Thailand's DTV: Washington now wants residence and the FBI
A week ago Washington was one of two missions that had not published the new DTV rules. It had, on 10 September. Freelancers are still named as eligible and there is still no income figure. What changed is the paperwork you need to prove who you are and where you live.
What the embassy published
The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. keeps two pages on this. The first is its visa types, fees and validity page, which says visa fees are paid by credit card inside the e-Visa system at thaievisa.go.th and links each visa to a page of its own. The one that matters here is the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) page, which the embassy marks as updated on 10 September 2026.
What it says now:
- Validity: 5 years. Fee: 400 USD.
- Who it is for: “Workcation (Digital nomad/remote worker/foreign talent/freelancer)”, Thai soft-power activities such as Muay Thai, cooking courses and medical treatment, and the spouse and children under 20 of a DTV holder.
- Proof of permanent residence, “i.e. valid U.S. Visa, Permanent resident Card”, on every list, including the one for family members.
- A certificate of criminal record clearance, “i.e. FBI certificate issued within 3 months”, also on every list. Children under 16 may use the main applicant’s FBI certificate.
In the post of 19 September we listed Washington, with Vientiane, as a mission that had not yet published its version of the rule. That was true of the pages we read then, and it is not true of this one now. Washington’s rule matches Los Angeles: an FBI certificate issued no more than three months before you apply.
Freelancers: named, and asked for more
The headline doing the rounds says the DTV is “yes to freelancers, no to easy”. We could not open the article behind it, so this post relies only on the embassy page. On that page the first half is plainly true. “Freelancer” is written into the purpose of the visa, and the workcation list accepts “employment contract or employment certificate in their country or professional portfolio showcasing digital nomad, remote worker, foreign talent or freelancer status”. A portfolio is enough for that line. You do not need an employer.
The harder part is a separate block headed “For non-US citizens, please provide additional documents”:
- a copy of a green card, or of a valid US visa with at least 6 months left on it;
- a letter confirming your position and work status, hand-signed by HR or a manager. The page says “we don’t accept pay stubs”, and a job offer is not enough;
- if you are self-employed, a business licence or business registration with your name on it.
A citizen applying through Washington can use a portfolio. A non-citizen who freelances has to show a registered business. The page gives no alternative for someone who works freelance without one.
What it still does not ask for
An income figure. The Washington page sets no monthly income minimum and gives no formula. The money test is a balance: savings or checking statements for the last three months, each ending at no less than 500,000 THB, which the embassy writes as “(16,000 USD)”. That dollar figure is the embassy’s own conversion, not a separate threshold. A family account is accepted with proof of relationship, and so is a sponsorship letter.
The Thailand page records the DTV the same way: no income test, and a THB 500,000 balance. Nothing here moves it off the no income requirement list.
An in-person visit. You still apply online. One oddity: the page keeps the old “document indicating current location” line alongside the new proof of residence. You provide both. The residence proof is the one that decides which mission you may apply to.
Announced, open, and yours to apply for
The DTV is open. This is not a new programme and not an announcement. It is a live visa whose document list changed. The rule behind the change, that you apply through the mission covering your nationality or your proven residence, took effect on 31 August 2026, according to the London embassy’s notice cited in the earlier post. Washington’s page does not give a date of its own.
Two practical points if Washington is your mission:
- Order the FBI certificate last. Three months is short, and a certificate that expires while you collect the rest means paying for a new one.
- A US visa counts, but read the wording. Washington accepts “a valid US visa (at least 6 months validity)” as proof of residence. London asks for indefinite leave to remain. Missions mean different things by “permanent residence”, so the page for your own mission is the only one that settles it for you.
For an extension once you are in Thailand, the embassy sends you to the Immigration Bureau, not back to itself. If Vientiane or another mission publishes its version, tell us.
The row behind this
Every figure this post relies on lives on a country page with its source and its confidence grade beside it. That is where it gets corrected, and where it stays current after the post stops being news.
- Thailand — Destination Thailand Visa (DTV, workcation)
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