TDAC Thailand 2026: Digital Arrival Card Guide

In short: The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) has been mandatory since 1 May 2025 for all travellers without a Thai passport – whether arriving by air, land or sea – and replaces the old paper TM6 card. It is completed free of charge on the official site tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before arrival; it only takes a few minutes. Third-party providers charging 10–90 US dollars are not official. Once completed, you receive a QR code that must be applied for afresh for every new entry.

Since 1 May 2025, every foreigner must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before entering Thailand. It replaces the old paper arrival card (TM6) and is mandatory whether you enter by air, over land or by sea. Anyone arriving at the airport without a completed TDAC risks delays at immigration.

For DACH buyers this is especially relevant: anyone flying to Pattaya for a viewing, to sign a contract or for the handover needs a new TDAC for every single entry. In this guide I will show you, step by step, how to complete the TDAC correctly and free of charge, and how to avoid the expensive fake sites. Note: entry requirements change, so check the details before every trip on the official site.

What is the TDAC?

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC for short, is the digital arrival registration of the Thai Immigration Bureau. Every traveller without a Thai passport completes it online before entering Thailand. After successful submission you receive a QR code, which you present on arrival.

The TDAC replaces the old paper TM6 card, the little white card you used to fill in on the plane. The digital version additionally asks for travel details and a health status. Important: the TDAC is not a visa and does not replace one. It is an additional mandatory registration that you must complete independently of your visa or visa-free entry.

Who needs it and from when?

The TDAC affects practically every foreign traveller. Here are the most important rules.

Who: Everyone without a Thai passport, regardless of visa status, so tourists, business travellers and long-term residents alike. This applies to entry by air, over land and by sea. Children and babies also need their own TDAC; each person submits their own.

Exceptions: Thai citizens (dual nationals enter on their Thai passport), flight and ship crew, and pure transit passengers who do not pass through immigration control. However, anyone who leaves the transit area or re-checks their baggage does need a TDAC.

When: You can complete the TDAC within three days (72 hours) before your arrival, with the day of arrival counting. My tip: do it two to three days beforehand, as soon as your flight and accommodation are confirmed, so there is time for corrections.

Use only the official site: beware of fake sites

This is the most important point in this guide. The TDAC is free of charge on the official site. But there are numerous deceptively realistic-looking scam and third-party sites that charge a fee, often between 10 and 90 US dollars, and harvest your sensitive passport data. According to estimates, at times around 10 per cent of arrivals submitted through such unofficial sites.

Here is how to recognise the genuine site: the official address ends in .immigration.go.th (the .go.th ending denotes a Thai government authority). There is no official TDAC app, only the website. It is best to type the address in directly and not to blindly trust the first results in the search engine, as these are often paid adverts from third-party providers.

If you have fallen for a fake site, you can report it in Thailand to the cyber police on 1441 or the Online Complaint Center on 1212. Afterwards, submit the TDAC again free of charge on the official site.

Step by step: how to complete the TDAC

Completing it takes only a few minutes. Have your passport and your flight and accommodation details ready. The form is in English; there is no German-language version.

1. Open the official site: Go to tdac.immigration.go.th and select Arrival Card.

2. Enter personal details: Name exactly as in your passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth. You can photograph your passport or enter the details manually.

3. Fill in travel details: Arrival date, flight number and the address of your accommodation in Thailand (specific, with hotel name or district).

4. Health information: Answer the short health declaration. Additional questions appear only for certain nationalities or after a stay in risk areas.

5. Several people: If you are travelling as a family or couple, you can add further people in the same process using the Add function, each with their own details.

6. Submit and save the QR code: After submitting you receive a QR code and a confirmation by email. On arrival you present the QR code if the officer requests it.

Avoiding common mistakes

These tips will help you avoid stress on arrival.

Name exactly as in your passport. Watch out for mix-ups such as O and zero, or I and one. The name must match your passport.

Mind the date format. The TDAC uses the day/month/year format. So 5 March 2026 is 05/03/2026, not 03/05/2026.

Give a specific address. Enter the hotel name or the exact address, not just Bangkok or Pattaya.

Need a correction? Simply resubmit. Certain fields such as name, passport number or date of birth cannot be changed afterwards. In case of an error, simply submit a new TDAC; the most recent submission counts.

Save the QR code. Save the QR code as a screenshot and print it out to be safe. You should not rely on the Wi-Fi or your phone battery at the airport.

For property buyers: remember it on every trip

When you buy a property in Pattaya, you usually travel several times: for the viewing, to sign the contract, for the handover. Important: the TDAC is valid for one entry only. For every renewed entry, including a visa run, you must complete a new TDAC. Simply add it to your travel routine, together with check-in.

A second point that is currently changing: for German, Austrian and Swiss citizens, a visa-free stay of 60 days currently applies (as of June 2026). However, there are plans to shorten this to 30 days. Since this can change at short notice, check the current status before every trip. You will find all the details on visas and stays in my article Visas and stays for property buyers.

The TDAC itself is quickly done and no cause for concern, as long as you use the official site and pay nothing. In my free Pattaya Property Guide you will find all the further aspects around travel, staying and buying. An informal initial consultation is free of charge for buyers. If you are planning a viewing trip to Pattaya, I am happy to help you with the arrangements. This article is guidance provided to the best of my knowledge and does not replace the official information of the immigration authority.

Frequently asked questions