Education Visa or Student Visa (Non-Immigrant ED Visa) is issued to foreign applicants who want to study, do internship, or take any other educational programme in Thailand.
It is important that you consider studying in a government accredited school or university in Thailand. The school must meet the standard and all the requirements, as they will be providing you with all the documents and a proof of your enrolment. This will require the students to attend classes for at least 2 hours per day, depending on the curriculum.
You may pursue your Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Education in Universities, International schools, and Colleges.
Some accredited courses that you may take up in Thailand are as follows:
You have to be aware that the Ministry of Education does not recognize all language schools in Thailand. Make sure to thoroughly check the school background if they are registered with the ministry and if they can support your visa application.
You must first enroll into the Thai educational institution to be eligible to apply for a Non-Immigrant “ED” Visa. Then prepare the list of documents below and submit your application at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country. But, if you are already in Thailand, you may obtain this visa from the Thai Embassy in a neighboring country.
The school needs to provide you with the following:
Please take note that the procedure and requirements may vary. So it is best to check with the school and the Thai Embassy for their updated list.
A Thailand Education Visa is initially valid for 90 days. However, before your visa expires, you can apply for an extension at the Thailand Immigration Bureau. The length of extension of stay depends on the course that you are taking.
While on the ED visa, you need to apply for a re-entry permit if you plan to leave Thailand. Otherwise, it will result in the cancellation of your visa upon re-entering Thailand. Furthermore, all visa holders have to report their address to the Immigration Department every 90 days. Failure to do so can lead to penalty.
ED visa is for education purposes only. You are prohibited from engaging in any form of employment while on ED Visa.
