Non-B. The work visa for Thai employers.
The Non-Immigrant B is used for employment and business purposes, but the visa does not itself authorise work. Employment applicants normally need employer evidence and Department of Employment approval or an existing permit.
Checked 1 August 2026: a Thai-employment file combines a mission-specific Non-B application with a Department of Employment process. The embassy checklist, fee, company evidence and later stay documents vary. Do not infer a universal staffing ratio, capital rule, fee, or annual extension from the visa label alone.
What Non-B actually is
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes Non-Immigrant Category B as a route for work or business and says the work sub-purpose needs its own supporting evidence. Its English guidance states that a holder wishing to work must receive a work permit before starting. Mission checklists can be more specific: the Royal Thai Embassy in Budapest lists employment documents and WP3 or an existing work permit for its jurisdiction.
The visa and work permission are separate. The Department of Employment's e-WorkPermit portal, checked 1 August 2026, lists applications for foreigners with temporary Non-Immigrant status and employer filings for skilled workers outside Thailand. The current route depends on the applicant, employer, role, location, and filing category.
Choose the e-WorkPermit transaction, not just the portal
e-WorkPermit is a filing channel, not one universal work-permit route. An official Department of Employment provincial notice records registration and filing availability from 13 October 2025. The current portal separately lists a new skilled-employment application for a temporarily admitted Non-Immigrant, an employer filing for a skilled worker still abroad, a Section 67 renewal, urgent or necessary work, and other statutory change or notification transactions. Those skilled-employment choices should not be mixed with the portal's separate MOU-worker processes.
A renewal is not automatically the correct transaction when the employer, workplace, duties or another recorded item changes. Confirm the event against the portal's current category before filing, and use the detailed work-permit renewal guide to map the next questions. Portal submission does not grant Immigration permission and does not by itself authorise work; the appropriate Department of Employment permission and the separate visa or stay basis must both be in place.
Who needs Non-B
Non-B is commonly relevant to a foreign national employed by a Thai company or educational institution, a paid intern, a person working under a BOI or industrial-estate approval, or a visitor conducting a documented business trip. It is not automatically the correct route for every director, investor, volunteer, remote worker or contractor. Those facts should be matched to the official mission purpose and Department of Employment category.
Thai employer requirements
There is no single mission checklist for every Non-B and work application. A mission can request company registration, shareholder lists, business profile, maps, tax filings, VAT registration, a list of foreign workers, the contract, and evidence explaining the role. Reopen the mission's current page for the applicant's place of residence before filing.
- Budapest currently requests extensive employer records for private-company employment, plus WP3 or an existing work permit for its jurisdiction.
- The Thai Consulate-General in Savannakhet currently publishes a bilingual employment checklist that includes an employer letter, contract or certification, Department of Employment approval for WP32 or a BOI letter, company evidence, and financial evidence.
- Mission-specific financial or corporate requirements must not be turned into a universal employment-sponsorship rule.
- BOI-promoted employers and other special categories can use different processes.
- The proposed duties must not fall within an occupation prohibited to foreigners or outside any required professional licence.
Staffing ratios and capital thresholds can arise in particular work-permit, immigration-extension, tax, treaty or BOI contexts. This page does not treat any one ratio or capital amount as a universal Non-B employment test. Ask the relevant employment and immigration offices to confirm the exact category before relying on a number.
Published visa examples, not a universal fee
| Official source | Published amount or duration | Date context |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest employment Non-B | EUR 70 single entry | Checked 1 August 2026; mission page updated 11 February 2026 |
| Budapest multiple-entry Non-B | EUR 175 | Checked 1 August 2026; employment cases on that page state only single entry is granted |
| Savannakhet employment Non-B | Visa valid 3 months; stay up to 90 days per entry | Checked 1 August 2026; bilingual mission page updated 10 March 2026 |
Work-permit fees, extension fees and re-entry fees should be taken from the authority and form used for the actual case. The published mission examples above are not a universal fee schedule.
Application — step by step
Confirm the employment category
The employer checks that the role can be performed by a foreign national and identifies the ordinary, BOI, teaching or other applicable process.
Prepare the Department of Employment evidence
The current e-WorkPermit portal identifies the application type. For an applicant outside Thailand, the employer may need to file the relevant pre-approval before the visa application.
Use the correct embassy checklist
Apply only through the mission with jurisdiction and submit its current employer, company, personal and financial documents. Fees and document wording vary by mission.
Do not start work on the visa alone
The MFA guidance states that a Non-Immigrant visa holder wishing to work must receive a work permit before starting. Confirm the filing and start date with the Department of Employment.
Separate stay extensions from work permission
An extension of stay is an Immigration Bureau decision. Employer records, work permission, tax and address documents may be required, but the exact checklist comes from the office and category handling the case.
Maintain both records
Changes to employer, duties, workplace or employment status can affect work permission and the basis of stay. Confirm both processes before the changed work begins.
Permanent residence is a separate annual process
Holding a Non-B and work permission does not automatically answer a separate long-term residence question. If permanent residence or another long-term status is under consideration, use the current Immigration Bureau requirements and filing announcement rather than old Non-B shorthand.
Non-B compared with other work routes
Other visa and stay labels have their own current purpose, qualification, and work-permission conditions. Do not use a different label as a general substitute for permission to perform a Thai job. Match the person's real employer and duties to the current official route.
Five avoidable Non-B errors
- Starting work because the Non-B was issued. Work permission is separate.
- Using a business-visit file for employment. The purposes and documents differ.
- Assuming one corporate or staffing rule applies to all employers. Ordinary, BOI, treaty, teaching and other categories vary.
- Changing employer or duties without checking both authorities. Immigration status and work permission can be affected on different dates.
- Treating a Non-B as proof of tax residence. Day count, income and filing rules are separate questions.
Common questions
Related: Working in Thailand guide · Work-permit renewal timeline and documents · Setting up a Thai company
Moving to Pattaya? Open the Pattaya planning desk.
Does a Non-B let me start work?
No. The visa and Department of Employment work permission are separate; the MFA says a holder wishing to work must receive a work permit before starting.
How long is an initial employment Non-B?
It varies by mission and visa. The Savannakhet employment page checked 1 August 2026 states that its visa is valid for 3 months from issue and permits up to 90 days per entry.
Is the visa fee the same everywhere?
No. Missions publish local-currency fees and can change their checklists. Budapest currently publishes EUR 70 for a single-entry Non-B on its page.
What happens if employment ends?
The work-permission cancellation and the immigration basis of stay must both be checked. Do not promise a nationwide grace period; confirm the recorded dates with the Department of Employment and the immigration office handling the case.
Is one Thai-staff ratio universal?
No universal rule was verified for every Non-B case. Employer criteria vary by work-permission and immigration category, BOI or treaty status, industry and authority.
Official sources checked
- Thailand MFA: Non-Immigrant Visa B (English)
- Thailand MFA: visa issuance and category guidance (English)
- Royal Thai Embassy Budapest: current Non-B mission checklist (English)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General Savannakhet: bilingual employment Non-B checklist
- Department of Employment e-WorkPermit portal (Thai)
- Department of Employment Sing Buri: registration and filing start date (Thai)