Rolling out the e-visas – cutting time in immigration queues

Thailand has officially launched its new e-Visa on Arrival (E-VOA) application system. This way foreigners from approved countries will be able to apply for their visa before their travel date, online, and avoid paperwork and approval when they arrive.

The new system is expected to cut processing times to little more than one minute when passengers arrive and is seen as helping stem the decline in Chinese visitors to Thailand and to increase efficiency when rolled out to more countries over the next three years.

The service is run by Thai Immigration in cooperation with the SAMART Group who recently shared a video explaining how the e-Visa on Arrival application process works. Roll tape….

The e-visa on arrival application, initially, is being made available to eligible nationals from China and India who arrive at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket and Chiang Mai airports and is also expected to be made available at Krabi airport in coming months.

Applications are made HERE.

Currently the E-VOA is available to nationals from Andorra, Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Bhutan, China, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mauritius, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier this week announced that in addition to E-VOA, Thailand will start accepting online visa applications from next year.

ThaiVisa reports that, from February 15 the new e-visa service will be available in Beijing and then in other Chinese cities from March 1.

From March 1 the e-visa service will then be launched in Britain and France before being rolled out to all Thai embassies and consulates within the next three years.

The new e-visa service will enable foreigners to apply for 60 day tourist visas online with payments made by credit card, QR code and Internet banking, with Thailand’s K-Bank providing payment support.

The current requirements for a tourist visa:

• Passport or travel document with a validity not less than 6 months
• Completed visa application form
• One(1) recent 4x6cm. photograph of the applicant
• Evidence of onward travel out of Thailand
• Proof of financial means (20,000 baht per person/40,000 baht per family)

ORIGINAL SOTRY: ThaiVisa