Thailand visas for families: dependants, ED and Non-O
Each family member needs status in their own passport. Dependant, education and family Non-O routes use different sponsor, relationship and institution evidence.
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Every foreign family member needs status in their own passport, but DTV and LTR both publish dependant routes. Child ED and Non-O family routes depend on the school, principal visa and deciding mission or Immigration office.
Related: Best visa for couples · DTV Visa · LTR Visa · Verify a school
The family does not share one visa
Every foreign family member needs an individual visa or permission to stay. The useful distinction is between a principal applicant with published dependant eligibility and family members who qualify independently through work, retirement, study or another purpose.
DTV families
The MFA's official DTV summary includes the spouse and dependent children of a DTV holder. As verified on 1 August 2026, it publishes proof of relationship, financial evidence of at least 500,000 THB, a 5-year multiple-entry visa, stays of up to 180 days per entry, and one extension not exceeding another 180 days per entry.
That does not mean one DTV stamp covers the household: each dependant has an individual application. The MFA's central DTV requirements specify a spouse and children under 20 years old. They do not publish one universal way to allocate the financial evidence across a family. The responsible Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate may request additional documents.
The MFA summary lists a fee of 10,000 THB as of 1 August 2026. Missions charge in local currency, so family totals and local fees vary.
LTR families
BOI Announcement Por. 3/2568 includes a legitimate spouse, parents, children under 20 years old and legal dependants. The 2025 BOI brochure says there is no numerical dependant limit. This later formal material supersedes the former four-person summary still visible on the general homepage during the 13 September 2026 check. Confirm the current portal evidence for each family member.
BOI's current dependant guidance recognises a legally married same-sex spouse, but not an unmarried partner. Each dependant creates a separate portal account; the principal starts the file and approves the link. LTR dependant status is also separate from permission to work: BOI says eligible dependant holders may apply for a digital work permit, and the employment evidence and work-permit process are assessed separately.
Each dependant needs one of BOI's health-evidence routes: medical insurance covering Thailand for at least USD 50,000 with at least 10 months remaining at endorsement-letter issuance, qualifying Thai social security, or at least USD 25,000 per dependant deposited under the published conditions for at least 12 months.
The principal must first meet one of BOI's category-specific tests. Current BOI criteria test income alongside qualifications, employer structure, assets or investment depending on the category.
As of 1 August 2026, BOI publishes an endorsement result within 20 working days after a complete and valid file is registered, with longer handling possible if more evidence is requested. It publishes an in-Thailand visa issuance fee of 50,000 THB per person; overseas and e-Visa fees may differ. LTR is an initial 5 years plus another 5 years if qualifications remain met, with annual rather than 90-day reporting.
Child ED status
A school place does not by itself guarantee an ED visa. The Royal Thai Embassy Phnom Penh's ED page, for example, requires an acceptance or confirmation letter on school letterhead, a signed and sealed copy of the school licence or business registration, and additional education-authority certification for specified school levels. As checked on 1 August 2026, that embassy publishes a fee of USD 80, visa validity of 3 months and an initial stay not exceeding 90 days. Those are Phnom Penh figures, not a universal family-school tariff or timetable.
Private-school identity and course details can be checked in the official OPEC approved-school register. The verification guide explains the limits of that check.
Student, guardian and family Non-O are different routes
Start with the person whose activity or relationship creates the route. A child studying in Thailand may use ED status; an accompanying parent may need a separate guardian or dependant Non-O; and a foreign family member of another foreign principal follows that principal route's published dependant rules. These are separate applications, not one household visa.
| Family situation | Route to investigate | Question for the deciding authority |
|---|---|---|
| Child enrolled in an eligible programme | Education ED | Which institution and education-authority documents does this mission or office require? |
| Parent accompanying a foreign student | Guardian or dependant Non-O | Does this authority accept the relationship, student's age and school evidence for this specific route? |
| Spouse or child of a foreign principal | Principal route's dependant category | Which relationships, ages and financial evidence are published for the principal's status? |
| Family member of a Thai national | Family-of-Thai Non-O | Is the application based on a Thai spouse, child or parent, and is it an overseas visa, status change or extension? |
The Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore's guardian page, updated 18 May 2026 and rechecked 24 August 2026, is one current example: it separates a parent's single-entry Non-O application from the child's study evidence. Its Singapore-residency conditions, financial figure, documents, fee and processing instruction apply to that mission and must not be copied into a worldwide checklist.
A second current branch shows why the principal category matters. The Royal Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur page updated 17 July 2026 accepts an accompanying spouse, parent or child in defined circumstances, including family of a Non-B or Non-ED principal. It also expressly says that family of a Non-O principal does not qualify under that mission's dependant Non-O route. That is a mission-specific boundary, not permission to infer the rule for every post.
For a Thai-spouse case, continue to the marriage Non-O guide. A Thai-child or Thai-parent case is a distinct family-of-Thai relationship: ask the deciding mission or Immigration office for the current criterion rather than applying spouse thresholds by analogy.
Address, reporting and travel
- TM30: as checked on 1 August 2026 against the Immigration Bureau's English and Thai portals, address reporting concerns each foreign person staying at the address; see the verified TM30 guide.
- TM47: as verified on 1 August 2026 against the Immigration Bureau manual and form, each person with an ordinary stay exceeding 90 consecutive days has their own reporting position. LTR uses BOI's annual-reporting benefit.
- Re-entry: DTV is multiple entry and LTR publishes a re-entry-permit exemption. Extension-based Non-O and ED holders should verify whether a re-entry permit is needed to preserve the current permission; see the verified guide.
- Extensions: there is no official promise that all family applications will be processed together or that a school files every child's extension. The deciding office or school can confirm its procedure.
Family visa FAQ
Does a foreign child's ED visa automatically cover a parent or guardian?
No. The ED visa or permission belongs to the student. A parent needs a separate application. Singapore's current mission page is one example of a separate Non-O guardian route, but its student-age, residency, financial, document, fee and processing conditions apply to that mission. Confirm the available route with the responsible mission or Immigration office.
Can the spouse or child of any foreign visa holder get a dependant Non-O?
No. Dependant eligibility depends on the principal's status, the relationship and the deciding authority's published category. Kuala Lumpur's current page accepts defined family members of Non-B or Non-ED principals but expressly excludes family of a Non-O principal from that mission's dependant Non-O route. That is a Kuala Lumpur rule, not a worldwide rule; check the responsible authority's live checklist for every passport.
Can an unmarried partner be an LTR dependant?
No under BOI's current published rule. A legally married spouse, including a same-sex spouse, may apply; an unmarried partner does not qualify as an LTR dependant. Each dependant needs a separate portal account linked to the principal, and dependant status does not by itself grant permission to work.
Does one bank balance automatically cover the whole family?
No universal family-balance rule was found. DTV, LTR, school-guardian and family Non-O routes publish different financial evidence, and missions can request evidence for each applicant. Use the checklist for every passport rather than multiplying or sharing one figure by assumption.
Are a Thai-spouse Non-O and a Thai-child Non-O assessed the same way?
No. They may share the Non-O label, but marriage to a Thai citizen and parenting or supporting a Thai child are separate relationship branches. Do not transfer the spouse financial threshold or document list to a Thai-child application by analogy. The current mission or Immigration checklist for the exact relationship and application stage controls.
Household costs require current quotes
School fees, hospital costs, insurance premiums, rent and household budgets are not visa rules or universal Pattaya figures. Compare current provider quotes for the actual household.
Important: This is general information, not legal advice. The issuing mission or Immigration office decides each application and may ask for more evidence.