Thailand Retirement Visa for Couples: Full Guide
Can both partners get a Thai retirement visa? Per-person requirements, the under-50 spouse solution, and how couples should plan together.
Retiring as a couple raises a specific question: does each partner need to independently qualify, or can one visa cover both? Here’s exactly how it works.
Can both partners get a Thailand retirement visa?
Yes, but each partner applies separately, with their own documentation. There’s no joint “couple’s visa” version of the O-A; combined household income doesn’t substitute for individual requirements.
The financial requirements: per person or per couple?
Per person. Each partner needs to independently meet one of the financial methods below.
Option A: bank deposit method
800,000 THB in a Thai bank account, per person.
Option B: income method
65,000 THB per month in regular, verifiable income, per person.
Income method for couples: how it works
Each partner documents their own qualifying income separately: pensions, Social Security, or other regular foreign income, evidenced individually even if you manage finances jointly at home.
Bank deposit method for couples
Each partner needs their own 800,000 THB deposit, or a combination approach: for example, 500,000 THB in one partner’s Thai bank account plus 65,000 THB in monthly documented income for that same partner, mixing the methods on a per-person basis.
What if my partner is under 50? The marriage visa solution
If one partner doesn’t yet meet the retirement visa’s age requirement, the Non-Immigrant O (family) visa is the solution, provided you’re legally married.
How the Non-Immigrant O (family) visa works
The under-50 spouse applies based on the marriage to the retirement-visa-holding partner, rather than independently qualifying for retirement.
Requirements for the under-50 partner
- Valid marriage certificate
- One of: financial sponsorship from the retirement-visa-holding spouse, 400,000 THB in personal savings, or 40,000 THB in monthly personal income
Real-world example
A 55-year-old retiree with 800,000 THB in savings, married to a 48-year-old spouse: the 55-year-old applies for the standard O-A retirement visa; the 48-year-old applies for the Non-Immigrant O family visa based on the marriage, using either spousal sponsorship or their own 400,000 THB/40,000 THB monthly evidence.
Renewal of the family visa
Renewed annually alongside the primary retirement visa holder’s renewal, with updated documentation for both.
Applying together vs. separately: practical considerations
While each partner’s application is technically separate, submitting them together at the same immigration appointment is generally more efficient and lets us coordinate both sets of documentation as one process.
How Vera Visa helps couples plan their move
We map out both partners’ eligibility from the start, including the family visa route if one partner is under 50, so there are no surprises partway through the process.
Frequently asked questions
How long does processing take for both visas? Both visas typically take 1–4 weeks from application to approval, similar to individual timelines.
Can we use combined savings to meet one partner’s threshold? No, each partner’s financial evidence needs to be independently documented in their own name, even if you manage finances jointly day to day.
What happens at renewal if our financial situation changes? You can adjust which method each partner uses between renewals. See our retirement visa financial requirements guide for the full comparison of methods available.