Introduction
Thailand seeks to attract international professionals with exceptional skills and cutting-edge technology expertise. This includes affluent individuals and professionals who wish to establish their careers in the country for an extended period. Given Thailand’s status as a top destination for both travel and work among foreigners, an attractive visa option with special benefits, including a 10-year Thai visa, referred to as the Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR Visa) for Highly Skilled Professionals, has been introduced to cater to this demographic.
Key Points
- The Long-Term Residency Visa (LTR Visa) is a 10-year Thai visa that is aimed at attracting high-potential foreigners.
- The LTR for highly skilled professionals is available to certain applicants who work in 15 specific fields of expertise.
- The LTR visa offers many benefits, such as access to a digital work permit, a 17% Personal Income Tax rate, and Tax-free remittance of money from abroad.
What is the Long-Term Residency Visa for Highly Skilled Professionals?
The Long Term Residency Visa (LTR Visa) is a 10-year visa aimed at attracting high-potential foreigners who wish to relocate to Thailand long-term. The LTR has been broken down into 4 categories, with the focus of this article being on the LTR for Highly Skilled Professionals. This category has been designed to attract foreigners with a high level of skills and expertise in 15 areas of modern technology to help develop the Thai economy.
The LTR for highly skilled professionals is available to certain applicants active in 15 specific fields of expertise, with strict application criteria that must be satisfied.
Who is eligible for the Long-Term Residency Visa for Highly Skilled Professionals?
To be eligible for the LTR Visa for highly skilled professionals, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university.
- have at least five years of work experience in a highly skilled field.
- have an annual income of at least USD 80,000 for the past two years.
- have a valid job offer from a Thai company.
Applicants of the Long-Term Residency Visa for highly skilled professionals must also work in a specific industry as approved by the Board of Investment (BOI).
The BOI has approved foreigners with specialized skills in the following 15 highly skilled professional fields to be eligible to apply for the LTR based on being a highly skilled professional:
- Automotive industry
- Electronic industry
- Quality tourism industry
- Agriculture, food, and biotechnology industry
- Transportation and logistics industry
- Industrial automation and robotics
- Aerospace industry
- Biofuels and biochemical industry
- Petrochemical and chemical industry
- Digital industry
- Medical industry
- Defense industry
- Industries that directly support the circular economy, such as waste fuel production and water resource management
- International Business Hub (IBH)
- Other industries requiring specialized skills in a particular area, such as:
- Researchers in target industries or technologies
- Experts in artificial intelligence (AI), digital systems, finance, environment and energy, start-up incubation projects, and trade and investment promotion organizations from abroad
What are the Benefits of the Long-Term Residency Visa for highly skilled professionals?
The LTR Visa for highly skilled professionals offers several benefits, including:
- A 10 year visa that offers the ability to live and work for up to 10 years in the country without renewing your visa.
- Highly skilled professionals can apply for a fixed rate of 17% for personal income tax.
- Tax exemption for overseas income
- Eligibility to apply for immigration and work permit services at One Stop Service Center for visa and work permit, saving applicants a lot of time.
- The ability to apply for a Digital Work Permit.
- The ability to bring your spouse and children on dependent visas.
- The ability to start your own business.
How to apply for the Thailand Professional Visa for highly skilled professionals?
To apply for the Thai Professional Visa for highly skilled professionals, you must first obtain a Certificate of Qualification (QEL) from the Board of Investment (BOI). To obtain a QEL, you must submit an application form and supporting documentation, such as your resume, diploma, and job offer letter.
Once you have obtained a QEL, you can apply for the LTR Visa at a Thai embassy or consulate overseas or an immigration office.
Here are a few tips for applying for the LTR Visa for highly skilled professionals:
- Start the application process early. The application process can take several months, so it is important to start early to avoid any delays.
- Make sure that you have all of the required documentation.
- Be prepared to answer questions about your work experience and skills. The BOI will often ask follow-up questions or for more information from you as part of the application process.
- Be patient. The BOI may take several weeks to process your application.
Our Thoughts about the 10 year Thai visa
The Long Term Residency Visa for highly skilled professionals is a great option for those looking for a visa to live and work long-term and are active in eligible industries. The visa offers several benefits, including living and working in Thailand with a 10 year visa, tax incentives and access to a Digital Work Permit. The LTR removes many barriers, which can often be problematic for many people and makes living and working much more comfortable for the holders of the LTR.
Please note that the Long-Term Resident (LTR) application is time-consuming and requires numerous documents/information from the BOI. There will often be times when applicants receive contradictory feedback from the Board of Investment (BOI) officers. Our experts have accumulated a lot of experience when applying for an LTR visa and are available to assist you with your application to help make the process as smooth as possible.
