Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) 2026 Overview: Who, When, How

Data updated: June 2026 | Source: Immigration Bureau of Thailand. This article is a compilation of information and does not constitute legal advice. If entry requirements change, refer to the Immigration Bureau’s latest announcements.

1. What Is TDAC and Why Do You Need to File It?

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is the digital arrival declaration system that the Immigration Bureau of Thailand has officially run since May 1, 2025, fully replacing the paper TM6 arrival card used for many years. Every non-Thai national entering Thailand — whether by land, air, or sea — must complete the online filing before arrival.

**Official application website (the only free official portal):** 🔗 tdac.immigration.go.th

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There are many paid, imitation third-party websites online. Applying for the TDAC is completely free — please always use the official website above.

TDAC Is Not a Visa

Please note carefully: TDAC is not a visa and does not grant any right of entry. Whether you can enter and how long you can stay still depend on your nationality and the type of visa you hold. TDAC is purely the Immigration Bureau’s system for declaring arrival information.

2. Who Needs to File TDAC? (2026 Version)

The following people must file every time they enter Thailand:

• Travelers entering visa-free (regardless of nationality)
• Travelers holding a tourist visa or visa on arrival
• Foreigners holding a long-term visa, including: LTR (Long-Term Resident Visa), DTV (Destination Thailand Visa), Non-B work visa, Non-OA retirement visa, and Thailand Privilege (Elite) visa holders
• Children and infants (each person needs a separate declaration)

The following are exempt from filing:

• Thai citizens
• Certain individuals holding diplomatic passports
• Pure transit passengers who do not pass through Thailand’s immigration control area (i.e., those who remain entirely within the international transit zone)

**Important: long-term foreign residents are not exempt just because they hold a long-term visa.** Whether you hold an LTR, DTV, Elite, or Non-OA visa, **you must file a brand-new TDAC every time you enter**. Holding a visa gives you the right to stay, but the Immigration Bureau still needs your latest flight and accommodation information every time you enter.

3. Filing Window and Validity

The system does not accept submissions more than 72 hours in advance. Even long-term residents who cross the border regularly must file a new TDAC every time they return to Thailand from abroad, including on the day of a visa run.

4. Information Needed to File TDAC

Before you start filing, please prepare the following information:

• Passport: passport number, expiry date, date of birth, name (must exactly match the machine-readable zone (MRZ) of your passport, including middle name)
• Flight or transport information: flight number (air), license plate number (land), vessel name (sea), port of entry
• Address in Thailand: hotel name or private residential address (long-term residents can simply enter their own residential address)
• Travel health status: the system requires a health declaration
• Visa type: select your type of entry (visa exemption, tourist visa, long-term visa, etc.)

All fields must be completed in **English**. If you use the MRZ scan function (scanning the two machine-readable lines at the bottom of your passport photo page), it can auto-fill basic information, but you should always double-check that each field is correct.

5. Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Go to the Official Website

Go to tdac.immigration.go.th and click “Arrival Card” to begin filing.

Step 2: Enter Personal Information

• Enter your name as it appears on your passport (First Name / Last Name / Middle Name, matching the passport MRZ)
• Enter your passport number, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date
• You can use MRZ auto-scan to fill in the fields, but be sure to manually confirm every field after scanning

**Personal identity information (name, passport number, date of birth) cannot be changed after submission.** If you find an error, you can only submit a completely new application. **Travel information such as flight number and accommodation address** can be updated after submission via the “Update Arrival Card” function.

Step 3: Enter Travel Information

• Date of arrival (must match your actual arrival date)
• Flight number / license plate / vessel name
• Port of entry (airport name or land border crossing)
• Address in Thailand (hotel or private address)
• Purpose of travel

Step 4: Health Declaration

Fill in your current health status truthfully.

Step 5: Submit and Obtain a QR Code

After submission, the system sends a confirmation email and provides a digital arrival card with a QR code. Please save it or take a screenshot on your phone and show it to the immigration officer for scanning on arrival.

No printing is required — showing it on your phone is enough. However, it’s advisable to keep a backup screenshot in case there is no network signal on-site.

6. Filing for Family Members or Groups Traveling Together

• The official system allows you to add traveling companions within the same application, sharing flight and accommodation information
• You can add up to 10 travelers at once (including children and infants)
• Each traveler must still provide their own individual passport information
• After submission, each traveler receives their own separate QR code

7. New for 2026: ABC Automated Border Control e-Gates

This is one of the most notable updates for 2026.

Since March 2026, Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK) airports have introduced Automated Border Control (ABC) e-Gates, allowing most travelers with chip passports to use e-Gates for faster clearance:

ABC e-Gates use facial recognition technology to match your live scan against the biometric data in your TDAC and passport, and can theoretically reduce clearance time by up to 70%.

Current ABC e-Gates coverage:

Process for using e-Gates:

1. Scan your passport at the e-Gate
2. Face the camera for facial recognition
3. Scan your TDAC QR code when prompted by the system
4. Pass through the gate and complete entry

If an e-Gate rejects you due to a data mismatch, you will be directed to a manned counter for manual processing — this is not a penalty, just a manual check. e-Gates apply to most nationalities with chip passports, but not everyone can use them; it depends on your passport’s chip type.

8. What if You Forget to File TDAC on Arrival?

You will not be immediately denied entry, but you will face delays.

If you arrive without having pre-submitted a TDAC, you will not be directly denied entry, but you will need to complete it on the spot at a self-service kiosk or temporary station at the airport before you can proceed through clearance. During peak season, filing on the spot can cause significant delays.

It is still recommended that you complete filing before departure — that is, before boarding.

9. Ten Key Tips (Avoiding Common Mistakes)

1. Use only the official website. Only `tdac.immigration.go.th` is the official free platform; any paid website is an unauthorized third-party service.

2. File within 72 hours, not too early. The system does not accept submissions more than 72 hours (3 days) in advance. One to two days before departure is the best time.

3. Your name must exactly match your passport MRZ. This includes your middle name. If your passport’s MRZ includes a middle name, TDAC must include it too — it cannot be omitted.

4. Personal information cannot be changed after submission. Identity information such as name, passport number, and date of birth is locked once submitted; if there is an error, you can only file a new application. Flight number and accommodation address can be updated afterward.

5. A new filing is required for every entry. TDAC applies to a single entry only — even on the day you return to Thailand from a visa run, you must file a new TDAC, even if you were only outside the country for a few hours.

6. Long-term residents should enter their own residential address. Foreigners living in Thailand long-term should enter their own residential address (apartment or house) as their “address in Thailand” — there is no need to enter a hotel.

7. Children and infants also need a separate declaration. Every accompanying child (including infants) must have their own individual TDAC declaration, which can be added within the same application form, but each person’s own passport information must be entered.

8. Keep a phone screenshot as backup. The system sends a confirmation email containing the QR code, but it’s advisable to save a screenshot in your phone’s photo album in case you cannot open the email without network access at the airport.

9. Confirm your arrival date is correct. The arrival date must match your actual date of arrival in Thailand; an incorrect date can cause problems at clearance.

10. Note the tips for dropdown menus. Some fields are dropdown menus — typing the first 3 letters can quickly filter the options, reducing the chance of error.

10. Important 2026 Background: Developments on the 60-Day Visa Exemption Policy

This article is not about visa exemption policy, but because it significantly affects readers, it is worth noting here:

Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption, introduced in July 2024, has been formally cancelled. The change was published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, 2026, and took effect on September 15, 2026.

Current rules: 60 countries and territories (including Taiwan) now receive a 30-day visa exemption, Mauritius and Seychelles receive a 15-day visa exemption, and Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia remain on visa on arrival. This change affects visa-exemption and visa-on-arrival arrangements only — it does not change the stay rules for DTV, LTR, Thailand Privilege, retirement, work, student or dependent visas.

This policy change has no direct relationship to TDAC itself — regardless of how the visa-exempt period is adjusted, the TDAC filing requirement does not change. But if you are planning your entry timing, it’s advisable to closely monitor official announcements to confirm the actual visa-exempt period at the time you enter.

11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the difference between TDAC and a visa? TDAC is an entry information declaration system, not a visa, and it does not grant any right of entry. You need to first meet the visa or visa-exemption conditions for entering Thailand, and then separately file the TDAC.

Q2: I hold an LTR / Elite / Non-OA long-term visa — do I still need to file every time? Yes. All non-Thai nationals must file a new TDAC every time they enter; long-term visa holders are not exempt.

Q3: How many days in advance can I file TDAC? You can only file within 72 hours (3 days) before your arrival date; the system does not accept earlier submissions.

Q4: Can someone else file TDAC on my behalf? Technically yes, but the applicant is responsible for the accuracy of the information filed. The TDAC system currently does not require the traveler to operate it personally, but it’s advisable to file it yourself to ensure accuracy — especially for long-term residents in Thailand (such as Elite visa holders), who should not delegate submission to an EPL; an EPL’s assistance is limited to guidance, and submission must be carried out by the applicant personally.

Q5: What if I change accommodation while in Thailand? The address filed in TDAC is your accommodation at “initial arrival.” If you are a traveler moving around during your trip, just enter your initial accommodation address. Long-term residents should enter their own residential address.

Q6: Is there a way to cancel or void a TDAC that has already been submitted? The system currently does not offer a cancellation function. If information is incorrect, personal identity information cannot be changed and a new application must be submitted; travel information (such as flight number or accommodation) can be updated via “Update Arrival Card.”

12. Conclusion

Since the TDAC system officially launched in May 2025, it has become a routine pre-entry step for most travelers and long-term foreign residents in Thailand. The process itself is not complicated — filing one to two days in advance, preparing your passport information, and it takes five to ten minutes to complete; once you have your QR code, you simply show it at entry.

The most notable new development for 2026 is the successive rollout of ABC e-Gates at major airports. As facial recognition technology becomes integrated with TDAC data, the clearance experience for travelers with chip passports will continue to speed up, and long-term foreign residents in Thailand can expect smoother travel in and out going forward.

References: Immigration Bureau of Thailand’s official TDAC system (tdac.immigration.go.th); Thai Embassy Copenhagen — official TDAC explainer (April 2025); Immigration Bureau of Thailand — announcement on the rollout of ABC e-Gates (2026); tdac.info — TDAC 2026 FAQ guide (2026); ThaiLawOnline — TDAC guide (updated through February 2026); atlys.com — 2026 Thailand visa and entry information center.

This article’s information is current as of June 2026. If TDAC requirements or Thailand’s entry policies are updated, refer to the Immigration Bureau’s latest announcements. This article is a compilation of information and does not constitute legal advice.

More guides on Thailand’s arrival card:

For how to fill it out step by step, see Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) | 2026 Updated Complete Filling Guide: Application Time, Document Preparation, and Entry Process.

Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) 2026 Update: 25 FAQs on Application, Modification, Fees, and Important Notes

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