A Spouse Visa (also known as a Marriage Visa) is one of the most common types of long-term visas in Thailand. It allows a foreign spouse to live in the country on the assumption that they have met some strict financial criteria.
Generally, this type of visa is applied for after a foreigner has obtained a Non-Immigrant O Visa or a one-year Thai marriage visa from the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their home country. Alternatively, they may apply for the visa while in Thailand at a Thai immigration department like Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok.
The application process involves submitting several documents to the Thai Immigration office in your home area. In addition to the requisite marriage and divorce paperwork, you’ll need proof of your income, a letter from a bank that shows that 400,000 THB has been deposited into a Thai account for at least two months before you apply for the visa, and a photocopy of your wedding certificate and passport.
You should consider bringing an interpreter with you when you go to the Thai Immigration office. A good interpreter will be able to answer questions for both of you and help you understand the nuances of the application process.
A Marriage Visa is valid for a period of one year, and if you decide to leave the country you’ll need to apply for a re-entry permit. If you do not obtain the re-entry permit before you leave the country, your Thai Marriage Visa will be terminated.
The re-entry permit will only be issued for a maximum of 90 days, and once that time has expired, you will need to cancel your visa. If you do not cancel it, you will be subject to a fine of 500 THB per day until your visa is cancelled.
If you have an extended marriage or retirement visa in Thailand, you will need to report to the nearest Immigration office every 90 days during your stay. If you do not report to the Immigration office every 90 days, you will be charged a fine of 500 THB per day for each 90 day you miss.
It is also important to note that you must reapply for your marriage or retirement visa if you want to extend it inside the country, as the process can be more complicated than applying outside of the country. In the event that your visa is cancelled, you can apply for a new one by contacting the nearest Thai Immigration office in your area of residence.
In some cases, the spouse of an American citizen may be able to apply for a K3 Marriage Visa. This Visa was designed to help reunite Americans with their foreign spouses more quickly, rather than having to wait for a Permanent Residency.
To qualify for a K3 Visa, the US Citizen spouse must have lived in the United States with their foreign spouse for at least 2 years. The K3 Visa is not a visa for permanent residency, so the spouse must apply for a CR-1 or IR-1 Immigrant visa before they can enter the United States.