Filing from the United States
DTV visa from the USA: four posts, state by state
The embassy in Washington and the consulates in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago share the country by state. You file online, pay USD 400 on your own card, and add an FBI certificate issued within the last 3 months.
Checked against official sources on 18 October 2026
At a glance
DTV in the United States: the essentials
- Where you file
- One of four posts
- By the state you live in. Online only, on thaievisa.go.th: no post takes walk-ins or mail.
- Embassy fee
- USD 400
- Washington and New York print it. Paid on the portal, Visa or Mastercard recommended. Not refunded.
- Processing
- Not stated
- No US post publishes a DTV time. Washington says apply about 1 month ahead; Chicago quotes up to 15 business days for e-Visas in general.
- Money in the bank
- USD 16,000
- Washington's figure for 500,000 THB, as an ending balance each month over 3 months. Los Angeles states the baht only.
- Criminal record
- FBI, under 3 months
- Named by Washington and Los Angeles. New York accepts “State or FBI”.
Who files here
Washington, Los Angeles, New York or Chicago: which post covers you
Each post takes the states on its list and no others: Chicago writes “Applications from outside our jurisdiction will be rejected”. The list below is Los Angeles's jurisdiction page, which Chicago's own page repeats. What counts as permanent residence
Embassy
Washington, D.C.
States
- Alabama
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Also
- District of Columbia
- Puerto Rico
Consulate-General
Los Angeles
States
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
Also
- Hawaii and U.S. Pacific Territories
Consulate-General
New York
States
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Consulate-General
Chicago
States
- Arkansas
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
The four lists cover the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Pacific territories, with no overlap. Since 31 August 2026 you also need permanent residence in the United States: a visitor cannot file here.
The checklist
The DTV checklist for the US posts
Washington (updated 10 September 2026) and Los Angeles (updated 1 October 2026) publish the same list in near-identical words. New York prints a fee row and one line on the certificate; Chicago's readable visa page predates 31 August 2026 and names no DTV document.
The rules every post shares: DTV visa requirements and DTV visa cost.
Every applicant (Washington and Los Angeles)
- Passport
- The biodata page, “valid within 6 months from travel date”.
- Photo
- Taken within the past 6 months.
- Document indicating current location
- “driving license, bank statement, or proof of stay”. Both posts still ask for it, beside the proof of permanent residence.
- Proof of permanent residence
- Washington: “valid U.S. Visa, Permanent resident Card”. Los Angeles adds a “valid driving license”. Required since 31 August 2026.
- Bank statements
- Washington: savings or checking statements for the last 3 months, “with an ending balance of no less than 500,000 THB or (USD 16,000)” each month, in your name and dated. Los Angeles: the same 3 months at 500,000 THB, no dollar figure. A family statement needs proof of the relationship; a sponsorship letter is accepted.
- Criminal record certificate
- “FBI certificate issued within 3 months”. See the steps below.
Your lane
- Workation
- “Employment contract or employment certificate in their country or professional portfolio showcasing digital nomad, remote worker, foreign talent or freelancer status”.
- Thai soft power
- “Letter of acceptance from institute or company organizing activities, letter of appointment from hospital/medical center”. Los Angeles, for Muay Thai: a letter from the Sports Authority of Thailand and documents from a gym it has certified.
- Spouse or child under 20
- Washington: the holder's government ID, passport biodata page and DTV approval. Minors under 16 may use the main applicant's FBI certificate.
Extra documents, in the posts' words
- Not a US citizen
- A Permanent Resident Card or a valid US visa with at least 6 months left, and “a letter of proof of employment (we don't accept pay stubs)” signed by HR or a manager. Students: the I-20. Self-employed: the business licence or registration in your name.
- Under 20
- Birth certificate, the parents' marriage certificate or a notarised sole-custody order, the parents' passports or IDs, and a notarised consent letter if the child travels alone.
- Issued abroad
- Documents issued outside Thailand and the United States need “certified English translations and notarized by an Embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs only”.
- Screenshots
- “a screenshot or unclear file” brings a request for more documents, and the clock restarts.
How the posts run it
- Timing
- Washington: apply “around one month before your intended travel date”. The process starts when every document is uploaded and the fee paid.
- Payment
- On the portal. Washington recommends “a Visa or a Mastercard, not an Amex”; a declined card is usually the bank blocking a foreign transaction.
- Status
- On your portal account only. Washington “can not check status for each individuals”; requests for documents arrive by email, spam folder included.
- New York and Chicago
- New York's table of 2 September 2026 gives the USD 400 fee and “Must be issued by State or FBI” for the certificate, and still asks for a current-location document. Chicago's page is older than the rule: its DTV list is not stated here.
Criminal record certificate
Your criminal record certificate: the FBI Identity History Summary
Washington and Los Angeles both ask for an “FBI certificate issued within 3 months”. The FBI calls it an Identity History Summary Check, or rap sheet. It costs USD 18 and the fastest route takes about two days.
Which certificate
One certificate, from your country of nationality or from the country where you hold permanent residence and file. A US citizen living in the United States sends the FBI summary. A permanent resident of another nationality may send either the FBI summary or the certificate of their own country; the two posts name the FBI. How the certificate works
State certificates
New York writes “Must be issued by State or FBI”. Washington and Los Angeles name the FBI only. Filing with either of those, send the FBI summary.
No apostille
Thailand joined the Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, and it applies to Thailand only from 28 February 2027. Until then an apostille is not valid for Thailand, and no post asks for one on the DTV upload.
Step by step
Apply online at edo.cjis.gov
The FBI's electronic route (eDO). Complete the application and pay USD 18 by card before anything else.
Give your fingerprints
At a participating US Post Office, electronically, for an extra fee. Or print the fingerprint card, have it taken by a technician, and mail it with the confirmation email. From outside the US, the mailed card is the only route.
Wait 48 hours, or about 10 days
The FBI's current timelines: within 48 hours after Post Office fingerprints, about 10 days after a mailed card, up to 15 days for a request made entirely by mail (fbi.gov).
Upload the result
You receive the summary, or a letter saying none exists. Either is the certificate. It is the issue date that counts: file within 3 months of it.
Skip the channeler if you are abroad
FBI-approved channelers are faster but only serve “a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident located in the U.S. or its territories”.
Not published
What the US posts do not say
Several questions their pages leave open. We do not guess: ask the post that covers your state before you file.
A DTV processing time
None of the four posts publishes one. Washington's FAQ says a month ahead; Chicago's 15 business days is for e-Visas in general, on a page older than 31 August 2026.
Permanent residence for a US citizen
Washington's examples are a US visa and a Permanent Resident Card, which citizens do not hold. Los Angeles adds a driving licence. What Washington accepts from a citizen is not stated.
Chicago's DTV list
The consulate's readable visa page predates 31 August 2026 and lists no DTV document, fee or certificate. Ask the visa section before you file.
A dollar figure at Los Angeles
The consulate states 500,000 THB only, over 3 months of statements. Washington's USD 16,000 is Washington's figure.
An apostille on the FBI summary
No post asks for one, and an apostille is not valid for Thailand before 28 February 2027. Do not pay the Department of State for one unless your post requires it.
Both location documents
Washington and Los Angeles list a current-location document and proof of permanent residence. Whether one document can serve both lines is not stated: send both.
Ask the post
Washington: visa@thaiembdc.org · Los Angeles: visa@thaiconsulatela.org · New York: info@thaicgny.com · Chicago: visa@thaiconsulatechicago.org, +1 312 664 3129 ext. 108. Washington answers email within about five business days.
Questions
DTV from the United States: common questions
Which Thai consulate handles my DTV in the US?
The one whose list carries your state: the embassy in Washington for the South-East, Texas, the District and Puerto Rico; Los Angeles for the West, Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific territories; Chicago for the Midwest; New York for the North-East and Ohio. A file sent to the wrong post is rejected.
How much does the DTV cost from the United States?
USD 400, printed by Washington and New York, paid on the portal with a Visa or Mastercard and not refunded. Los Angeles prints no fee and Chicago's fee page could not be read. What the DTV costs.
Which criminal record certificate do the US posts want?
Washington and Los Angeles: an “FBI certificate issued within 3 months”, the Identity History Summary ordered at edo.cjis.gov for USD 18. New York accepts a state certificate or the FBI's. Read the field note on the certificate.
How much money do I need?
Washington: statements for the last 3 months with an ending balance of at least 500,000 THB or USD 16,000 every month. Los Angeles: the same 3 months at 500,000 THB. A sponsorship letter is accepted, and a family statement with proof of the relationship.
How long does the DTV take at a US post?
No US post publishes a DTV time. Washington tells applicants to apply about 1 month before travel and counts from the moment the file is complete and paid. The FBI summary takes about 48 hours with Post Office fingerprints.
I am American but live abroad. Can I file in the US?
Only if the United States is where you hold permanent residence, and from inside the post's jurisdiction. Since 31 August 2026 a US citizen living in France or Germany files with the Thai post there. Where to apply from.
I am on a US visa or a green card. Can I file in the US?
Yes, with the post covering your state: Washington and Los Angeles name “valid U.S. Visa, Permanent resident Card” as proof of permanent residence, plus an employment letter signed by HR or a manager, or the I-20 for students. The certificate may be the FBI's.
Sources
Official sources
Every fact on this page comes from these pages. We re-read them when a post changes its rules, and date each one.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C.: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)Published 13 July 2024 · Updated 10 September 2026 · Checked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C.: frequently asked questions for visaUpdated 1 September 2026 · Checked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)Updated 1 October 2026 · Checked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles: jurisdiction of the four postsChecked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, New York: visa types and requirementsUpdated 2 September 2026 · Checked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago: visa informationChecked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago: consulate's jurisdictionChecked 18 October 2026
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago: visa contact informationChecked 18 October 2026
- FBI: Identity History Summary Checks (rap sheets)Checked 18 October 2026
- Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs: DTV announcementPublished 28 August 2026 · Checked 2 October 2026
- Hague Conference (HCCH): Thailand joins the Apostille ConventionChecked 2 October 2026
Before you file
Check where you stand in two minutes.
Six questions on your work, money, nationality and residence. We reply yes, no, or what is missing.