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O/A Visa renewal & Oz Passport expiry

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Just a last-minute worry as I start to gear up for the annual renewal:

(1) My annual O/A renewal is due by 30 October 2025 & my 90-days is due 26 October so that's fine;

(2) My Oz passport expires on 10 January 2027. Which means I will have over 1 year of passport to go when I renew my O/A in late October.

 

But I saw somewhere a day ago a suggestion that you had to have 18 months up on your passport for O/A renewal (in which case I will have to head to BKK to fix this in September). It wasn't clear however and maybe it was only for your first application for an O/A (which in my case was a decade ago).

 

Could someone clarify this for me, please. Thanks in advance.

 

 

I just did a google search. This is what they said

For a Non-Immigrant O-A (Retirement) visa extension in Thailand, your passport's validity doesn't need to be 6 months, but the extension will be limited to the passport's expiry date. If you have less than a year left on your passport, the extension will only be valid until your passport expires. You can apply for a new passport with your home country's authorities, and then transfer the extension to the new passport. Generally, you can apply for an extension when you have 30-45 days remaining on your current visa. 

Best way is to contact your local office. Good luck.

  • Author
9 minutes ago, ripstanley said:

I just did a google search. This is what they said

For a Non-Immigrant O-A (Retirement) visa extension in Thailand, your passport's validity doesn't need to be 6 months, but the extension will be limited to the passport's expiry date. If you have less than a year left on your passport, the extension will only be valid until your passport expires. You can apply for a new passport with your home country's authorities, and then transfer the extension to the new passport. Generally, you can apply for an extension when you have 30-45 days remaining on your current visa. 

Best way is to contact your local office. Good luck.

OK, thanks for that. I think that on that basis I'm in the clear for this round and won't need to worry about getting a new p/p till Aug/Sep next year. 

32 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

(1) My annual O/A renewal is due by 30 October 2025 & my 90-days is due 26 October so that's fine;

(2) My Oz passport expires on 10 January 2027. Which means I will have over 1 year of passport to go when I renew my O/A in late October.

You are NOT renewing your Non O-A

You will be applying for 12 month extension of your current permission of stay stamp. 

An extension  grants a 12 month extension from current expiry date or if a pp is expiring prior to that then the extension is granted till pp expiry. 

You also require insurance for that period

  • Author
8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You are NOT renewing your Non O-A

You will be applying for 12 month extension of your current permission of stay stamp. 

An extension  grants a 12 month extension from current expiry date or if a pp is expiring prior to that then the extension is granted till pp expiry. 

You also require insurance for that period

All good. Thanks.

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

All good. Thanks.

Not directly related however for renewal of Oz pp while in Thailand.

I did that a year ago.

Unlike some countries AU pp renewal is a dream.

You can do it completely online + post to AU embassy in Bangkok.

You retain your current pp.

That is not required. 

The new pp is posted to address you provided..

In my case turn around was 20 days door to door. 

  • Author
43 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Not directly related however for renewal of Oz pp while in Thailand.

I did that a year ago.

Unlike some countries AU pp renewal is a dream.

You can do it completely online + post to AU embassy in Bangkok.

You retain your current pp.

That is not required. 

The new pp is posted to address you provided..

In my case turn around was 20 days door to door. 

Wow, that is good news. I couldn't remember exactly how it went last time except that I did it all at the embassy in BKK and paid extra (on top of the already astonishing fee) to get it done within (from memory) 1 week, and I picked it up at the Embassy. I'll certainly do it online & by post etc next time (Dec26). Cheers

16 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

I'll certainly do it online & by post etc next time (Dec26).

Won't outline in this thread as bit off topic. 

It's very easy process.. 

Just one piece of advice. Don't scrimp on the photos. 

Go to professional with guideline print out. 

The snaps can't be eg digitally altered etc

 

Australian Passports https://thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/Australian_Passports_Page.html

 

 

  • Author
36 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Won't outline in this thread as bit off topic. 

It's very easy process.. 

Just one piece of advice. Don't scrimp on the photos. 

Go to professional with guideline print out. 

The snaps can't be eg digitally altered etc

 

Australian Passports https://thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/Australian_Passports_Page.html

Thanks. Noted in detail & understood.

I am in a similar position.

 

My Oz passport expires mid January 2027; I renewed my OA visa in June, no problems.

 

However, late this December or early January 2026 I plan to apply for a new passport.  I know the renewal process usually takes 2-4 weeks, but ... there could be problems, delays, etc.  Better to plan to get a new passport 6 month before the OA visa expires (in your case around May 2026), just in case there are problems at the Oz Embassy.

 

Good luck.

  • Author
19 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

I am in a similar position.

 

My Oz passport expires mid January 2027; I renewed my OA visa in June, no problems.

 

However, late this December or early January 2026 I plan to apply for a new passport.  I know the renewal process usually takes 2-4 weeks, but ... there could be problems, delays, etc.  Better to plan to get a new passport 6 month before the OA visa expires (in your case around May 2026), just in case there are problems at the Oz Embassy.

 

Good luck.

Well, 12 months in advance for the new p/p does seem a bit of an overkill. Given the cost of an Oz p/p, you don't want to lose too much of it voluntarily ... 6 months in advance is already stretching it. Given that the process takes up to 4 weeks, I should think initiating it 2 months in advance should suffice. 

 

Motto: Be prepared but don't die in a ditch.

8 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Given the cost of an Oz p/p, you don't want to lose too much of it voluntarily ... 6 months in advance is already stretching it. Given that the process takes up to 4 weeks, I should think initiating it 2 months in advance should suffice

I'm in opposite school of thought. 

Oz pp like many have a validity of 10 years. Renew anytime in last 1-2 yr. 

Certainly not leaving to till last 2 months. 

Granted my recent (ish) Oz pp renewal process time from mail  to Bangkok and receive new pp via mail was 20 days. 

At the time my old pp had over one year validity. 

On 8/17/2025 at 8:30 PM, DrJack54 said:

Not directly related however for renewal of Oz pp while in Thailand.

I did that a year ago.

Unlike some countries AU pp renewal is a dream.

You can do it completely online + post to AU embassy in Bangkok.

You retain your current pp.

That is not required. 

The new pp is posted to address you provided..

In my case turn around was 20 days door to door. 

I'll go you one better Dr Jack. I renewed mine towards the end of last year and submitted it by mail to the Embassy in BKK. Received new passport 9 days after sending the renewal application. was quite surprised by the short turn around time. Such a shame Oz has the most expensive passports in the world. I believe they're now AUD $412.00 for 10 year passport. I also think it's ridiculous that after age 75 you can only get a 5 year passport.

43 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

Such a shame Oz has the most expensive passports in the world. I believe they're now AUD $412.00 for 10 year passport. I also think it's ridiculous that after age 75 you can only get a 5 year passport

Exactly. 

However I'm happy no need to go through the UK guys do for pp renewal. 

Tip for Oz folk. If have plan to visit Oz then renew there. 

No surcharge for renewal

That is not correct, I renewed Australian passport 7 Nov. 2024 for ten years then aged 76 years old. Did have option of 5 or 10 years.

On 8/18/2025 at 9:20 AM, mfd101 said:

Well, 12 months in advance for the new p/p does seem a bit of an overkill. Given the cost of an Oz p/p, you don't want to lose too much of it voluntarily ... 6 months in advance is already stretching it. Given that the process takes up to 4 weeks, I should think initiating it 2 months in advance should suffice. 

 

Motto: Be prepared but don't die in a ditch.

Up to you.

 

Horses for courses, as they say.

 

I am 70 years young, but in slowly declining health due to a number of (worsening) chronic conditions.  Over the past few years, on a few occasions I have had to spend extended time in hospitals.

 

So, I prefer to get things paid and renewed, as required, as soon as possible so I do not end up "in trouble" with the authorities.  If I had family here to help look after my affairs, then I would not have to worry.

 

Enjoy your day.

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