Filing from the UK
Thailand DTV from the UK: the London embassy, step by step
One embassy covers the UK, Ireland and the UK Territories. You file online, pay the embassy on your own card, and add a police certificate issued within 6 months.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026
At a glance
DTV in the UK: the essentials
- Where you file
- London, online
- The only Thai post in the UK that handles visas. Paper applications are no longer accepted.
- Embassy fee
- £300
- Paid online, in pounds. Never refunded.
- Processing
- About 15 working days
- 15 more if the embassy asks for documents or an interview. Apply 6 to 8 weeks ahead.
- Money in the bank
- £12,000
- No less than £12,000, or 500,000 THB. The number of months is not stated.
- Criminal record
- Under 6 months
- The ACRO certificate, or the Irish police certificate.
Who files here
Who files at the London embassy
London takes applicants who live in the UK, Ireland or the UK Territories. In its words: “the Embassy is unable to issue visas for foreign nationals who are outside the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, or UK Territories.”
Honorary consulates: no visa service
- Cardiff
- Edinburgh
- Birmingham
- Gibraltar
- Dublin
Covered by London
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- UK Territories
You must stay in the UK, Ireland or the UK Territories until the decision. The embassy may cancel an application if you leave before then.
Proof of permanent residence, as London words it
- “Proof of permanent residence in the UK, Ireland, or the British Overseas Territories (e.g., the UK indefinite leave to remain or Irish long-term residency)”
- Non-UK citizens add “A copy of BRP card or letter from UKVI (UK visa) settlement status.”
The honorary consulates in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Gibraltar and Dublin refer every visa question to London. What a British citizen sends as proof of permanent residence is not stated. What counts as permanent residence
The checklist
The London embassy's DTV checklist
In the embassy's own words, from its DTV page. Every file is uploaded on thaievisa.go.th, as PDF or JPG, 3 MB at most per file, never a screenshot.
The rules every post shares: DTV visa requirements and DTV visa cost.
Every applicant
- Passport
- “Biodata page of Passport or Travel Document”.
- Photo
- Taken within the last 6 months, on a plain white background.
- Proof of permanent residence
- In the UK, Ireland or the British Overseas Territories, for example indefinite leave to remain or Irish long-term residency. Required since 31 August 2026, in place of the old document indicating your current location.
- Financial evidence
- “Financial evidence: amount of no less than £12,000 (500,000 THB) (e.g., bank statements)”. Statements from a bank outside the UK or Ireland come with a bank letter stating the balance in GBP, USD or EUR.
- Police certificate
- “Police clearance certificate issued within 6 months from the date of submission (e.g., the ACRO certificate or the Irish police certificate)”.
Your lane
- Workation
- Employment contract or certificate, or a professional portfolio showing digital nomad, remote worker, foreign talent or freelancer status.
- Thai soft power
- Proof of confirmation to attend the activity, or a hospital appointment letter.
- Spouse or child under 20
- The main holder's DTV, and proof of the relationship: marriage, birth or adoption certificate.
Non-UK citizens, in addition
- Immigration status
- A copy of the BRP card, or the UKVI letter confirming settlement status.
- Employer letter
- From an employer in the UK or Ireland, addressed to the embassy. “Please note that the acceptance or job offer is not sufficient.”
- Students and self-employed
- Students: proof of full-time study. Self-employed: a business licence or registration in your name.
Children under 16, in addition
- Family documents
- A full birth certificate showing the parents' names, and a parent's passport or ID.
- Parent's address
- A parent's council tax or utility bill, and a recent UK or Irish bank statement showing their name and address.
How London runs it
- Language
- Documents in English or Thai. Anything else comes with a certified English translation, legalised by a ministry of foreign affairs or an embassy.
- Interview
- The embassy may call you in. “All interviews will be conducted in person only.”
- Timing
- Apply 6 to 8 weeks before you leave, and no earlier than 90 days before arrival. A short gap before departure is not treated as urgent.
- Missing documents
- A missing document or an unclear scan triggers a request, which adds 15 working days.
Criminal record certificate
Your criminal record certificate: the ACRO police certificate
London names it: the ACRO certificate, or the Irish police certificate, issued within 6 months of the day you submit.
Which certificate
One certificate, from your country of nationality or from the country where you hold permanent residence and file. Living in the UK, that is the ACRO police certificate. Living in Ireland, the Irish police certificate. How the certificate works
No translation
An ACRO certificate is a UK document in English. London asks for a translation only for documents in another language.
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
Order it from ACRO
The ACRO Criminal Records Office issues police certificates to people asked for one by an embassy, high commission or consulate (gov.uk). Apply on ACRO's site.
Check the fee and the time on ACRO's site
We could not read ACRO's own pages on 8 October 2026, and older figures in circulation contradict each other. So we publish neither its fee nor its processing time. Check both on ACRO's site before you plan.
Living in Ireland
London also accepts the Irish police certificate. We have not checked its issuer, fee or timing, so we quote none.
Mind the 6 months
The certificate must be issued within 6 months of the day you submit. Order it once you know your filing date.
Not published
What the London embassy does not say
Several questions London's pages leave open. We do not guess: ask the visa section before you file.
Proof for a British citizen
London names indefinite leave to remain and Irish long-term residency as examples. What a British citizen sends as proof of permanent residence is not stated.
Pre-settled status and eVisas
Whether pre-settled status, an eVisa share code or a time-limited visa counts as permanent residence is not stated.
Passport validity
London's DTV page states no minimum passport validity.
Months of statements
How many months of bank statements, and whether £12,000 is a closing or a monthly balance, is not stated.
A sponsor
Whether a sponsor or sponsorship letter is accepted is not stated.
Living in Ireland
The same page covers the UK and Ireland. Whether an Irish resident files differently is not stated.
Applications lodged before 31 August 2026
London's announcement of 8 September 2026 does not say. The ministry's rule processes them under the old requirements.
Phone days
The phone line is printed for 14:00-17:00, without its days.
The ACRO fee and time
Not verified on ACRO's own pages on 8 October 2026. Check them on ACRO's site.
Ask the post
Visa section: visa.lon@mfa.go.th · +44 20 7589 2944, 14:00-17:00.
Questions
DTV from the UK: common questions
Can I apply for a DTV in London as a British citizen?
Yes, if you live in the UK, Ireland or the UK Territories. Every applicant sends proof of permanent residence. London gives indefinite leave to remain and Irish long-term residency as examples, and does not say what a British citizen sends. Ask visa.lon@mfa.go.th before you file.
Do I need an ACRO police certificate for the DTV?
London asks for a police clearance certificate issued within 6 months of submission, naming the ACRO certificate or the Irish police certificate. Under the rule since 31 August 2026 it is one certificate, from your nationality or your country of permanent residence. Read the field note on the certificate.
How much money do I need for a DTV from the UK?
No less than £12,000, or 500,000 THB, for example on bank statements. London does not say how many months. Statements from a bank outside the UK or Ireland need a bank letter giving the balance in GBP, USD or EUR.
How long does the London embassy take?
About 15 working days, plus 15 if it asks for documents or an interview. Some cases take 4 to 6 weeks. Apply 6 to 8 weeks ahead, and no earlier than 90 days before arrival.
Can I file at a Thai consulate in Edinburgh, Cardiff or Birmingham?
No. The honorary consulates refer visa questions to the embassy in London, and every DTV is filed online.
I live in the UK on a visa. Can I apply?
London asks non-UK citizens for a BRP card or a UKVI settlement letter, and a letter from a UK or Irish employer. Whether pre-settled status or a time-limited visa counts is not stated: ask the embassy.
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, London: Destination Thailand VisaUpdated 8 September 2026 · Checked 8 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, London: adjustment of DTV supporting documentsPublished 8 September 2026 · Effective 31 August 2026 · Checked 8 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, London: visa general informationUpdated 8 September 2026 · Checked 8 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, London: addresses, numbers and emailsChecked 8 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, London: Royal Thai Consulates in the UK and IrelandChecked 8 October 2026
- GOV.UK: criminal records checks for overseas applicants (ACRO)Updated 31 January 2025 · Checked 8 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.