TM.30 and the Certificate of Residence in Thailand

The two documents, in one table

So the order is always the same: TM.30 first, certificate second, DLT third. A missing TM.30 is what blocks the rest.

TM.30: what it is and who files it

Under Section 38 of the Immigration Act of 1979, the owner, head of household, landlord or hotel manager who hosts a foreigner must notify Immigration within 24 hours of the foreigner's arrival. In Bangkok the notice goes to the Immigration Bureau, elsewhere to the local immigration office or, where there is none, the local police station.

• Hotels file at check-in. Managed condominiums usually file through the building management. An owner of their own condo files for themselves. A Thai host files when you stay with them.
• The form has two parts: the owner's details and the address, and the list of foreigners with passport and arrival card number. Names and passport numbers must match the passport exactly.
• Since the 2020 notification the form must also state each foreigner's arrival date and expected departure date.
• You get a receipt. Keep it: it is the evidence you will be asked for at Immigration and at the DLT.

Verified In practice the address is registered once with the rental contract and the owner's documents, and after each return you only confirm it at Immigration with your passport. Other offices may handle a return differently, so keep the latest receipt.

How the TM.30 is filed

• In person at the immigration office for the address, or by an authorised person.
• By registered post.
• Online. The owner registers first, which for a first filing can require identifying themselves in person at Immigration.

Online filing is not available when the owner has an outstanding fine, and there are commercial "TM30 online" services that are not government sites.

The penalty, and what a missing TM.30 blocks

The practical cost is bigger than the fine. Without a TM.30 on file, guides report you may be unable to:

• file your 90-day report (TM.47), or have it refused;
• get a visa extension, or have it delayed;
• get the Certificate of Residence that the DLT asks for.

Enforcement differs from one office to another, and some offices barely check.

If your landlord will not file

• Ask politely, and in writing. It is the landlord's legal duty.
• You can register it yourself at the immigration office, with your rental contract and the landlord's documents: their ID, the house registration, and the ownership proof. Verified
• A power of attorney from the landlord works if they cannot attend.
• An agent will do it for a fee (one guide says 500–1,500 THB, with no source).

The Certificate of Residence

This is the document that proves where you live, and the one the DLT lists among the requirements for foreigners. It is issued by the Immigration office for your address, you apply in person, and you normally need:

• Your original passport. Verified Asked for at Phuket Immigration. One guide adds that copies are not accepted.
• Your TM.30 receipt, with the address matching. Verified Immigration accepts the TM.30 as the basis for issuing the certificate.
• The application form from the office. Verified Asked for at Phuket Immigration. It asks what the certificate is for: a driving licence, a vehicle or other. Your visa and entry stamp pages are also reported by guides.
• A passport photo. Verified Asked for at Phuket Immigration. The size and the number of photos depend on the office, so ask.
• The fee in cash, since most offices do not accept cards for this.

Verified At Phuket Immigration they asked for the passport, a photo and a form, with the TM.30 already on file. The other items come from guides and may differ at your office. One guide also reports that the 90-day report status is checked and some offices ask for it.

If an office staff member says "TM.16", ask which one they mean. What you almost certainly need is the address-type certificate, and you do not pay the permanent-residence fee.

Verified At Phuket Immigration the certificate is 500 THB if you want it the same day, or free if you can wait: it is ready from the next day, although the last time the free one needed a week. So the "free" and the "500 THB" figures in the sources are both right: they are the slow and the fast option.

Verified At the DLT, the documents that prove where you live are your work permit and the Certificate of Residence issued by Immigration. A 90-day report receipt (TM.47) is not accepted: it confirms you reported your address to Immigration, but it is a different document from the TM.30 registration and from the certificate. The TM.30 is what Immigration needs on file before it will issue the certificate.

The embassy alternative

Some embassies issue a letter or an affidavit of residence that the DLT accepts. It usually costs more and is quick, but it can be unavailable. The Thaiger reports that several embassies, including the US and the UK, have stopped issuing them, so check with yours first.

A sensible plan

1. Register the address on day one

   Take your rental contract and the owner's documents to Immigration, or ask the landlord to file, and keep the receipt. Each time you return, verify the address with your passport.

2. Book the DLT appointment first

   The certificate is only valid 30 days (in most offices), so time it to your slot, not the other way round.

3. Apply for the certificate a week or so before

   The free version can take a week, and it is valid about 30 days. If you are short of time, the same-day option costs 500 THB in Phuket.

4. Take the originals and a spare copy

   Passport, TM.30 receipt, the certificate and your photos.

5. Then do the DLT step

   See the step-by-step guide, or the vehicle purchase and transfer.

The 90-day report (TM.47)

If you stay more than 90 days on the same visa you must report your address every 90 days. The Immigration Bureau says it can be filed online up to 15 days before the due date, that the system emails a "Pending" status and the result within 3 days, and that reminders are sent 15 days ahead. Online filing is not available right after a change of passport, in which case you notify an officer in person or through a representative.

Frequently asked questions