Visa on Arrival in Thailand: Documents and VOA Costs in 2026

A visa on arrival in Thailand is available to citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia for a tourist trip of up to 15 days. The government fee is 2,000 baht per person. For a Belarusian tourist, this is an option for a short holiday without applying for a tourist visa in advance; if you plan to stay longer, it is better to choose a visa in advance.

Current as of September 2026. Entry requirements may change, and the right entry option depends on citizenship, purpose and length of trip. Visa-free entry, VOA and an advance tourist visa are different options, and the Digital Arrival Card does not replace any of them.

Below, we explain who can get a VOA, what to put in your document folder, and what money to prepare separately from the visa fee. Then we go through the general application process at the entry point and explain why you should check the permitted departure date right after immigration control.

Who can get a VOA after the September changes

From September 15, 2026, the list of countries and territories eligible for VOA has been cut to three. The Public Relations Department of the Government of Thailand announces the date of the changes, while the embassy in Doha lists Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.

The right of Belarusian citizens to apply has been preserved. However, a country being on the list means you can apply for a VOA if you meet the conditions, not a promise that every tourist will receive a visa.

For Ukraine, the listing of the country itself does not set a length of stay. Citizens of Kazakhstan should separately confirm the current terms of the bilateral arrangement with the embassy before buying tickets: rules for a Russian passport cannot be applied to them automatically.

How a VOA differs from visa-free entry and a tourist visa

A VOA is a visa obtained on arrival, not a type of visa-free stamp. The official Ministry of Foreign Affairs document on electronic VOA links it to a tourist purpose and a stay of no more than 15 days.

An advance tourist visa suits a longer holiday: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies a permitted stay of up to 60 days. Visa-free stay depends on citizenship; for Russian passports, the embassy in Moscow confirms up to 30 days.

Don’t rely only on how the stamp in your passport looks: a mandatory paper sticker is not a universal way to tell these procedures apart. The practical question is simpler: do you need to get a visa in advance, and does the chosen option match your trip? Comparing the options is easier with our guide on how to choose a visa for Thailand.

What documents to prepare for a VOA

As of September 2026, gather your passport, visa application form, photo, onward ticket, proof of accommodation, funds for the trip and cash for the fee. The passport requirements differ between official instructions, so each one needs to be checked against its source.

• Passport. The embassy in London specifies a remaining validity of at least 6 months and at least 2 blank pages. The official document on electronic VOA calls for a genuine passport valid for at least 30 days. For preparation, we recommend the more conservative London requirement: the shorter period from the other instruction does not guarantee admission.
• Visa application form. Fill it out legibly according to the instructions for the current form, and check your passport number and other details. You can prepare the form in advance if you have a suitable current form.
• Photo. The embassy in Oslo specifies a size of 4 × 6 cm and a photo taken no more than 6 months ago. The list of citizenships on this page is outdated, so we do not use it to choose an entry option.
• Onward ticket. The London instructions require departure within 15 days of entry. A ticket for a later date does not extend the permitted stay.
• Proof of accommodation. It is on the list from the embassy in Oslo. Prepare your booking and accommodation address.
• Funds for the trip and the fee. These are separate items; the amounts and payment methods are explained below.

Print your confirmations and get your photo taken before departure. Don’t count on a phone ticket being accepted under all circumstances, or on a bank statement automatically replacing the requirement to carry funds with you.

Keep the documents together in a folder so you can quickly show the one you need. Before the trip, compare the spelling of your name and your passport details on the form, ticket and booking — a simple check that is easy to do at home.

VOA fee and proof of funds

As of September 2026, the government fee is 2,000 baht per person. Payment terms are listed on the official page of the Embassy of Thailand in Doha: in cash in Thai baht only, and the fee is non-refundable.

Separately, the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs document on electronic VOA requires travelers to carry at least 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family. This money demonstrates the ability to cover the stay and is not an additional payment to the government.

Don’t combine these items into a new “official minimum”: they serve different purposes. Prepare cash baht for payment separately, and don’t count on paying by card, in dollars, or on getting guaranteed change. Check the current cost before your trip.

Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): preparing before the trip

Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is not a visa and does not replace VOA. Receiving confirmation of the card does not mean the visa process is complete.

As of September 2026, the card is free — the embassy in London states this. Information submission within 3 days before arrival is described in the official guide to the Digital Arrival Card. This is a submission window, not a requirement to send the form exactly three days in advance.

Filling it out requires information about where you will stay in Thailand. Prepare the address and keep your booking at hand so you don’t have to reconstruct the details from memory; the steps are covered in our guide on how to fill out the Digital Arrival Card.

If a third-party service offers paid help, you are paying for its service, not for the government card. In other words, a payment to an intermediary does not replace the visa fee and does not turn the card into an entry permit.

How to get a VOA at the entry point

For trips through Bangkok, the relevant airports are Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport. Follow the signs and ask staff for help: the procedure depends on the entry point.

The general procedure for applying for a visa on arrival in Thailand is as follows:

1. Find the VOA application area. Follow the Visa on Arrival signs or ask an officer before choosing a line.
2. Prepare the application form. If you have already completed the appropriate form, check the details; otherwise, fill it out on site following the instructions.
3. Present your documents. Keep your passport, photo, ticket, proof of accommodation and funds ready for inspection. Answer questions about the purpose and route of your trip.
4. Pay the fee. Keep cash Thai baht separate from your other money.
5. Follow the officer’s instructions. Next steps are determined on the spot; a specific form for the visa and a separate line after processing are not guaranteed.
6. Check the permitted departure date. Do this right after immigration control and compare the date with your ticket.

Don’t count on a specific waiting time. For a land route, before choosing it, confirm whether VOA is available at that specific crossing: the ability to apply cannot be transferred from one checkpoint to all the others.

E-visas: how advance application differs from VOA

An advance electronic visa is obtained before the trip through a separate system (Thailand e-Visa). The official portal states that applicants are not required to submit their passport and supporting documents in person at an embassy or consulate general.

This rule concerns how documents are submitted, not the absence of any additional steps. Preparing the application is covered in our guide on applying for a Thailand e-Visa; advance tourist visas and the regular VOA remain different options.

Electronic visa on arrival (E-VOA) is another channel that should not be confused with an advance visa or the Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). Don’t choose it just because of a promise of fast approval: for your trip, you need confirmed availability for your nationality and entry point. Intermediary fees and promised timelines are not part of the government fee for a regular VOA.

Traveling with children: financial requirements and documents

As of September 2026, the family proof-of-funds amount for VOA is 20,000 baht. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) explains that the requirement to show financial proof does not apply to children under 12.

This exemption applies specifically to funds. It does not exempt a child from the visa fee, passport documents or the Digital Arrival Card (TDAC).

According to Aviasales’ instructions, each child’s details for the card are entered separately, while family members can be combined into a group application for up to ten people. A group submission does not replace entering the details for each child.

Separately, prepare the documents for a child to leave the departure country and to meet the airline’s requirements. These rules apply to other stages of the trip; a universal mandatory consent from the second parent cannot be derived from the conditions of the Thai VOA.

VOA extension, departure date and overstaying

A regular VOA extension for a longer tourist holiday is not available — the embassy in Oslo states that an extension for a longer stay is not possible. So don’t count on extra vacation time after getting a short visa.

If your itinerary exceeds the permitted period, consider in advance a tourist visa for a longer trip. Check the permitted departure date after entry against the stamp in your passport.

As of September 2026, the embassy in Canberra specifies the overstay fine: 500 baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht. Paying the fine does not turn the overstay into a legal extension of your stay.

Overstaying may lead to further consequences, including detention, deportation or restrictions on future entry; these should not be considered inevitable in every case. Leaving and returning also does not guarantee a new VOA. Don’t use short trips out of the country as a promised way to stay long-term.

Common mistakes when preparing to enter

Most practical problems are easier to prevent before departure. Go through the list while your documents and route can still be corrected calmly:

• Unprepared photo: take it in advance rather than relying on services at the airport.
• No onward ticket: plan your departure within the permitted stay.
• Insufficient funds: keep money for the trip separate from the visa fee.
• Errors in the application form: check your passport number, name and accommodation details.
• Passport validity problem: take into account the discrepancy between the London instructions and the electronic VOA document, explained above.
• Confusion about visa-free entry: choose the option based on your citizenship and trip purpose.
• Substituting the digital card for a visa: filling out the Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) does not complete the VOA application.
• No cash baht: Doha’s terms do not provide for paying the fee by card or in dollars.
• Relying on a regular extension: compare the length of your holiday with the VOA period in advance.

We recommend getting travel insurance; choosing coverage is easier with our guide on how to choose travel insurance. Here, insurance is a recommendation, not an established mandatory requirement of the VOA.

Having a complete set of documents does not guarantee visa issuance or entry into the country. Possible problems are covered in our article on reasons for denied entry to Thailand.