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 why the declaration is filed inside the correct window. 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
Before you start your Thailand entry registration, gather the details the TDAC asks for so each one matches your travel documents. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is not a visa and it is not stamped in your passport; it is an online declaration that everyone arriving by air must submit, so what you need is information rather than documents to upload. Have your passport in front of you and enter your name, passport number, nationality, date of birth and expiry date exactly as they are printed.
Have your travel details ready: the arrival flight number, the date you land in Thailand and the purpose of your visit, together with the address where you will stay, which a hotel booking covers. You also complete a short health declaration that includes the countries you visited in the recent days before travel. There is no photograph to provide and no consular appointment.
Confirm your flight and accommodation first, because the card is submitted within the three days before your arrival date, and within that window it is free at the official source. A working email address receives the confirmation with its QR code, and each traveller files their own declaration, so prepare one set of details for every person, including each child travelling with you.
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)
How to apply
Completing the Thailand TDAC is done entirely online. First, confirm it applies to you: the arrival card is mandatory for every foreign national arriving in Thailand by air, including nationalities that enter without a visa, and it does not replace a visa if your nationality needs one. Second, confirm your flight and accommodation, since the declaration is submitted within the three days before your arrival date, and within that window it is free at the official source while submitting earlier can attract a small official charge.
Third, have your passport and your travel details ready and complete the form, checking the spelling of your name and every digit of your passport number against the passport itself, then add your arrival flight, arrival date, purpose of visit and Thai accommodation address and answer the short health declaration. Fourth, review every entry for accuracy; a mistyped passport number, a name that does not match the passport or a wrong arrival date are the usual causes of questions at the border. Finally, the declaration is submitted in the correct window and the confirmation with a QR code arrives by email, usually within minutes; save it on your phone and keep a printed copy, because the immigration officer may ask to see it on arrival, while the officer still makes the final admission decision.
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 under 24h, Priority under 6h, Urgent under 30 min. 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.
At a glance
- Validity
- Per arrival
- Maximum stay
- Visa-exempt up to 60 days
- Entry type
- Single arrival
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.
Is this the official application?
VisitPass is an independent travel-document service, not a government website and not affiliated with the Thai Immigration Bureau. The Thailand TDAC is free to submit within the three-day window at the official portal, so the government charges no fee for the arrival card itself; our service fee covers preparing your declaration with you, reviewing every entry for accuracy before it is submitted, and email support throughout. You can always complete the TDAC directly on the official portal yourself; many travellers choose a guided form to fill it in their own language and have it checked before it is sent.
The arrival card records your entry but does not set how long you may stay, and the final admission decision rests with the Thai government.
Thailand help desk
Have questions about your TDAC? Email the Thailand desk and we reply within 24 hours.
thailand@visitpass-online.comVisitPass is an independent visa-application service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government. Government fees go directly to the issuing authority and are listed separately in your receipt.