A Medical Certificate For Retirement Visa

[Jingthing]

Thanks guys for your info.

Indeed my question was about converting a tourist visa into Retirement, here in Chiang Mai.

As I understand from your posts no medical certificate is needed.

I plan to apply in 2-3 weeks. Will keep you posted.

Yossi

You will be doing a "two-step" process.

Step 1 is change of visa status from tourist to O visa.

Step 2 is application for annual extension based on retirement.

These are often done the same day if prepared and qualified.

You will not be receiving a retirement visa, technically speaking, but the REASON you are qualified for the change of visa status to O is your qualification for the annual extension based on retirement.

Again, no medical form needed.

[javel]

Thanks guys for your info.

Indeed my question was about converting a tourist visa into Retirement, here in Chiang Mai.

As I understand from your posts no medical certificate is needed.

I plan to apply in 2-3 weeks. Will keep you posted.

Yossi

You will be doing a "two-step" process.

Step 1 is change of visa status from tourist to O visa.

Step 2 is application for annual extension based on retirement.

These are often done the same day if prepared and qualified.

You will not be receiving a retirement visa, technically speaking, but the REASON you are qualified for the change of visa status to O is your qualification for the annual extension based on retirement.

Again, no medical form needed.

Is the same process possible if I don't have a tourist visa in "Step 1", but just a 30 days visa exempt?

[NancyL]

Thanks guys for your info.

Indeed my question was about converting a tourist visa into Retirement, here in Chiang Mai.

As I understand from your posts no medical certificate is needed.

I plan to apply in 2-3 weeks. Will keep you posted.

Yossi

You will be doing a "two-step" process.

Step 1 is change of visa status from tourist to O visa.

Step 2 is application for annual extension based on retirement.

These are often done the same day if prepared and qualified.

You will not be receiving a retirement visa, technically speaking, but the REASON you are qualified for the change of visa status to O is your qualification for the annual extension based on retirement.

Again, no medical form needed.

Is the same process possible if I don't have a tourist visa in "Step 1", but just a 30 days visa exempt?

Yes, at least in Chiang Mai. Other offices may tell you to go to Bangkok to do that process, but it is very commonly done here in Chiang Mai. Usually, in Chiang Mai, they'll "convert" the visa exempt status to a 90 day O visa with the initial visit to Immigration and tell you to come back during the final 30 days of that O visa and bring fresh evidence of financial worth -- i.e. a recent income letter from your Consulate/Embassy and/or a bank letter and updated passbook.

[lopburi3]

As said it is a conversion to non immigrant entry of 90 days in the process of one year extension for retirement. The first step will be the 90 day entry. You need at least 10 days or more remaining on current stay to allow this process I believe (officially it was 21 days but when border entry changed to 15 days visa exempt they loosened it up). In all current reports I have seen you can not do this in one visit anymore but will have to return again 60 days later for the actual extension of stay and financial proof will again be required so if using Embassy letter you might want to get two of them.

[Jingthing]

Thanks for that clarification Lopburi3. It is really hard to know at any given time exactly how many days are required at any given immigration office on your current permission to stay in order to be able to do the change of visa status from 30 day stamp or tourist visa to non-immigrant O visa. So people wanting to do this need to be aware of that important detail and be sure to make sure they are going in early enough.

I wasn't aware that it was uncommon now to be able to do both steps (change of visa status and extension) in the same day (except in the case of the need to wait for bank money to season). Previously there had been reports of that being done around Thailand in one day. I am sure the OP can benefit from knowing what's likely to happen now. Cheers.

[NancyL]

I have seen them give retirement extensions to people in Chiang Mai who are clearly "not well". Some so ill that a third party is doing their retirement extension or they have been brought to Immigration but are incapable of getting out of the car, so the Immigration officers come out to the parking lot to do the interview. I can't see how these people would possibly pass even the most basic requirement of getting a medical certificate, which is that you have to be able to get into the clinic yourself and ask for it.

It's understandable that they'd be willing to do this for someone who has been in country for a long time, but I've even seen them do this for someone going for his initial step in the two-step process of converting a visa exempt entry into an O visa.

[Jingthing]

Interesting local color there, but the reality is that there are NO medical requirements, and NO medical form required for annual extension of stay applications done IN Thailand. Not the first time. Not the last time, as yes older people tend to eventually get sick and die.

[uptheos]

Reports are that the Thai consulate/embassies overseas aren't going to accept a health certificate that was obtained in Thailand. They want one that was obtained in the country of application.

Well that speaks volumes.....a Thai Embassy not accepting Thai medical health certificates........they have learned something being abroad.

[IMA_FARANG]

Usually to extend an active non immigrant O visa....the one you recieved outside Thailand and are extending for a year in Thailand based on retirement in Thailand....you won't need a medical certificate for that entension.

However, there's ALWAYS this point....any Thai immigration office can always request further documentation before approving any extension...if they feel it is required.

Not saying they will request such, but that they can.

[Jingthing]

Don't go overboard.

There have been reports of one or a few provincial offices in the entirety of Thailand asking medical forms for routine retirement extensions as a matter of clearly incorrect local enforcement peculiarities.

Other than that, and yes you know I read the reports over the years, NO, asking for a medical report when it is not the quirky policy of a outlier provincial office, is NOT something people have been reporting.

While I agree immigration has the right to ask for extra anything for whatever reason, there is no logical reason to think there really is ANY chance you would be singled out for the specific item of health report in normal offices following the normal national policy of NO need for reports. I just don't like people to be concerned about a non-existent problem.

The TYPE of information that they are more likely to single out applicants for to request extra information over policy are to back up CLAIMS made in the application. Such as additional evidence of financial claims made. Additional evidence about a claimed legit marriage, etc. As there are NO health requirements at all that need to be claimed for annual extensions based on retirement, it is not logical that they would need to ask for more information about a requirement they don't even have.

Thais are a practical people. Older retired people are sometimes unhealthy. They are not expected to be FIT, but it would be nice!

[JimGant]

It was the Chiang Mai Immigration office that told him to go get it and come back again before he get he´s retirement Visa...

Was one leg four times bigger than the other?