TDAC required before entering Thailand

For most arrivals into Thailand, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) must be submitted before you land. That applies whether you enter visa-free, hold a visa, or travel on a residence permit. In practice the requirement covers:

• Tourists and business travellers of every nationality
• Children and infants (every traveller with their own passport)
• Long-stay visitors with a valid visa or Thailand Pass
• Transit passengers passing through Thailand (see Transit below)
• Arrival by air, sea or land at the designated border points

Since the digital system launched, the TDAC has been the standard requirement at Thai immigration. Deadlines, exceptions and technical details can change; what counts is always the current guidance from Thai Immigration. This page is orientation for travellers, not an official ruling.

Exceptions are rare and can shift. In practice these points are useful; if you are unsure, check official sources before you travel:

• Thai nationals usually enter without a TDAC; the form is aimed at international travellers.
• Certain diplomats or special statuses may be exempt, depending on bilateral arrangements.
• Travellers who do not enter Thailand (overflight only, no landing) do not need a TDAC.

If you are unsure whether your case falls under an exception, clarify it with your airline or Thai authorities before departure.

The most common mix-up: travellers think the TDAC replaces a visa or grants entry rights. That is wrong. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is a declaration form, not a visa document.

Visa-free entry (e.g. DE, AT, CH and many others)

Nationals of many European countries may enter Thailand visa-free for short tourist stays, often up to 30 or 60 days depending on nationality and current rules. The TDAC is still required. So you need no visa, but you do need a TDAC.

Visa-required entry

Travellers from visa-required countries need a valid visa (sticker visa or e-Visa) and a TDAC. They are applied for separately. A correctly completed TDAC does not replace a missing visa, and a visa does not replace the TDAC.

Thailand Pass, long-stay visa, residence permit

Holders of a Thailand Pass, a non-immigrant visa or a residence permit still submit a TDAC before each entry in most cases. The pass or visa governs your stay status; the TDAC reports your arrival.

Submit the TDAC before your flight to Thailand, not at the airport, on the plane or after landing. In practice travellers do best when they:

• Apply once flight and accommodation are fixed, ideally one to three days before departure
• Avoid submitting weeks early while the flight number or hotel is still tentative, or you risk outdated data
• Update before departure if anything changes: new flight number, different hotel address or a new arrival date

There is no widely advertised hard rule such as “at least 72 hours beforehand,” but border officers expect a TDAC filed in advance. Arriving without confirmation risks delays, questioning or, in extreme cases, entry problems. Build the filing into your trip prep.

What if plans change at the last minute?

Rebookings shortly before departure are common. Check whether your existing TDAC still matches your current travel data. If the flight number or arrival date differs, correct the details or, if needed, submit a new TDAC so the QR code matches passport control.

Travellers who only transit Thailand (arrive and connect without leaving the transit area or entering the country) are usually still covered by the TDAC requirement, with adjusted fields:

• Purpose of travel: Transit
• Accommodation: “Transit” or the airport name instead of a hotel address, if applicable
• Onward flight number and date

If you actually enter Thailand, even for a short stopover of a few days, you need a full TDAC with a real accommodation address. Pure international airside transit can be handled differently by airport and routing. When in doubt, file a TDAC: the effort is small, and a missing declaration can cost you time.

Important: visa-free transit still assumes you are allowed to enter your onward destination. The TDAC does not decide that.

A fixed part of the TDAC is the health declaration. It typically covers:

• Symptoms: Do you currently have fever, cough, breathing difficulty or other signs of illness?
• Travel history: Which countries or regions have you been in during the last 14 days?
• Yellow fever: Are you arriving from a yellow-fever risk area? If so, proof of vaccination and the vaccination date may be required.

Answer every question truthfully. False answers can have legal consequences and, in extreme cases, lead to refused entry. The health declaration is not a substitute for travel-vaccine advice; ask a tropical medicine clinic or your doctor which vaccinations are recommended for Thailand.

Yellow fever vaccination requirement

Travellers arriving from certain yellow-fever risk countries must present a valid International Certificate of Vaccination on entry to Thailand. That usually means people coming from or via those areas, not typically travellers from Germany, Austria or Switzerland unless they were in a risk area first. Check the current WHO yellow-fever map and Thai entry rules before you leave.

Other health measures

During outbreaks or special situations Thailand may add measures (temperature checks, tests and similar). Those sit outside the TDAC and can be ordered at short notice. Follow your airline’s onboard notices and official Thai authority guidance.

Babies and children also need their own TDAC if they have their own passport. Parents complete the form with the child’s passport details; name, date of birth and passport number must match exactly. There is no age exemption: an infant with a passport needs a TDAC just like an adult.

Children still listed on a parent’s passport (where that remains allowed) should still be recorded with their own declaration data if the system requires it. When in doubt, one TDAC per travelling passport.

Thailand enforces the digital arrival card. Travellers without a pre-submitted TDAC can be told at passport control to complete the form on the spot, with waiting time and stress right after a long flight. In individual cases entry can be refused if essential declaration duties are not met.

Our advice: submit the TDAC in time, free yourself via the official route or with assistance through tdacassist. Keep the QR code ready (phone or printout) and check that every field matches your passport and trip.

• TDAC submitted and confirmation (PDF/QR) saved
• Passport valid (at least 6 months beyond departure date)
• Visa in hand if you need one, in addition to the TDAC
• Flight number and hotel address on the TDAC still current
• Health declaration answered truthfully
• Yellow fever certificate carried if required
• Return or onward ticket ready to show

Thai authorities may set submission windows (for example within a set number of days before arrival). Those windows can change. A practical rule for travellers: once flight and first accommodation are fixed, prepare the TDAC; do not leave it until departure day. That leaves buffer for rebookings, passport issues and technical glitches.

If you booked months ahead, re-check flight number and hotel address shortly before departure. A TDAC with an outdated flight number can trigger questions at the airline or the border. Update once too often rather than once too late.

Aircrew, diplomats and certain officials can fall under special entry rules. Dual nationals should use the passport they will present on arrival in Thailand and enter the same passport on the TDAC. If passport and ticket do not match, sort it with the airline before departure. When in doubt, current Thai Immigration guidance wins over forum posts or old blog articles.

Many airlines flag the TDAC during check-in. Some ask for proof (screenshot/QR) before they clear boarding. Tour operators increasingly put the TDAC on pre-trip checklists. None of that changes the official fee of 0 €, or that private assistance is optional. Fee details: TDAC costs.

If the airline refuses boarding because documents are missing, the best TDAC will not help you at the gate after the fact. Submit before departure and keep passport, visa (if needed) and TDAC QR ready.

• Typo in the passport number: system finds no matching TDAC for the person
• Arrival date off by one day (time zones / local date line)
• Accommodation left blank when you are not pure transit without entry
• Health questions skipped or incomplete
• QR only online, with no offline access at the terminal

At the border those mistakes look like missing paperwork. Avoid them with careful data entry and a final check against passport and ticket. Field flow is described under What is TDAC: process.

This page is guidance for travellers. It is not legal advice and not a binding statement from Thai authorities. Entry rules, deadlines and exceptions can change at short notice. Before departure, check official sources and your airline’s notices. tdacassist is a private assistance service, not a government office.

Full explanation of the TDAC, required fields and application flow: What is the TDAC?. Transparent pricing under TDAC costs (official fee 0 €, service fee 19.99 €). More answers: FAQ. Apply now: TDAC form.