International students need to apply for a student (non-immigrant ED) visa at their local embassy/consulate. The initial visa will be valid for 90 days only (NOT 1 year). After arriving in Thailand, successfully registering for courses and starting classes, students are eligible to extend their visas. The Student Service Hub (which is located on 1st floor of Building 1, Rama 9 Campus) will assist all eligible students in this process and accompany them to the immigration office, if necessary.
Upon arrival or during orientation, new students will be briefed on the visa process and requirements. Students who arrive late or miss the orientation for a different reason, need to get in touch with the university’s visa officer (Student Service Hub) in order to get an understanding of visa matters.
Please be aware that your passport and any visa you hold is always your own responsibility and you are liable in cases of missed deadlines, overstays and any rules/regulations violated. Failure to comply with the rules/regulations may result in fines or, in severe cases, revoking of the visa. Even though the university stands as sponsor of the visa and assists its students in obtaining and extending it, the student visa can only be issued by the Immigration department or an embassy/consulate, on the authority of the government.
The visa application process may differ, depending to the applicant’s nationality and the country where the application is made. Commonly, it takes 5 – 10 days to obtain a student visa.
The documents required to apply include, but are not limited to:
- Passport
- Passport size photo
- Visa application form (available at the embassy/consulate)
- Academic qualifications used to admission
- Letter of Acceptance/Certification from the university
- Application fee (approximately $75 USD)
Students are advised to contact the embassy/consulate where they intend to apply well in time before submission, in order to ensure a successful application. All relevant details are usually available and well explained the embassy/consulate website.