Enough Time Left On My Current Passport To Renew Retirement Visa?

[Krataiboy]

I am due to extend my retirement visa in April this year. My British passport runs out in May NEXT YEAR. Have I enough time on my passport to qualify for the renewal?

I was under the impression that a year was the requirement but it has been suggested 18 months is now needed - which would mean me getting a new passport earlier than I had hoped.

Also, if I DO have to get a new passport, will Thai immigration need a confirmation letter from the British Embassy before transferring visas from my old to my new passport? And does anybody know the procedure and costs (i.e. can it be done by post or must one go to the Embassy?).

Any clarification much appreciated.

[lopburi3]

There is no such requirement. That 18 months is to obtain a one year visa from a Consulate. But you should get when down to six months as useless for most travel then and with UK passport they add the time to new passport validity. Have seen reports of using receipt for new passport in place of letter but also that some required and Embassy had provided on request - not sure if a visit was required.

[ubonjoe]

No problem with getting your extension done with the time you have left on passport.

Even with less than a year it can be done. They just make the extension to the date passport expires and you then make a trip back with new passport to get the remainder of the extension stamped in new passport.

The 18 months is only for multiple entry non immigrant visas.

Info on new passport here: http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/

You have to send application to Hong Kong now.

Edited January 9, 2013 by ubonjoe

[TerryLH]

"Even with less than a year it can be done. They just make the extension to the date passport expires and you then make a trip back with new passport to get the remainder of the extension stamped in new passport."

I extended in late October with a passport expiring in April 2013.

They gave me an extension until Nov 2013.

[lopburi3]

In the expiring passport? Was a mistake if they did as it should only be until expiration of passport and when you return for transfer of stamps you get the remaining time on the new stamp in the new passport.

[peter37]

Would like to join in this thread and try and seek out opinions on quite a pedantic but important issue to me on the theme. Is it considered/believed/opined or even known if the six month period is exactly six calendar months because I have a passport due for renewal on 12^th March 2014 and my extension of stay/ (O visa with retirement extension) expires on 10^th September? Yep 6 months and 2 days prior to my passport expiring! Would love to wait until next year to renew my passport.

[lopburi3]

The six months has nothing to do with extensions of stay - that is a requirement many countries impose for entry (Thailand is not one of them). For extensions you will get up to expiration date of passport and when you return with replacement the full time will be entered. But if your passport will be down to under seven months at extension time why not replace and then do the transfer/extension at the same time as your passport with less than six month validity would not allow most trips if you wanted to go anywhere but home.

[ubonjoe]

If from the UK you can get passport up to 9 months early and they will add those months onto the new passport.

My US passport runs out April 2014 but I plan on getting new passport before my extension ends in August because I can combine my 2nd trip to Bangkok with my normal trip for my income affidavit. Plus it will save me an extra trip to immigration.

Edited January 10, 2013 by ubonjoe

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I went through this process already. I got my retirement extension (Jomtien) with 10 months left on my Canadian passport last August. No problem.

However, I have since learned that with my passport dwindling down to six months validity, I cannot go anywhere outside Thailand other than home. And I also learned that when I input my passport expiry in an Air Asia booking, it wouldn't even let me book a trip to Chiang Mai from BKK! So I will never let my passport drop past a 8-9 months validity.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[lopburi3]

Actually some countries, like Thailand, will allow travel with less that six months. In the region believe Hong Kong is one of them. But always a good idea to never let get below six months.

[ubonjoe]

The UK and US governments recommend renewing passport 9 months early.

[peter37]

Thanks for all the input very good to know about the 9-month prior UK passport renewal concept. It is also very clear from the information provided on this thread that travel to countries other than the passport issuing country could be a problem when there is less than 6 months left on a passport (not an issue in my own case – or is it? Hope that some of the readers might be able to clarify this too – would airlines refuse to take me if I had a 4-month valid passport and I was flying in transit through a third country such as India or Saudi Arabia between Thailand and the UK that is?).

However to dot an “i” and cross a “t”: I am left confused as to what is the situation regarding period of time of validity of a passport when applying for an annual extension of a non-O visa on the basis of retirement then. According to lopburi3’s comments it looks like even 6 months is not necessarily required and I would even read into it that there is no period at all pertaining to this particular visa maneuver or is there?

[lopburi3]

The extension, as said, will be stamped up to expiration date of the passport and the remainder of the year will be stamped when new passport is presented. But this is not a visa - this is an extension of the stay that you already obtained.

[ubonjoe]

For those from the UK I would always suggest that they renew their passport 9 months early since you loose nothing.because they just add the 9 months (the maximum) onto the new passport.

For others if you were to divide out the cost of the passport to a monthly cost it does not come out to lot of money to renew a passport early (at least 6 months).

[peter37]

Thanks for that clarification Lopburi3. It is extremely clear in this and other threads that the action each year in this circumstance is ALWAYS an extension of permission to stay. Would I be right then in saying that the extension to stay request is on the basis of having a non-O visa which was originally extended on the basis of retirement?

Or should the wording follow along some other line?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've never renewed a U.S. passport outside the U.S. before, so perhaps someone can address this question.

My passport is due to expire late this year (2013) a couple months after my next fall date to request another retirement extension in BKK. So it sounds like I ought to be applying for a new U.S. passport 6-9 months ahead, which basically would be in the next couple months.

When you go to apply for the new U.S. passport 6-9 months prior to its expiration, what happens to your existing passport (with your existing Thai extension stamp) during the processing period? Do you get to keep your existing U.S. passport until you go to pick up the new one? Or the U.S. consulate takes the old one at the time you apply for the new one?

I guess ideally, I'd want to time things to make sure I get my new passport BEFORE my upcoming extension renewal in the fall, so I can have the new passport inhand the next time I need to go to Immigration. And I guess more specifically, if I were to get the new passport a month or so ahead of my extension renewal deadline, I probably could combine applying for the new extension along with Immigration doing whatever they need to in terms of transferring any prior entries.

Is there any particular time approach I ought to be pursuing here? Thanks....

[lopburi3]

Go the Embassy web site and it is all explained and you fill out form on-line (mail form but Embassy does the service and no special fee for fast service required). You make appointment and present form (and photo)/pay and your old passport is checked (and if no court action pending returned to you). You pick up new passport in about 10 days and the old passport is canceled and returned (old visas if valid are still usable in old passport). You then visit immigration for transfer of information to new passport if on a one year extension of stay.

I would do at least six months in advance in case there was any need for travel you would have a valid passport for most countries entry requirements but if not a concern you can plan new passport about 40 days prior to expiration of current extension and should be safe as turn around time is normally not more than what they say on web site.

[lopburi3]

Thanks for that clarification Lopburi3. It is extremely clear in this and other threads that the action each year in this circumstance is ALWAYS an extension of permission to stay. Would I be right then in saying that the extension to stay request is on the basis of having a non-O visa which was originally extended on the basis of retirement?

Or should the wording follow along some other line?

If you are asking about what to put on the TM-7 just "retirement" is all that is required. Period of time 365 days.

[ubonjoe]

I've never renewed a U.S. passport outside the U.S. before, so perhaps someone can address this question.

Link for passport webpage: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/passports.html

They will return your old passport to you after making a copy they transmit electronically to the US with the application.

You will get a 48 page passport (standard for overseas applications).

[peter37]

Re: lopburi3 post 09:36 Today

No I wasn’t asking about the TM-7, but that information will of course be useful when I get there. I was merely wanting to know what the precise definition is so that I can avoid joining in the usual semantic mistakes such as referring to a “retirement visa” which I understand does not actually exist even though “in spirit” many refer to such a thing.

Edited January 16, 2013 by peter37