Medical Insurance now Required When Applying for 90 Day Non Immigrant O Visa for Retirement

[koolkarl]

Yesterday, my friend in Manila applied online for a 90 day non immigrant O visa for retirement.  He is 72. The Thai Embassy in Manila wrote him and said he requires police clearance, medical done, a personal resume AND health insurance for 3 million baht, both in and out patient including covid.  So sounds like the same requirements as for the O-A visa.  This really surprised me.  Is it for real?

[soi3eddie]

 

How about asking him for a copy of the Manila Thai embassy email (with his personal details redacted)? Then you'll know if it's for real.

 

[DrJack54]

OP, moved thread to visa, permits forum.

 

The requirements you describe are for Non O-A.

The mistake is either from Thai Embassy in Manila or from your friends application.

Insurance is not a requirement for Non O retirement. 

 

 

[koolkarl]

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

How about asking him for a copy of the Manila Thai embassy email (with his personal details redacted)? Then you'll know if it's for real.

 

I have seen it and it is real.

[koolkarl]

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, moved thread to visa, permits forum.

 

The requirements you describe are for Non O-A.

The mistake is either from Thai Embassy in Manila or from your friends application.

Insurance is not a requirement for Non O retirement. 

 

 

 

[koolkarl]

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, moved thread to visa, permits forum.

 

The requirements you describe are for Non O-A.

The mistake is either from Thai Embassy in Manila or from your friends application.

Insurance is not a requirement for Non O retirement. 

 

 

See below.  The 90 day Non O visa for retirement purpose was specifically selected on the Thai e visa online form.

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

I have seen it and it is real.

I can't even find Non O retirement in Thai Embassy Manila site.

I see clearly Non O-A, Non O-X etc.,

 

https://thaiembassymnl.ph/download/RTE Manila E-Visa Guidelines (as of 27Dec2024)(1).pdf

[koolkarl]

37 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I can't even find Non O retirement in Thai Embassy Manila site.

I see clearly Non O-A, Non O-X etc.,

 

https://thaiembassymnl.ph/download/RTE Manila E-Visa Guidelines (as of 27Dec2024)(1).pdf

I looked also.  My friend knows that the OA requires insurance and thought the Non O didn't. He did select the 90 day non O from the Thai e visa website and didn't select the OA. He emailed the Manila embassy and they gave him another email address, royalthaiembassy107[@]gmail.com  and explained what happened and is awaiting their reply.  I am as surprised as you are.  I have read that certain embassies can ask for certain documents if they want to.

[koolkarl]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I can't even find Non O retirement in Thai Embassy Manila site.

I see clearly Non O-A, Non O-X etc.,

 

https://thaiembassymnl.ph/download/RTE Manila E-Visa Guidelines (as of 27Dec2024)(1).pdf

I typed in "requirements for Thai 90 day non O visa for retirement from Canada" and they require medical cert., criminal check, and evidence of health insurance.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

I typed in "requirements for Thai 90 day non O visa for retirement from Canada" and they require medical cert., criminal check, and evidence of health insurance.

That's because the non O visa is not for retirement. So if you say ask for retirement, they're simply telling you about the O-A requirements.

To add it's not at all uncommon or at all new for embassies to simply refuse to issue O visas for the purpose of retirement, and steer such inquiries to O-A or nothing. 

This entire topic should be frozen until and unless some actual credible news emerges about changes to O visas.

Because as it stands, this amounts to fear mongering and will upset a lot of people without any good reason. 

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

This entire topic should be frozen until and unless some actual credible news emerges about changes to O visas.

Because as it stands, this amounts to fear mongering and will upset a lot of people without any good reason. 

Spot on. Thread locked.