The Thailand Property Visa
Buy a condo from 3M baht · Apply for an annual visa · How it really works
Yes, this now really exists: since 1 October 2025, anyone who buys a completed condominium from 3 million baht (approx. €79,000) in Thailand can apply for a right of stay based on it: first 90 days, then a 12-month extension, renewable annually for as long as you keep the unit. The legal basis are Immigration Orders 237/2568 and 238/2568. The condo must be registered in your name in the foreign quota at the Land Office, paid via international transfer, and bought from a Thai seller, for example directly from the developer. There is also a rental route from 85,000 baht per month, but it has been under official revision since March 2026. Important: the visa does not permit work and does not lead to permanent residency.
Which route fits you?
The orders define three routes. We rank them honestly by reliability as of July 2026, not by sales pitch.
Purchase: condo from 3M baht
The route with real annual extensions since spring 2026
- Completed condominium unit, no off-plan before handover
- Foreign-quota freehold, registered in your name at the Land Office
- One unit worth at least 3M baht, several units cannot be combined
- Purchase price transferred from abroad with FET bank evidence
- Seller: Thai individual or Thai-majority company
Existing owners can qualify too if the transfer was registered on or after 1 October 2020.
Rental: from 85,000 baht/month
Exists, but has been tightened since March 2026
- Registered lease of at least 85,000 baht per month
- Show 3 months of rent up front, 12 months prepaid for the annual extension
- Landlord must be a Thai individual or Thai-majority company
- Clean bank transfers instead of cash, TM30 registration required
Agencies exploited loopholes and the authorities reacted. Practice is currently inconsistent.
Lease & Sap-Ing-Sith
Registered long-term contracts totalling 3M+ baht
- Registered lease or Sap-Ing-Sith contract of more than 3 years
- Prepaid contract total of at least 3 million baht
- Houses and townhouses possible as well, not just condos
Set out in the orders, but acceptance varies by office. Only with a specialised law firm.
The 3-million question: buy or rent?
Planned years in Thailand: 5 years
Basis: 85,000 baht monthly rent, minimum purchase price 3,000,000 baht, rate approx. 38 baht per euro. Not included: closing costs of usually around 1 percent on a new-build first purchase, recurring fees of both routes, maintenance fees and insurance. The purchased condo can be rented out or lived in during that time.
The purchase route in detail: 7 criteria
Based on the published criteria and the first months of practice. Every file ultimately runs through the authorised operator and Immigration.
Completed unit
Only finished condos qualify. Off-plan counts once the unit is handed over and registered at the Land Office.
3M in one unit
The value must sit in a single condo. Two units of 1.5M baht each cannot be added up.
Foreign quota, your name
Freehold ownership within the 49 percent foreign quota, registered at the Land Office in the applicant’s name.
Cut-off 01.10.2020
Existing owners can benefit: transfers registered on or after 1 October 2020 may qualify.
FET payment evidence
The purchase price must demonstrably have been transferred from abroad, documented via the Foreign Exchange Transaction form.
Thai seller
The seller must be a Thai individual or a Thai-majority company. Buying from a foreign previous owner does not qualify.
Health insurance
In practice, cover with inpatient protection of around 400,000 baht or USD 40,000 is required.
How the application works
The path runs through a state-authorised operator (Thailand Longstay Service) and Immigration. Five stations.
Step 1Complete and register the purchase
Buy a condo from 3M baht, register the transfer at the Land Office, keep FET evidence and the chanote safe.
Step 2Certification by the operator
The authorised operator verifies the unit and documents, according to service providers within about 7 to 10 business days.
Step 3Receive the 90-day stay
With the certificate, Immigration first issues a 90-day permission to stay.
Step 4Extension to 12 months
Well before expiry, in practice around day 70, the 12-month extension is filed (Non-Immigrant B track).
Step 5Renew annually
As long as you keep the unit and meet the criteria, the extension can be renewed every year.
The honest limits
We do not sell dreams. The programme is attractive, but it has clear edges, and they belong on the table.
No work permission
The visa does not permit any employment in Thailand. If you want to work, you need the separate Non-B plus work permit route.
No permanent residency
It remains an annually renewable permission. A direct path to permanent residency is not part of the programme.
Selling ends the status
The permission is tied to the property. If you sell, the basis for renewal disappears.
Tax residency from 180 days
Spending more than 180 days per year in Thailand makes you tax resident there. Get advice beforehand.
Young rules, young practice
The programme has been running since October 2025 and details are still being clarified through real cases. Offices handle edge cases differently.
Mandatory operator
No application runs without certification by the authorised operator. That costs fees, but creates a defined process.
Why the route favours new-build
The seller criterion has an interesting consequence: buying directly from a Thai developer structurally fulfils the requirement, because project companies are Thai-controlled. In a foreign-quota resale, however, the previous owner is often a foreigner, and exactly then the purchase does not qualify. If you plan with the visa in mind, you preferably buy from the developer or from Thai owners.
Second consequence: completed units count. An off-plan purchase does not qualify immediately, but upon handover and registration. If you buy off-plan in 2026, you pay instalments during construction and have the visa route open at handover. Until then, alternatives such as the Destination Thailand Visa or, from 50, the retirement visa can bridge the gap. Our price index also lists completed projects from around 3M baht.
Frequently asked questions
Do I automatically get a visa by buying a condo?
No. The purchase only creates the basis. It is followed by certification through the authorised operator and the application at Immigration: first 90 days, then the 12-month extension. Without these steps there is no right of stay.
Does a condo I already own count?
Possibly, yes. According to the published criteria, transfers registered at the Land Office on or after 1 October 2020 can qualify, provided the value is at least 3M baht, it is foreign-quota freehold in your name and the international payment evidence (FET) exists.
Does this also apply to houses or off-plan purchases?
The stable purchase route applies to completed condominiums. Off-plan qualifies upon handover and registration. Houses are only covered via registered lease or Sap-Ing-Sith contracts totalling 3M+ baht, where official practice is inconsistent.
Can I work in Thailand on the property visa?
No. The visa does not permit employment. If you want to work, you need the separate route via a Non-Immigrant B visa with a work permit and the usual company requirements.
What happens if I sell the condo?
Selling removes the basis of the right of stay. The current permission ends and a further extension is no longer possible.
How reliable is the 85,000 baht rental route?
It exists: a registered lease from 85,000 baht per month with a Thai landlord, 3 months of rent up front, 12 months prepaid for the extension. Since March 2026, however, it has been tightened and practice is inconsistent. The purchase route is currently the more reliable one.
Can my family join me?
Dependants are part of the programme: spouse, children under 20 and parents aged 50+. They can apply once the main applicant has received the 12-month extension. Fees apply per person.