Police Verification for Retirement Visa

[afm171]

I'm applying for a retirement visa, coming from the USA, and am wondering what exactly are they looking for to fulfill the police verification requirement.

Is a report from my local police station adequate?

Or do they want an FBI report?

Both? Something else?

[johnatong]

You can obtain an O/A ("retirement" ) visa in the States.

Full detail in the link.

http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-o/

[afm171]

Well, that's not really an answer... but the answer was on the page at the link... so thanks

"Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record... must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only.

[TheAppletons]

I applied at the LA Consulate and they accepted a local city police report. I've done that twice now.

[ubonjoe]

A back ground check from the local police, country or state will be accepted. No need for the the FBI one.

[Gary A]

I too applied at the LA consulate. No problem with the police report. The city where I lived gave me the document, no wants or warrants. I didn't get the visa because of the required medical report. My doctor wouldn't sign it without doing all the tests. Those tests were expensive and my insurance wouldn't cover the tests without me having any symptoms.

They told me at the Thai consulate that I would have no problem getting the retirement visa in Thailand. They were correct and the tourist visa they gave me had enough time for the money in a Thai bank account to season.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Gary A

[hansunger]

You can obtain an O/A ("retirement" ) visa in the States.

Full detail in the link.

http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-o/

interesting, because i dont have to put the 800.000 baht in a thailand bank account,. anyway, is that possible everywhere, e.g. Vienna-thai embassy?

[ubonjoe]

You can obtain an O/A ("retirement" ) visa in the States.

Full detail in the link.

http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-o/

interesting, because i dont have to put the 800.000 baht in a thailand bank account,. anyway, is that possible everywhere, e.g. Vienna-thai embassy?

It is only possible to apply at a Thai embassy or official consulate in your home country or country of legal residence.

If you are Austrian you could apply for one there. See: http://www.thaiembassy.at/images/stories/embassy/pdf/2015%20non%20o-a%20ger.pdf

[sgtsabai]

A notorized report from your local sheriff or police chief should be fine. Mine was done by local sheriff. He rode Harley's with friends of mine, no problem, no charge.

[dotpoom]

Must be only for Americans. I did not have to anything like that, I'm European and it was about 15 years ago I first applied

[laislica]

Must be only for Americans. I did not have to anything like that, I'm European and it was about 15 years ago I first applied

I've had 2 Non Imm O 90 day visas in the last 4 years, had had extensions.

The first obtained in Thailand, Chiang Mai + 1 extension

The second from Thai Embassy Madrid plus 3 extensions

I am a British citizen but registered as resident in Spain.

At no time was I asked for a police clearance certificate.

Are Americans a dodgy lot LOL?

Seriously, why the difference?

[CMBob]

I'm from a dinky city in northern Michigan and the city police (or, if you're outside a metropolitan area, the sheriff's office) will provide what you're looking for. Just tell them you need a criminal clearance report (or some such phraseology) and they'll know what you need (some jobs in the US require such a thing). Although it may be issued by a city or county, they do check state and national criminal databases in issuing the report.

[SpokaneAl]

Must be only for Americans. I did not have to anything like that, I'm European and it was about 15 years ago I first applied

I've had 2 Non Imm O 90 day visas in the last 4 years, had had extensions.

The first obtained in Thailand, Chiang Mai + 1 extension

The second from Thai Embassy Madrid plus 3 extensions

I am a British citizen but registered as resident in Spain.

At no time was I asked for a police clearance certificate.

Are Americans a dodgy lot LOL?

Seriously, why the difference?

I believe that the discussion involves a non imm o-a multi entry visa which is a different animal than the non imm o. Edited March 26, 2016 by SpokaneAl

[SpokaneAl]

I'm from a dinky city in northern Michigan and the city police (or, if you're outside a metropolitan area, the sheriff's office) will provide what you're looking for. Just tell them you need a criminal clearance report (or some such phraseology) and they'll know what you need (some jobs in the US require such a thing). Although it may be issued by a city or county, they do check state and national criminal databases in issuing the report.

In WA state one can on online to the state patrol and request a report. It cost a small sum for a notarized version, but they are fast and efficient.

[laislica]

Must be only for Americans. I did not have to anything like that, I'm European and it was about 15 years ago I first applied

I've had 2 Non Imm O 90 day visas in the last 4 years, had had extensions.

The first obtained in Thailand, Chiang Mai + 1 extension

The second from Thai Embassy Madrid plus 3 extensions

I am a British citizen but registered as resident in Spain.

At no time was I asked for a police clearance certificate.

Are Americans a dodgy lot LOL?

Seriously, why the difference?

I believe that the discussion involves a non imm o-a multi entry visa which is a different a u al than the non imm o.

Got it but please tell me more.

Does the A have advantages over the O ?

[SpokaneAl]

Must be only for Americans. I did not have to anything like that, I'm European and it was about 15 years ago I first applied

I've had 2 Non Imm O 90 day visas in the last 4 years, had had extensions.

The first obtained in Thailand, Chiang Mai + 1 extension

The second from Thai Embassy Madrid plus 3 extensions

I am a British citizen but registered as resident in Spain.

At no time was I asked for a police clearance certificate.

Are Americans a dodgy lot LOL?

Seriously, why the difference?

I believe that the discussion involves a non imm o-a multi entry visa which is a different a u al than the non imm o.

Got it but please tell me more.

Does the A have advantages over the O ?

The non imm o-a multi entry visa is a 12 month visa obtained via a Thai consulate or embassy in one's home country and after obtaining it, after entering Thailand, if you decide to leave Thailand, each time you leave and re enter Thailand up to the use prior to date, you will get an additional year. This means that if you are prudent you can get almost two years from this one year visa without having to deal with immigration office run around etc other than the simple 90 day reporting requirements.

I have gotten several of them over the past few years and do not find them particularly difficult to obtain. As always your results may vary.

Edited March 26, 2016 by SpokaneAl

[lopburi3]

It is one year permitted to stay from date of entry on any entry made during the one year validity of O-A multi entry visa.

[SpokaneAl]

It is one year permitted to stay from date of entry on any entry made during the one year validity of O-A multi entry visa.

Well said.

Another point I neglected to make is that after that one year date has passed, you are on an extension of stay, and with the passing of the one year the visa and the multi entry ability dies as well. This means that if you did obtain the additional extension of stay and decide to depart Thailand, you will need to obtain a reentry permit.

Edited March 26, 2016 by SpokaneAl

[Mazungu]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

[Eclipse]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

Looks like you had a 12 Month Extension of stay. Not a retirement visa.

Police report and medical report are not required.

[Mazungu]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

Looks like you had a 12 Month Extension of stay. Not a retirement visa.

Police report and medical report are not required.

I'm pretty sure it's a "retirement visa." I just renewed it last month. I have two stamps in my passport from the renewal process. One says RETIREMENT and lists the date I applied and also gives the date that I'm allowed to stay till (one year form now), the other stamp is the multiple entry permit (which I applied for one day after receiving the retirement stamp) that is titled NON-IMM and gives the visa number that you use on the arrival form when entering the country.

You can call it what you want but it gives me the right to stay in Thailand for one year and then to apply for renewal after a year. Unless I am mistaken that is probably what most people consider a retirement visa.

[Eclipse]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

Looks like you had a 12 Month Extension of stay. Not a retirement visa.

Police report and medical report are not required.

I'm pretty sure it's a "retirement visa." I just renewed it last month. I have two stamps in my passport from the renewal process. One says RETIREMENT and lists the date I applied and also gives the date that I'm allowed to stay till (one year form now), the other stamp is the multiple entry permit (which I applied for one day after receiving the retirement stamp) that is titled NON-IMM and gives the visa number that you use on the arrival form when entering the country.

You can call it what you want but it gives me the right to stay in Thailand for one year and then to apply for renewal after a year. Unless I am mistaken that is probably what most people consider a retirement visa.

You have a 12 Month Extension based on Retirement.

2 different things with different requirements and different entitlements.

[SpokaneAl]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

Looks like you had a 12 Month Extension of stay. Not a retirement visa.

Police report and medical report are not required.

I'm pretty sure it's a "retirement visa." I just renewed it last month. I have two stamps in my passport from the renewal process. One says RETIREMENT and lists the date I applied and also gives the date that I'm allowed to stay till (one year form now), the other stamp is the multiple entry permit (which I applied for one day after receiving the retirement stamp) that is titled NON-IMM and gives the visa number that you use on the arrival form when entering the country.

You can call it what you want but it gives me the right to stay in Thailand for one year and then to apply for renewal after a year. Unless I am mistaken that is probably what most people consider a retirement visa.

Not to start an argument or be disrespectful, but you have hit on one of the challenges of offering and receiving advice here. One person may be asking a question about a non imm o visa, another about a non imm o-a multi entry visa, and another about an extension of stay based on retirement.

Each person is often convinced that everyone knows exactly what they are talking about when they call the subject of their particular question a retirement visa.

So we often read through several back and forth postings to figure out what is being discussed before the people much wiser than I can offer solid advice.

Much like medical discussions or mechanical problems, precise terms matter.

Peace.

[johnatong]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

Looks like you had a 12 Month Extension of stay. Not a retirement visa.

Police report and medical report are not required.

I'm pretty sure it's a "retirement visa." I just renewed it last month. I have two stamps in my passport from the renewal process. One says RETIREMENT and lists the date I applied and also gives the date that I'm allowed to stay till (one year form now), the other stamp is the multiple entry permit (which I applied for one day after receiving the retirement stamp) that is titled NON-IMM and gives the visa number that you use on the arrival form when entering the country.

You can call it what you want but it gives me the right to stay in Thailand for one year and then to apply for renewal after a year. Unless I am mistaken that is probably what most people consider a retirement visa.

If you carefully read the stamp headed "Retirement" you will note it reads "Extension of stay permitted up to .........." ( or very similar words) The "Retirement" relates to the reason the extension of stay was given !

On the Re Entry permit (which would not be required if you had a valid visa ! ) the "Non Imm" " refers to the visa ( which has now expired) originally used to enter the country. There is no "visa" number just a Re-Entry Permit number.

In summery you have an extension of stay based on retirement and not a visa.

Edited March 26, 2016 by johnatong

[Mazungu]

I'm an American and got my retirement visa one year ago. I had previously visited Thailand on 59-day tourist visas. I applied for the non-o immigrant visa and then transferred that to a "retirement" visa and I was never asked for a police report. The main document they wanted to see was the "income verification" statement that I obtained from the US Embassy in Bangkok. Of course I also had the medical certificate and proof of Thai residency but they mainly just seemed interested in the income verification form. The whole process I did on my own and it wasn't that difficult. I live in Pattaya so it took two trips to Immigration in Bangkok and two trips to the Jomtien Immigration office but it wasn't too painful. I recommend you save the money (instead of paying someone to do it for you) and do it yourself. All you need to do is follow the steps and fill in some forms.

Looks like you had a 12 Month Extension of stay. Not a retirement visa.

Police report and medical report are not required.

I'm pretty sure it's a "retirement visa." I just renewed it last month. I have two stamps in my passport from the renewal process. One says RETIREMENT and lists the date I applied and also gives the date that I'm allowed to stay till (one year form now), the other stamp is the multiple entry permit (which I applied for one day after receiving the retirement stamp) that is titled NON-IMM and gives the visa number that you use on the arrival form when entering the country.

You can call it what you want but it gives me the right to stay in Thailand for one year and then to apply for renewal after a year. Unless I am mistaken that is probably what most people consider a retirement visa.

You have a 12 Month Extension based on Retirement.

2 different things with different requirements and different entitlements.

I'll acquiesce to you. I do hope the discussion was helpful for others.

[Mazungu]

This information may be useful but is not from the official Thai embassy.

http://www.thaiembassy.com/retire/retire.php

How to Obtain a Retirement Visa in Thailand:

STEP 1: OBTAIN A NON-IMMIGRANT VISA
Requirements:

• Passport (at least one year remaining before expiration)
• You must be holding nationality or permanent residence of the country of application
• Proof of Funds

STEP 2: OBTAIN A ONE-YEAR RETIREMENT VISA
Requirements:

• Must be 50 years old and above
• Passport (signed copies of each page)
• Non-Immigrant Visa
• Departure Card TM.6
• Proof of meeting Financial Requirements
• Thai Bank Book (original)
• Letter from your Thai Bank
• Three(3) 4×5 cm photos, with full face taken

STEP 3: OBTAINING A RE-ENTRY PERMIT

Most people misunderstand the different concepts of “Extension of Stay” and “Re-entry Permit”. Sometimes mistaken for each other, you must understand that these are two different things, both of which you would need during your stay.

The Extension of Stay is simply the controlling date. Everything else is dependent on this. Everything is invalidated when your Extension of Stay expires. On the other hand, the Re-entry Permit’s validity is subject to the validity of your Extension of Stay. However, leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit automatically invalidates your extension of stay.

STEP 4: REPORTING YOUR STAY EVERY 90 DAYS and VISA EXPIRATION

You are required to report to the Immigration Police every 90 days if you are on a long term extension of stay. Persons holding a multiple entry visa will simply depart Thailand and renew their extension of stay after each 90 day entry.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Mazungu

[johnatong]

This information the Thai Embassy website may be useful to the discussion:

http://www.thaiembassy.com/retire/retire.php

How to Obtain a Retirement Visa in Thailand:

STEP 1: OBTAIN A NON-IMMIGRANT VISA

Requirements:

• Passport (at least one year remaining before expiration)
• You must be holding nationality or permanent residence of the country of application
• Proof of Funds

STEP 2: OBTAIN A ONE-YEAR RETIREMENT VISA

Requirements:

• Must be 50 years old and above
• Passport (signed copies of each page)
• Non-Immigrant Visa
• Departure Card TM.6
• Proof of meeting Financial Requirements
• Thai Bank Book (original)
• Letter from your Thai Bank
• Three(3) 4×5 cm photos, with full face taken

STEP 3: OBTAINING A RE-ENTRY PERMIT

Most people misunderstand the different concepts of “Extension of Stay” and “Re-entry Permit”. Sometimes mistaken for each other, you must understand that these are two different things, both of which you would need during your stay.

The Extension of Stay is simply the controlling date. Everything else is dependent on this. Everything is invalidated when your Extension of Stay expires. On the other hand, the Re-entry Permit’s validity is subject to the validity of your Extension of Stay. However, leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit automatically invalidates your extension of stay.

STEP 4: REPORTING YOUR STAY EVERY 90 DAYS and VISA EXPIRATION

You are required to report to the Immigration Police every 90 days if you are on a long term extension of stay. Persons holding a multiple entry visa will simply depart Thailand and renew their extension of stay after each 90 day entry.

That is an unofficial Commercial website which is notorious for the inaccurate and misleading information/ "advice" which it provides.

[Eclipse]

Yep. Totally wrong info.

[Mazungu]

I can see why there's so much confusion and discussion on the subject. Glad I don't have to apply again for another year.

[JLCrab]

I obtained the following from FDLE Florida

BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, THE CUSTOMER DETERMINED THAT NONE
OF THE SEARCH RESULTS APPEAR TO BE THE INDIVIDUAL SOUGHT BY THE INQUIRY;
THEREFORE NO RELEVANT CRIMINAL RECORDS WERE SELECTED.

... and I didn't have to be drinking buddies with the sheriff to get it.