Process of a Bachelor’s Degree Student's Visa Extension in Thailand

Is your Thai student visa about to expire? Want to learn how to extend it? We’ve already gone through the process, and we’ll guide you through it in this blog post.

This describes the process for extending a Bachelor's degree program education visa. According to our university, regular programs that require weekday attendance will receive a one-year visa with each extension. For the part-time weekend program, which involves attendance only on Saturdays and Sundays, you will receive a six-month visa extension each time you extend.

However, that doesn't mean you'll automatically get a 1-year or 6-month visa. For example, if you're currently holding a different type of visa and then apply for an ED visa, you'll need to change your visa type. The initial visa will then be valid for only 90 days. Depending on your current visa, you can switch it without leaving Thailand, or you might have to exit the country and apply for your ED visa from another country. You can re-enter Thailand only after your application is approved.

For example, if you’re on a tourist visa, you can apply for an ED visa without leaving Thailand. However, if you’re on a DTV visa or a work visa, you'll need to leave Thailand and apply for your ED visa from another country.

Another point is that if your university is open and you're beginning to attend classes, you are eligible for a 6-month or 1-year visa. However, if you get the visa before your program's start date, you'll only receive a 90-day visa. The number of times you can get the visa before your program starts depends on your university. Let’s review the visa durations you can receive with examples.

You are on a tourist visa and have applied for an education visa that is about to start teaching. You will initially receive a 3-month visa for changing your visa type. After that, you'll get a 6-month visa if you're taking a weekend program, or a 1-year visa if you're enrolled in a weekday program. Whether you can obtain a multiple visa extension before your program's start date depends on your university and the immigration office. If they approve your application, you'll be granted a 90-day visa for each extension.

You are currently on a visa other than a tourist visa, and your program has started. You need to properly cancel your current visa, leave Thailand, apply for the ED visa from another country, and re-enter Thailand after approval. This process takes at least 5 working days, so you might need to travel to a different country for about a week. Once your visa is approved, you can re-enter Thailand, and the border immigration will stamp a 90-day visa.

For your next extension, you will receive another 90-day extension, even if your program has already started teaching. This is because the border immigration issues the initial 90-day visa. Since the subsequent extension is processed at a different immigration office—specifically the one in the province where your university is located—you will initially receive only a 3-month visa for the first registration of your visa at that new immigration office.

Starting from the second extension, you get a 6-month visa for a weekend program or a 1-year visa for a weekday program. Initially, you receive a 90-day visa. If the program hasn’t started yet, you get another 90-day visa. Once the program begins, further extensions grant either a 6-month or 1-year visa, depending on the program type. If the program hasn’t started yet, you continue to receive 90-day visas.

Required documents

1. Documents provided by your university (most important) include proof of your student status, such as your student ID, class timetables, semester duration, acknowledgment of penalties for visa overstay, and acknowledgment of criteria and conditions for a temporary stay permit in the Kingdom of Thailand.
2. TM.7 Form (Application for Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom)
3. Thai e-visa application form
4. Passport bio-data page and every visa stamp page
5. Copy of your most recent semester fee receipt.
6. Copy of your TM.30
7. Your exam results if you've already finished a semester

Procedures

1. Gather the necessary documents from your university.
2. Fill out your TM.7 form, along with the acknowledgment of penalties for visa overstay, and the acknowledgment of credit and conditions for a temporary stay permit in the Kingdom of Thailand.
3. Get a queue number at the immigration counter and wait for your turn.
4. When your queue number is called, go to the counter and show your passport and documents.
5. Be courteous and respond to the immigration officer's questions.
6. When your visa extension is approved, you will receive a new visa stamp in your passport. Check the expiration date and the next due date for the following visa extension. Verify if the dates are correct. If your visa extension duration is longer than 90 days (for example, a 6-month or 1-year visa), you will also get a sheet of paper indicating that you must submit a residency report every 90 days. Most people call this the “90-day report.” It is the process where Thai immigration checks your latest residence address every 90 days. We have a more detailed article explaining the 90-day reporting in Thailand. If you’ve come this far, your visa extension process is now complete. Next, we will share how to ensure your visa extension process goes smoothly.

Tips for a smooth visa extension process

1. Bring every document related to living in Thailand, since you never know what additional documents immigration officers might request. Make sure to organize your Thailand-related documents into a file. And always remember to bring your passport.
2. Arrive at the immigration office as early as possible. Check the opening hours, and it's best to get there early to secure a lower queue number and shorter wait time. If everything goes smoothly, you can have peace of mind. You'll also have plenty of time if you forget or need extra documents, giving you more time to gather them. (In my case, I arrive around 10 am, get a queue number over 400, and wait until 8:30 pm.) The number of visa extension applicants is high, so expect a long wait. Although 10 counters are processing applications simultaneously, it still takes a long time to complete.
3. There are many immigration offices, and depending on the province where your university is located, you will need to visit the specific immigration office. For example, if you attend a university in Bangkok province, you will need to go to the immigration office at the government complex. If your university is in Samut Prakan province, you should go to the Samut Prakan immigration office. If you attend a university in Nonthaburi province, you will go to the Nonthaburi immigration office, and so on.
4. There are scan, print, and copy services near the immigration offices. Sometimes you might not find these services, but most of the time they are available. To be prepared, it's best to gather all your documents before visiting the immigration office.
5. Bring a pen. The most common activity at an immigration office is filling out forms and signing your initials. So remember to bring your own pen to be well-prepared.
6. Check your commute time in advance to ensure you arrive at the scheduled time. Keep in mind the traffic conditions, especially since early morning is peak office commute time. Train travel tends to be more predictable than taxi or bus times. Include waiting time for the train as well as walking time from your home to the train station and from the train station to the immigration office.

These are the processes and tips for extending your education visa. Do you find the article helpful? Do you have any questions? Please share in the comments section.