Verified 11 September 2026
Philippines marriage visa vs Thai marriage visa: fees and rules
Two routes, side by side. Each name below links to its full requirements page.
- Section 13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa by Marriage (Philippines marriage visa)
- The Philippines 13(a) is the residence visa for the foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen, granted first as a one-year probationary status and only then amended to permanent. The Bureau of Immigration lists Php 8,620.00 for the principal applicant plus US $50 for the ACR I-Card at the probationary stage, and the same Php 8,620.00 plus US $50 on its Permanent Resident Visa page for the amendment to permanent. BI's own 2025 Citizen's Charter budgets 15 days, 1 hour and 40 minutes for the probationary conversion, with Board of Commissioners approval taking a maximum of 14 working days.
- Non-Immigrant Visa Category "O" (spouse of a Thai national), with one-year extension of stay under clause 2.18 of Immigration Bureau Order 327/2557 (Thai marriage visa)
- The "marriage visa" is really two things: a 90-day single-entry Non-Immigrant O issued by a Thai embassy, then a one-year extension of stay granted inside Thailand by the Immigration Bureau. The money test for the extension is set by clause 2.18(6) of Order 327/2557: an average income of no less than THB 40,000 per month, or no less than THB 400,000 sitting in a Thai bank account for the two months before you apply. The extension application costs THB 1,900, is granted for no more than one year at a time, and can be renewed indefinitely while the marriage is genuine "de jure and de facto".
| 13A visa / Philippines marriage visa | Thai marriage visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | philippines | thailand |
| Stay per entry | Continuous residence: the probationary grant is a status valid for one (1) year, not a per-entry stamp. | 90 days on the initial single-entry Non-Immigrant O; once extended inside Thailand, permission is granted for no more than one year at a time |
| Total validity | One (1) year probationary, then permanent once amended. ExpatDen reports that permanent 13(a) holders renew the ACR I-Card only once every five years. | Indefinite in practice — the one-year extension is renewable each year while the marriage remains genuine in law and in fact and the money test is still met |
| Government fee | ₱8,620 — Principal applicant's visa fee for the probationary 13(a) conversion, plus US $50 for the ACR I-Card. BI's Permanent Resident Visa page lists the same Php 8,620.00 plus US $50 for the later amendment to permanent, so budget both stages. Applying through a Philippine consulate abroad instead carries a separate US $150.00 immigrant visa fee (Philippine Consulate General, Los Angeles). | ฿1,900 — per one-year extension of stay application (form TM.7), paid at the Immigration office; the embassy visa fee is charged separately in local currency (e.g. SGD 100 in Singapore, ZAR 1,250 in Pretoria) |
| Income required | None | ฿40,000 — average monthly income, as an alternative to the bank deposit, under clause 2.18(6) of Order 327/2557 |
| Savings required | None | None |
| Deposit required | None | ฿400,000 — held in a bank account in Thailand for the two months before the extension application; embassies issuing the initial Non-O ask instead for a balance held for the last 3 months, which may be held abroad |
| Minimum age | None | None |
| Health insurance | Not required | Not required |
| Processing time | BI's 2025 Citizen's Charter budgets 15 days, 1 hour and 40 minutes end to end for the probationary conversion, the bulk of which is transmittal to Agenda Records Management and Board of Commissioners approval at a maximum of 14 working days. Real elapsed time is longer once hearing scheduling, document authentication and ACR I-Card printing are counted. | Embassies want the e-Visa filed well ahead — Singapore asks for submission at least 21 working days before travel. The in-country extension is usually not stamped on the day you apply: offices commonly issue an "under consideration" period of about 30 days while they verify the marriage. |
| Apply from | Inside the Philippines at a BI office (the Citizen's Charter states the applicant must be inside the country when filing), or from abroad through a Philippine embassy or consulate, which charges its own immigrant visa fee. | Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad for the initial Non-O (e-Visa), then the Immigration office covering your registered address in Thailand for the annual extension. Holders already in Thailand on some other status can in many cases change status to Non-O in-country instead. |
Choose the 13A visa / Philippines marriage visa if
- No financial deposit, no minimum income and no minimum age are published for the 13(a) — unlike the SRRV, which requires a locked bank deposit
- Leads to open-ended permanent residence and the right to live and work in the Philippines without a separate employer-sponsored 9(g)
- Once permanent, the ACR I-Card is reportedly renewed only every five years rather than annually
- Unmarried children under 21 can be included as dependents in the same application
- BI publishes the fee schedule and a step-by-step Citizen's Charter, so the official cost is checkable rather than quoted by an agent
Choose the Thai marriage visa if
- THB 400,000 is half the THB 800,000 an O-A retirement applicant has to show at the embassy, and the income route is 40,000/month rather than 65,000
- No minimum age, unlike the retirement routes
- No health insurance requirement, unlike the O-A, which needs cover of not less than USD 100,000 (3,000,000 baht)
- The extension renews annually with no lifetime cap, so it is a genuine long-term residence path rather than a fixed-term permit
- Money can sit in your own Thai bank account and stay yours — there is no investment, bond or non-refundable deposit
Quick answers
- What does each cost, the Philippines marriage visa or the Thai marriage visa?
- The Philippines marriage visa fee on record is ₱8,620. The Thai marriage visa fee on record is ฿1,900. Fees are in each country's own currency or the amount the post quotes, so compare them with that in mind.
- How much money does the Philippines marriage visa need compared with the Thai marriage visa?
- Philippines marriage visa: no money threshold on record. Thai marriage visa: income ฿40,000, deposit ฿400,000.
- Which of the Philippines marriage visa and the Thai marriage visa requires health insurance?
- Philippines marriage visa: not required. Thai marriage visa: not required.
- How long can I stay on the Philippines marriage visa and on the Thai marriage visa?
- Philippines marriage visa: stay per entry Continuous residence: the probationary grant is a status valid for one, total validity One. Thai marriage visa: stay per entry 90 days on the initial single-entry Non-Immigrant O, total validity Indefinite in practice — the one-year extension is renewable each year while the marriage….
Keep reading
13A visa / Philippines marriage visa last checked 11 September 2026; Thai marriage visa last checked 11 September 2026. Sources are listed on each visa page.