Thailand TDAC
Everything you need to apply for your Thailand TDAC: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Thailand government portalOverview
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card, known as the TDAC, is Thailand's mandatory online arrival registration for foreign nationals arriving by air. It is not a visa and it does not by itself permit entry: it is a digital declaration that every traveller must submit before reaching the border, recording who you are, the flight you arrive on, where you will stay and a short health declaration. The TDAC became compulsory on 1 May 2025, replacing the paper TM6 card that crew used to hand out on flights, and it applies to everyone, including nationalities that enter Thailand without a visa.
You submit it within three days before your arrival date, and within that window it is free at the official source. Submitting earlier than the three-day window can attract a small official charge, which is one of the most common ways travellers end up paying when they did not need to. Once accepted, the declaration generates a confirmation with a QR code, normally sent to your email within minutes, that you present to the immigration officer if asked.
The TDAC does not set how long you may stay, which is governed by your nationality's visa exemption or your Thai visa. Your arrival card is completed and reviewed for accuracy and submitted in the correct window so your arrival in Thailand goes smoothly.
Requirements in detail
The TDAC asks for a focused set of details, and every one of them must match your travel documents exactly. You need your passport, valid for your trip, with the name, passport number, nationality, date of birth and expiry date entered exactly as printed. You provide your travel details: the arrival flight number, the date you land in Thailand and the purpose of your visit, along with the address of where you will stay, which a hotel booking covers.
You also complete a short health declaration, which includes the countries you have visited in the recent days before travel. There is no photograph and no consular appointment. The single most common avoidable error is timing combined with the wrong website: the card is free only within the three-day window at the official portal, yet a swarm of look-alike sites charge a fee and bid to appear first in search results.
Submit too early and an official charge can apply; submit through the wrong site and you may pay more than you should. Check your name and passport number against the passport itself before anything is sent, because a single mistyped character can cause questions at the border. Each field is reviewed for completeness and consistency, and the declaration is submitted in the correct three-day window.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Flight arrival date and number
- Thai accommodation address
- Email address for confirmation
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price, government fee is zero for the Arrival Card)
How to apply
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
On arrival
After your TDAC is accepted you receive a confirmation with a QR code by email, usually within minutes. Save it on your phone and, if you prefer a backup, print a copy; the immigration officer may ask to see it on arrival. Travel on the same passport you used for the declaration, since the card is tied to that document.
The TDAC registers your arrival and supports a quick check at the border, but the officer still makes the final admission decision and may ask about your stay, so have your accommodation address and your return or onward ticket ready to show. Submitting within the correct three-day window keeps the card free and your details current with the flight you actually take.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system records declarations digitally once they reach the official portal. VisitPass review happens before the submission: Standard 1-3 business days, Rush 1 business day, Super Rush less than 6 hours. On timing, the card is best submitted within the three-day window before your arrival date, because submitting inside that window keeps the declaration free at the official source.
The card is filed early enough inside the window that a correction is possible if anything needs adjusting, yet close enough that the details match the flight actually taken. The form is verified for completeness so the submission is clean and questions at the border on arrival are avoided.
Who can apply
Mandatory for all foreign nationals entering Thailand by air since the country moved away from paper arrival cards. The digital declaration replaces the TM6 form previously distributed on flights.
Thailand help desk
Have questions about your TDAC? Email the Thailand desk and we reply within 24 hours.
thailand@visitpass-online.com