Emergency Medical Visa & Medical Extension Thailand

No. Immigration mainly considers the caregiver named on the hospital's medical certificate. However, if the caregiver is a direct relative (such as a husband, wife or child), attaching documents proving the relationship makes the case more credible and easier to approve.

Yes. The caregiver receives exactly the same permitted stay as the patient. If the patient is granted a 30-day or 90-day extension, the caregiver receives the same.

No. The caregiver's entitlement is entirely tied to the patient. If the patient's treatment ends, or the patient leaves the country or passes away, the caregiver's visa ends on the same day.

Absolutely not. This visa is issued solely for the purpose of caring for an emergency patient. No occupation or work of any kind is permitted in Thailand.

Yes, but it is complicated. The hospital must issue a new medical certificate naming the new caregiver and explaining why the change is necessary. The document file must then be submitted to immigration again to request the change.

This is where ETHAIVISA can help. If the patient cannot appear in person, our senior consultants coordinate with the hospital to prepare explanatory documents, and our Liaison Officer handles the emergency visa endorsement all the way to the patient's bedside, in full compliance with the law.

If the patient is admitted to hospital, the hospital will file the TM.30 notification automatically. However, if the patient is discharged to recover at a condo or hotel, the owner of that accommodation must immediately file a new TM.30, which will be needed for the visa extension.

We recommend applying at least 7-14 days before your current visa expires, or as soon as the doctor determines that you need continued treatment beyond your current visa validity.

The fee for an extension of stay application (TM.7) is 1,900 THB per person (1,900 THB for the patient and 1,900 THB for the caregiver, filed separately).

No. Properly registered private hospitals in Thailand can also issue medical certificates for Medical Visa applications as normal.

You must obtain a Re-Entry Permit (TM.8) every time before flying out of the country; otherwise your medical visa will be void immediately. However, travelling abroad may lead immigration to conclude that your illness is not serious enough to prevent travel, which could affect your next Medical Visa application.

Emergency humanitarian medical visas are exempt from the locked deposit requirement of 400,000 or 800,000 THB that applies to Marriage or Retirement Visas. However, you must show hospital cost estimates or receipts to prove that you are able to pay for treatment.

There is no legal requirement. Because these are emergency illness cases within Thailand, immigration does not require long-stay health insurance as it does for the Non-OA visa.

Indian nationals can now extend as normal under the same conditions as other nationalities.

Yes. If you are planning treatment in Thailand in advance (such as cosmetic or major surgery), you can apply for a Non-MT visa through the e-Visa system from abroad. For sudden illness while in Thailand, the TM.7 form under the Non-O category is used instead.

No. However long a period the doctor specifies, immigration regulations allow extensions of no more than 90 days at a time. If your condition has not improved after 90 days, you must obtain a new medical certificate and apply for another extension.

Legally, this counts as an overstay, with a fine of 500 THB per day. However, if a genuine critical situation prevented you from applying in time (for example, being in the ICU), the hospital must issue a letter certifying force majeure, which can be used to request a waiver or reduction of the fine from the head of the immigration checkpoint.

If officers find that the illness is only minor and has been exaggerated, or that the foreigner has used a fake medical certificate to buy more time in Thailand (a so-called ghost visa), immigration will refuse the application and order the person to leave the Kingdom immediately.

The hospital will issue a death certificate. The relatives or caregiver must then take the documents to immigration to properly cancel the visa, and coordinate with the embassy on arrangements for the deceased.

In a medical emergency, families are often under great stress and have no time to work through detailed immigration rules. ETHAIVISA's senior consultants take the whole burden off your shoulders, from sorting out the medical forms and checking the TM.30 system to coordinating with the hospital and handling the process with immigration quickly and safely, so that you can focus fully on the care of your loved one.