Which visa for rehab in Thailand?

The short answer

Since 15 September 2026, Australian, UK, US and Canadian passport holders can enter Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days, for tourism only. For a stay in treatment, Thai embassies offer a medical treatment visa for up to 60 days, and a Non-Immigrant O visa for treatment longer than that.

Everyone must also complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 3 days before arriving.

What changed in September 2026?

Since 15 September 2026, visitors from Australia, the UK, the US and Canada can stay visa-free for up to 30 days, for tourism only.^[1][2]

This replaces the 60-day visa exemption that applied before. People who entered on or before 14 September 2026 usually keep the stay they were given on arrival.^[4]

The UK government says visa-exempt entry is normally limited to two entries per calendar year, while some other sources describe the limit as applying only to land crossings.^[4] The Thai embassy in London advises anyone planning more than two visits a year, or a trip that isn't tourism, to apply for a visa.^[2]

Your options compared

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Fees and documents are those published by the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC. Other embassies charge in local currency and may ask for different documents.

Can you use visa-free entry for a 28-day program?

A 28-day program fits inside 30 days, but only just. You need to arrive before admission and leave after discharge, and the embassy in London says you must show proof of onward travel within 30 days of arrival.^[2]

The bigger question is purpose. Embassy pages describe the exemption as being for tourism, and none of the official pages we checked says whether a stay in a treatment center counts.^[2][3] Because Thailand has a visa designed for medical treatment, ask the embassy which entry route it expects before you book.

Which visa is meant for medical treatment?

The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington publishes a Tourist Visa (Medical Treatment), sometimes called the MT visa, for people entering Thailand to receive treatment.^[5] On its page, updated 27 August 2026:

• Stay: up to 60 days from the date of entry, single entry.
• Validity: enter Thailand within 3 months of the visa being issued.
• Key document: a letter of appointment from the hospital or medical center in Thailand.
• Timing: apply online at least 30 days before departure and no more than 90 days ahead.
• Extension: one 30-day extension from the Immigration Bureau, up to 90 days in total.

Thai embassies don't all present this visa the same way. The Washington page calls it a tourist visa although its web address says "non-immigrant", and the London embassy's medical page describes only the Non-Immigrant O.^[5][7] Applications go through the official Thai e-Visa website, where you choose the embassy that serves the country you live in.^[8]

Ask the center early whether it can issue an appointment letter, on letterhead and signed, showing your name, the dates and the purpose of treatment. If it can't, ask the embassy whether a letter from the center's doctor or partner hospital would be accepted.

Questions to ask the embassy

Email the embassy or consulate that serves the country where you live, and keep its reply with your travel documents.

• Which visa, or the visa exemption, fits a residential addiction or mental-health program of this length?
• What must the center's appointment letter say, and must it come from a hospital?
• How much financial evidence do you need, and how long does processing take?
• If the doctor recommends a longer stay, can the visa be extended in Thailand?

What if treatment lasts longer than 60 days?

For treatment longer than 60 days, the embassy in Washington points to the Non-Immigrant Type "O" (medical treatment) visa: single entry, valid for 90 days, US$80.^[6] It asks you to apply at least 30 working days before travel, with an appointment letter showing your name, the appointment date and the purpose, signed by an authorised person.

It also asks for three months of bank statements with an ending balance of at least US$4,000 each month.^[6] The London embassy's O Medical visa allows a stay of up to 90 days from entry, for medical purposes only.^[7]

Can you extend your stay in Thailand?

Sometimes. A visa-exempt stay can be extended once by up to 30 days, but the embassy in Washington stresses that approval is solely at the immigration officer's discretion.^[3] The medical treatment visa allows one 30-day extension through the Immigration Bureau.^[5]

Apply in Thailand, at an immigration office, before your permitted stay ends; the Immigration Bureau publishes current requirements and fees. Overstaying can mean a fine of 500 baht a day up to 20,000 baht, detention, deportation or a re-entry ban of up to 10 years.^[4]

If the center suggests staying longer once you are there, ask for a letter explaining the medical reasons and the new discharge date. Immigration officers may ask why you need more time.

Do you need the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

Yes. Since 1 May 2025, all foreign nationals must complete the TDAC online before arriving, within 3 days before arrival.^[4] You need one for every entry.

The TDAC is free and it is not a visa.^[2] Use the Immigration Bureau's official site, tdac.immigration.go.th.^[9] Because the official form is free, a website that asks for a fee is not the official form.

Before you book: a checklist

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with at least 1 blank page^[4]
• The embassy's written answer on which visa or exemption fits your treatment
• An appointment letter from the center, if you need a medical visa
• A return or onward ticket that matches your permitted stay
• Evidence of funds, in case the officer asks
• Medication rules checked, including any Thai FDA permit (see our medication guide)
• Travel insurance that covers emergencies during the stay
• The TDAC completed within 3 days before you fly

Australians can confirm the rules with the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra. UK residents can use the Royal Thai Embassy in London, and US residents the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC or their local consulate.