Retirement Visa From Ireland Problem

[Chizod]

Can someone tell me how I can get a retirement visa from Ireland without traveling to England?

The Thai consulate in Ireland informed me that they do not issue retirement visas, that I would have to apply in England.

Looking at the Thai embassy website in London it looks like it's walk-ins only.

The visa application on their website states that, for applications by mail, the consulates should be used.

I emailed the Thai embassy and asked if I could apply to one of the consulates in England, as I could not apply in Ireland. They replied with a one word email "No".

I am resident in Ireland, have dual nationality (US and Ireland). I would like to use my US passport as it might be of greater value in Thailand.

How do I get around this problem? I do not want to have to travel to London. Although I do have relatives in England, my bank account and all bills/identification are in Ireland.

I could go to Thailand and apply from there but I would prefer to complete the process here and keep the THB 800,000 in a bank here until required for extension of the visa later on.

[MJCM]

You could try and email/phone the Hull Consulate as they are normally very lenient

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/

Edited February 14, 2013 by MJCM

[lopburi3]

Hull can not issue long stay O-A visas.

Can you meet the 65k income alternative or use to reduce the bank money? Very easy to do here in Thailand if you meet the financials. Not so easy to obtain O-A if not resident in the country of Consulate.

[Chizod]

I sent an email to Hull a week ago, explaining my situation. This was before I emailed the Embassy. i had read that getting visas was easier through Hull. They never answered. Back in 2011 when I was thinking of moving there but getting a Non-imm O visa i emailed Hull. They didn't answer that email either. Is this normal for them?

Lopburi, I am not yet eligible for a pension. Over 50, yes. I have the money in the bank. That part is not a problem. I'd rather keep it here for as long as possible.

[Chizod]

If Hull cannot issue O-A visas, does that apply to all the consulates in the UK? It would seem crazy that in order for anyone in the UK or Ireland to apply for a retirement visa they would have to travel to London. I read the embassy in London's visa notes again. Walk-in's only, they will not even accept a courier delivery.,

surely this cannot be correct/

[lopburi3]

Honorary Consulates can not issue - so for UK that means London is where it is available.

[partington]

Not directly helpful I know, but when considering which passport to use for whatever application you finally make, it is worth bearing in mind that the US government is currently enacting legislation to compel all foreign banks to report to the IRS details of any accounts opened by US citizens. It has been suggested that this could result in some banks reducing or eliminating the services they are willing to provide to US citizens, to avoid the expense and inconvenience of fulfilling these requirements.

Not by any means certain that Thai banks will react like this, but you will eliminate even the possibility of being affected by using the Irish passport for your visa.

[rgs2001uk]

I sent an email to Hull a week ago, explaining my situation. This was before I emailed the Embassy. i had read that getting visas was easier through Hull. They never answered. Back in 2011 when I was thinking of moving there but getting a Non-imm O visa i emailed Hull. They didn't answer that email either. Is this normal for them?

Lopburi, I am not yet eligible for a pension. Over 50, yes. I have the money in the bank. That part is not a problem. I'd rather keep it here for as long as possible.

I am not being funny, why would you rather keep the money there, better rates can be had here.

Ask for a 3 month Non Immi O, then when over here convert to a retirement.

[Chizod]

RGS, Sorry, that should have read "here" not there!

Why a 3-month non-imm O? Why not a 1-year and convert to retirement a year later? Easier to get a 3 month?

Since getting a retirement visa on this side of the world seems to be blocked, anyone know how difficult it is to get a non-imm O from Dublin?

[rgs2001uk]

RGS, Sorry, that should have read "here" not there!

Why a 3-month non-imm O? Why not a 1-year and convert to retirement a year later? Easier to get a 3 month?

Since getting a retirement visa on this side of the world seems to be blocked, anyone know how difficult it is to get a non-imm O from Dublin?

Ok matey, some of our experts will pick up on this and reply.

From my own point of view, why pay the extra momey for a 1 year visa, with all the strings attached to it, plus the BS of doing 90 day visa runs?

Sorry, reporting from Bkk not the Emarald Isle, it would seem to me, easier to get a 3 month Non Immi O in Dublin, then come to Thailand, one month before it expires, go to CW in Bkk and extend on the basis of retirement.

Where is your money, Thailand or Ireland?

[Chizod]

RGS, Sorry, that should have read "here" not there!

Why a 3-month non-imm O? Why not a 1-year and convert to retirement a year later? Easier to get a 3 month?

Since getting a retirement visa on this side of the world seems to be blocked, anyone know how difficult it is to get a non-imm O from Dublin?

Ok matey, some of our experts will pick up on this and reply.

From my own point of view, why pay the extra momey for a 1 year visa, with all the strings attached to it, plus the BS of doing 90 day visa runs?

Sorry, reporting from Bkk not the Emarald Isle, it would seem to me, easier to get a 3 month Non Immi O in Dublin, then come to Thailand, one month before it expires, go to CW in Bkk and extend on the basis of retirement.

Where is your money, Thailand or Ireland?

In Ireland.

Well, the original logic was to get a retirement visa, avoid 90 day runs, keep the money in Ireland, leave before the year was up and return before the visa expired, get another year stamped. Essentially, 2 years without tying up any money in a Thai bank for several months every year. Then, on year 3 move the money to Thailand if I wanted to continue living there. As far as I was able to find out on this forum, the retirement visa was the only one that didn't require you to leave the country every 90 days.

[Chizod]

Anyone got feedback on possible difficulties getting a non-imm O visa (3 or 12 month) from Dublin?

[danpat]

I am an Irish citizen living in Thailand on year extention re retirement.

First i got multi entry o visa from Hull in the UK.Just complete the form and send it off with your passport.i think you now need to show bank statements as proof of income,certain amount per month.

On the question of using your Irish or US passport,i would strongly advise using Irish passport.irish consulate here in Bangkok is simple and easy,and never a queue.They get to know you and are very helpful,it is just a small office.On the other hand the US and British embassy are a nightmare re security,handing in mobiles etc,and swamped with applicants.

If you need letter for immigration each year,also re driving licence ,bank account etc,then it could mean a lot of waiting at embassy.

My US and British friends are envious of ease and speed of Irish consulate.However they are just in Bangkok,whereas the US are also in Chang Mai.British used to have consulate in Pattaya,but i think it has been closed.

[kevvy]

RGS, Sorry, that should have read "here" not there!

Why a 3-month non-imm O? Why not a 1-year and convert to retirement a year later? Easier to get a 3 month?

Since getting a retirement visa on this side of the world seems to be blocked, anyone know how difficult it is to get a non-imm O from Dublin?

RGS is right ..get a 3 month "O" visa and then apply for a retirement visa , but you need to have 800,000baht in a thai bank for at least 2 months .you can open a bank account with a o visa at some banks . I went to BANK OF KRUNGSRI AUTTHA (YELLOW BANK) HOPE THIS HELPS YOU .GOOD LUCK

[OJAS]

Not directly helpful I know, but when considering which passport to use for whatever application you finally make, it is worth bearing in mind that the US government is currently enacting legislation to compel all foreign banks to report to the IRS details of any accounts opened by US citizens. It has been suggested that this could result in some banks reducing or eliminating the services they are willing to provide to US citizens, to avoid the expense and inconvenience of fulfilling these requirements.

Not by any means certain that Thai banks will react like this, but you will eliminate even the possibility of being affected by using the Irish passport for your visa.

Is this really likely to prove problematical in practice? Presumably the IRS are primarily interested in accounts held by US citizens in Switzerland, Cayman Islands and other tax havens. For retirement income derived in the USA, the IRS could presumably obtain all the info they need for taxation purposes from your pension provider. Why would they need to bother with your Thai account, even where your pension is directly paid into it? After all the amount would, in practice, be depressed by banking charges which, in turn, could create an inaccurately low impression of your tax liability.

And US citizens working in Thailand would presumably pay tax here - in which the IRS would, I take it, have little interest in view of the double taxation treaty which, I assume, exists between Thailand and the USA.

In any event, is there any cast-iron guarantee that the Irish government won't follow suit with similar legislation for their citizens in due course?

Edited February 17, 2013 by OJAS

[elsmido]

The Irish consulate in Phuket are also excellent. Very helpful and efficient.

[pcruzer]

you can contact a visa agency in thailand and get a retiremant visa with your 30day permission to stay & a fee.

[NancyL]

Not directly helpful I know, but when considering which passport to use for whatever application you finally make, it is worth bearing in mind that the US government is currently enacting legislation to compel all foreign banks to report to the IRS details of any accounts opened by US citizens. It has been suggested that this could result in some banks reducing or eliminating the services they are willing to provide to US citizens, to avoid the expense and inconvenience of fulfilling these requirements.

Not by any means certain that Thai banks will react like this, but you will eliminate even the possibility of being affected by using the Irish passport for your visa.

Is this really likely to prove problematical in practice? Presumably the IRS are primarily interested in accounts held by US citizens in Switzerland, Cayman Islands and other tax havens. For retirement income derived in the USA, the IRS could presumably obtain all the info they need for taxation purposes from your pension provider. Why would they need to bother with your Thai account, even where your pension is directly paid into it? After all the amount would, in practice, be depressed by banking charges which, in turn, could create an inaccurately low impression of your tax liability.

And US citizens working in Thailand would presumably pay tax here - in which the IRS would, I take it, have little interest in view of the double taxation treaty which, I assume, exists between Thailand and the USA.

In any event, is there any cast-iron guarantee that the Irish government won't follow suit with similar legislation for their citizens in due course?

The issue isn't with taxing foreign bank accounts held by Americans, but rather in reporting their existence. Americans with overseas accounts totaling more than $10,000 (in aggregate) at any point during a year have had to file the FBAR report for years. No taxes due, just letting Uncle Sam know you've got some money stashed abroad. So, every American with an 800,000 baht bank account here should have been reporting the existence of this account (and all other foreign accounts, even small ones and even ones with joint ownership).

The problem is that the rules will soon change (I think in 2014) where the U.S. government will expect foreign banks to tell them about all accounts owned by Americans. (I can't imagine the U.S. banks being very co-operative if some foreign government asked them to do this!) So, it's possible that some foreign banks could refuse to accept accounts from Americans, in order to avoid this reporting requirement.

In reality, I expect that Bangkok Bank will continue to accept American accounts. Right now they are the only Thai bank approved for direct deposit of U.S. Social Security checks. Also, they have a commercial branch bank in NYC.

[lopburi3]

you can contact a visa agency in thailand and get a retiremant visa with your 30day permission to stay & a fee.

You do not need any visa agency to convert (2,000 baht fee) and then extend (1,900 baht fee) for retirement. Anyone can do this with proof of financials.

[partington]

Not directly helpful I know, but when considering which passport to use for whatever application you finally make, it is worth bearing in mind that the US government is currently enacting legislation to compel all foreign banks to report to the IRS details of any accounts opened by US citizens. It has been suggested that this could result in some banks reducing or eliminating the services they are willing to provide to US citizens, to avoid the expense and inconvenience of fulfilling these requirements.

Not by any means certain that Thai banks will react like this, but you will eliminate even the possibility of being affected by using the Irish passport for your visa.

Is this really likely to prove problematical in practice? Presumably the IRS are primarily interested in accounts held by US citizens in Switzerland, Cayman Islands and other tax havens. For retirement income derived in the USA, the IRS could presumably obtain all the info they need for taxation purposes from your pension provider. Why would they need to bother with your Thai account, even where your pension is directly paid into it? After all the amount would, in practice, be depressed by banking charges which, in turn, could create an inaccurately low impression of your tax liability.

And US citizens working in Thailand would presumably pay tax here - in which the IRS would, I take it, have little interest in view of the double taxation treaty which, I assume, exists between Thailand and the USA.

In any event, is there any cast-iron guarantee that the Irish government won't follow suit with similar legislation for their citizens in due course?

The issue isn't with taxing foreign bank accounts held by Americans, but rather in reporting their existence. Americans with overseas accounts totaling more than $10,000 (in aggregate) at any point during a year have had to file the FBAR report for years. No taxes due, just letting Uncle Sam know you've got some money stashed abroad. So, every American with an 800,000 baht bank account here should have been reporting the existence of this account (and all other foreign accounts, even small ones and even ones with joint ownership).

The problem is that the rules will soon change (I think in 2014) where the U.S. government will expect foreign banks to tell them about all accounts owned by Americans. (I can't imagine the U.S. banks being very co-operative if some foreign government asked them to do this!) So, it's possible that some foreign banks could refuse to accept accounts from Americans, in order to avoid this reporting requirement.

In reality, I expect that Bangkok Bank will continue to accept American accounts. Right now they are the only Thai bank approved for direct deposit of U.S. Social Security checks. Also, they have a commercial branch bank in NYC.

Yes, good point about Bangkok bank, they are very unlikely to eliminate dealing with US accounts if they have this current arrangement with US Social Security.

The reason Ireland is unlikely to make such a demand on foreign banks in the future is the same reason that the US does make demands like this. The US is the only country that taxes its citizens on money they earn while non-resident in the US, and which they do not bring into the US. So they need to know about these earnings.

All other countries have no taxation interest in money their citizens earn outside those countries when not resident there.

Edited February 17, 2013 by partington

[masuk]

RGS, Sorry, that should have read "here" not there!

Why a 3-month non-imm O? Why not a 1-year and convert to retirement a year later? Easier to get a 3 month?

Since getting a retirement visa on this side of the world seems to be blocked, anyone know how difficult it is to get a non-imm O from Dublin?

Ok matey, some of our experts will pick up on this and reply.

From my own point of view, why pay the extra momey for a 1 year visa, with all the strings attached to it, plus the BS of doing 90 day visa runs?

Sorry, reporting from Bkk not the Emarald Isle, it would seem to me, easier to get a 3 month Non Immi O in Dublin, then come to Thailand, one month before it expires, go to CW in Bkk and extend on the basis of retirement.

Where is your money, Thailand or Ireland?

In Ireland.

Well, the original logic was to get a retirement visa, avoid 90 day runs, keep the money in Ireland, leave before the year was up and return before the visa expired, get another year stamped. Essentially, 2 years without tying up any money in a Thai bank for several months every year. Then, on year 3 move the money to Thailand if I wanted to continue living there. As far as I was able to find out on this forum, the retirement visa was the only one that didn't require you to leave the country every 90 days.

All things considered, I'd rather do a 90day visa run up to Burma, than spend a day in Chiang Mai Immigration office.