Thailand’s ‘eVisa On Arrival’ Service Available for Travelers from 21 Countries

Travelers from 21 countries can now avoid long wait times in queues and the inconvenience of filling up application forms on arrival to Thailand, following the launch of the new eVisa On Arrival (eVOA) service for travel to the Asian country.

The new eVisa On Arrival (eVOA) service will enable a faster, more convenient arrival into Thailand and has become available for applicants since February 14.

Photo source: Thai Embassy

Countries where eVOA service is available include Andora, Bulgaria, Bhutan, P.R. China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

The new eVOA service offers travelers a whole new experience when entering the country at the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueng airports in Bangkok, as well as at Phuket and Chiang Mai airports.

Through the new service travelers have the conveniences of avoiding long queues. Meanwhile, the eVOA service eliminates the need to fill up application forms on arrival and arrange for paper documentation or local currency, which travelers find challenging after a long flight.

To apply for a Thailand eVisa, applicants will need to complete a visa application, upload documents and pay online – thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com – so that he/she may receive the approved e-Visa via email between 24 – 72 hours.

Moreover, if there is an urgent visa requirement to travel to Thailand, travelers can also avail online the Express eVOA service for quicker processing. By paying an additional service fee, eligible travelers can get their eVOA decision within 24 hours for any short notice travel requirements.

The service is part of the Government of Thailand’s initiative to promote tourism, and has been developed by the Immigration Bureau of Royal Thai Police and VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.

In 2017, Thailand welcomed a record 35 million tourists, with tourism-generated income in Thailand amounting to around 2.6 trillion Baht, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. In 2018, over 4 million visitors used the conventional, time consuming Visa On Arrival service at Thailand airports.