under VOA is not provided for. The Thai Embassy in Brussels notes an exception for special cases of illness. This is not a universal exception for any force majeure, nor a way to plan a longer vacation in advance.

If your trip exceeds the permitted period, choose a suitable visa option before departure. Do not build your route on the assumption that you can extend VOA after arrival. Even the medical exception mentioned cannot be considered a guarantee of additional stay.

The Thai Embassy in Moscow reports that you can request the required visa in advance through the electronic visa system (Thailand e-Visa). The difference is simple: the application for such a visa is submitted before the trip, while VOA is applied for at the border. Getting a visa in advance and filling out the arrival card also remain separate procedures.

A guide to advance applications — applying for a Thailand e-Visa. Choose the option based on the purpose and length of your trip, not only on convenience of processing. Processing times and the cost of an advance visa should not be applied to VOA.

Application mistakes and the consequences of overstay

Before departure, check your documents against the list, not from memory. Problems may arise from choosing the wrong option, mismatched documents or unsuitable travel dates. Having a complete set helps you prepare, but it is not a guarantee of entry.

What to check:

• Your citizenship allows you to apply for VOA.
• The application and other documents are prepared.
• Your passport meets the requirements of your specific trip.
• The photo is suitable in size and age.
• Your ticket provides for departure within the permitted period.
• You have proof of accommodation.
• Cash for the fee and sufficient financial guarantee are ready.
• The arrival card is filled out separately from the visa application.

These mistakes should not be treated as identical, or each declared an automatic ground for refusal. More about possible problems is covered in the article on reasons for refusal of entry into Thailand. It is better to fix discrepancies before the trip than to discover them during submission.

After entry, keep track of your permitted departure date. Overstay means exceeding the permitted length of stay; according to the official page of the Thai Embassy in Canberra, the fine is 500 baht per day, maximum 20,000 baht. These amounts are given as of September 2026.

Paying the fine does not allow you to stay longer. A prolonged overstay may lead to additional consequences, including deportation and a ban on visiting Thailand. Such consequences cannot be automatically attributed to every overstay.

For help understanding the stamps, see the guide to passport stamps. Do not transfer visa-free rules to VOA: the basis for entry and the permitted stay are checked separately.