Full step-by-step guide
Starting May 1, 2025, all foreign nationals arriving in Thailand must register their arrival online—regardless of their visa type (retirement, tourist, privilege entry, business, student, etc.).
In this article, we’ll walk you through each step of the online arrival registration process.
So, what is it exactly?
This new system replaces the old paper TM6 form with a digital version called the Digital Thailand Arrival Card (DTAC). It’s an online registration process required for all foreign arrivals in Thailand.
Who must use the DTAC ?
All foreign nationals arriving in Thailand must register their arrival online, beforehand.
It doesn’t matter how you enter the country—by air, land, or sea—you are required to complete the online registration form.
Likewise, it doesn’t matter under which visa type you enter the country (retirement, tourist, privilege entry, business, student, – or even visa exempt).
Exceptions to this rule:
Thai nationals
Travelers transiting through Thailand without passing immigration control
Arrivals holding a boarding card
Unless you fall into one of these three exceptions, online registration is mandatory.
How to proceed ? Step-by-step online submission
- Prepare all the documents that you will need for your online registration (passport, flight confirmation, hotel booking or your private address in Thailand, your friend’s house, etc..)
- Connect to Tdac.immigration.go.th (1 to 3 days before your arrival in Thailand). Don’t try one week before or 4 days before… it will not work. Just wait the 3 days before being in Thailand.
- Families can submit one single form (after the main applicant, you will be able to add other family members).
- Choose one of the buttons “arrival” or “update”: the arrival is for the first registration, whereas the update is for updating your registered information such as flight number, address, etc.
watch our full video on how to submit your form
Our video is very detailed and walks you through all the information that needs to be registered.
Basically, there are four main fields:
- personal information
- travel information
- accommodation information
- health information
Don’t worry, if you enter errored information, you can cancel the form and enter a corrected data.
Furthermore, after completing the form, if you decide not to submit it, you can cancel it. And re-submit a new form.
How much does the DTAC cost ?
The DTAC is free of charge, and you can combine the data for the whole family in the same online form. (see video)
Other important considerations
Mandatory
the DTAC is mandatory for all foreigners, with exemptions as mentioned in this article.
Timing
you cannot submit your form more than 3 days before your arrival in Thailand. The system is designed in such way that the calendar displays only the 3 next days from the date of your submission.
Origin of travel
you can travel from anywhere, as the usual immigration conditions still apply. The DTAC is an entry information and not a stay permit.
Health information
You need only to specify in which countries you have been during the 2 weeks before your entry in Thailand.
No vaccination certificate is required- at least for the time being. Future developments may change the rules; we will keep you informed in due time. Stay in touch.
Where to apply?
Connect to Tdac.immigration.go.th
For detailed information, please watch our video. If you find it useful, we encourage you to subscribe to our new youtube channel and give us a thumb up.
And finally, you can also contact us at info@banthetax.com ; we will be happy to help !
For more detailed information about Thailand or another country, you can book a consultation.
We are eager to talk to you soon!