Is This an Official Government Website?
The government's official platform is tdac.immigration.go.th, run directly by Thailand's Immigration Bureau, and filing your TDAC there is always completely free.
Travel Declaration is an independent assistance service. We don't charge for the government form itself. What we charge for is our support: verifying your details before submission, checking for the errors that most commonly delay travelers.
If you'd rather file directly, the official site is right there, free of charge, and we encourage you to double-check that any site you use ends in immigration.go.th before entering personal information.
What Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is a digital entry and health declaration that replaced the old paper TM6 arrival card. It became mandatory for all foreign arrivals on 1 May 2025, with early submissions accepted from 28 April 2025.
One important clarification: TDAC is not a visa, and it's not an ETA (electronic travel authorization). Confirming your TDAC doesn't grant you permission to enter Thailand or guarantee entry — it's a pre-arrival declaration that works alongside any visa requirement you may already have, not instead of one.
Why Was TDAC Introduced?
Thailand's Immigration Bureau introduced TDAC to strengthen security, streamline processing at immigration checkpoints, and support public health monitoring — replacing a paper-based system that couldn't keep pace with modern travel volumes.
Who Needs to Complete a TDAC?
Every non-Thai national entering Thailand needs to complete a TDAC — regardless of visa status. That includes tourists, visa-exempt travelers, visa-on-arrival travelers, long-term visa holders, and returning expats. Being visa-exempt doesn't exempt you from TDAC; the two requirements are completely independent.
Traveling with children? Every individual, including infants, needs their own TDAC — a parent or legal guardian files it on their behalf. There's no combined family form, though you can bundle up to 10 travelers into a single group submission.
A couple of exceptions are worth noting: transit passengers who never clear Thai immigration, and travelers using an official Border Pass scheme, are generally not required to file. If either applies to you, it's worth confirming your specific situation on the official site before you travel.
Is the TDAC Free?
Yes — filing your TDAC on the official government site is completely free, and it always will be. The Thai Immigration Bureau has issued repeated public warnings about fake TDAC websites charging fees or harvesting personal data, so this is worth taking seriously.
Any fee you pay through Travel Declaration covers our verification and filing support — not the government form itself. We believe in being transparent about that distinction, because it's the difference between a legitimate assistance service and the scam sites the government has warned travelers about.
When Should You Submit Your TDAC?
Let us handle the filing for you
About 7 minutes to fill in. A reviewer checks your details, then we submit on time — and retry if the portal fails.
Apply through TravelDeclaration.comYou can submit your TDAC within 72 hours (3 days) of your arrival, including the day you land. The system won't accept submissions made earlier than that window. For example, if you're arriving on March 1st, your window opens on February 28th.
We recommend submitting 1-2 days before you travel rather than waiting until the last minute. If you miss the window entirely, airport kiosks are available on arrival — but during high season, queues at these kiosks can stretch 30-60 minutes, which is the last thing you want after a long flight.
What Information Do You Need to Complete the TDAC?
The TDAC form is organized into a few clear categories. Having everything ready before you start makes the process faster and reduces the chance of errors.
Passport & Personal Information
You'll need your passport number, full name exactly as it appears in your passport, date of birth, nationality, occupation, gender, and a contact phone number. You can manually enter these details or scan your passport's machine-readable zone (MRZ) to auto-fill the form — just double-check the results, since OCR scans can misread characters. All entries must be in English, in uppercase, with no accents, special characters, or nicknames.
What if you're filling this out for a child? This is one of the most common points of confusion, and it's worth addressing directly: for a child's occupation field, entering "student" or "child" is standard practice, since children don't have a formal occupation to declare.
Travel Information
This section covers your arrival date, mode of transport (air, land, or sea), and flight or vehicle number, along with your country of embarkation. Departure details from Thailand aren't required within the TDAC itself, though your airline or immigration officer may separately ask for proof of onward travel.
Accommodation Information
You'll need the address of where you're staying for your first night in Thailand — either the full address (province, district, sub-district, postal code) or simply the hotel name and city. If your trip includes multiple stops, you only need to list the first confirmed accommodation.
Health Declaration
This section asks about countries you've visited within the two weeks before arrival. Additional questions only appear if your travel history, embarkation country, nationality, or flight is flagged on a Ministry of Public Health watch list. The one concrete vaccination requirement is proof of yellow fever vaccination, and only if you're arriving from or have visited a yellow-fever risk country. There's no blanket COVID-19 or other vaccine requirement.
How to Fill Out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (Step by Step)
Confirm your timing
Make sure you're within the 72-hour window before arrival — the system won't accept earlier submissions.
Visit the official site
And select "Arrival Card."
Choose Individual or Group
Submission, depending on who you're traveling with.
Enter your passport and personal information
Either manually or via MRZ scan, then continue.
Enter your travel and accommodation details
Then continue.
Complete the health declaration
And preview your submission.
Review everything carefully
Most identity fields can't be edited once submitted.
Enter your email address
This is how your confirmation and QR code will be delivered.
Accept the terms and conditions, and submit
Receive confirmation
You'll see an on-screen confirmation immediately, followed by a PDF with a QR code emailed within minutes.
Save your confirmation
Store the PDF or QR code somewhere accessible offline — a phone screen is sufficient at immigration, but a printed backup doesn't hurt.
Submitting for a Group or Family
If you're traveling with others, you can bundle up to 10 travelers into a single group submission, using one shared contact email for all confirmations. Each traveler still gets their own individual TDAC record — there's no single combined family form, but the "Same as Previous Traveler" option speeds things up for shared trip and accommodation details.
Updating a Submitted TDAC
Made a mistake? Travel and accommodation details can be updated after submission. However, identity fields — your name, nationality, date of birth, and passport number — cannot be changed. If you've made an error in one of these fields, you'll need to file a brand-new TDAC from scratch.
What Happens After You Submit?
You'll receive an on-screen confirmation the moment you submit, followed by a PDF confirmation with a QR code sent to your email within minutes. Save this file somewhere you can access offline — your phone's photo gallery works well — and consider keeping a printed backup as well. You don't need to print it for immigration; showing the QR code on your phone screen is enough. Hold onto your confirmation until you leave Thailand, since it may be requested again on departure, or for other immigration processes like visa extensions.
TDAC vs. Visa vs. TM6 vs. TM30 — What's the Difference?
These four terms get mixed up constantly, so here's a clear breakdown of what each one actually is:
| TDAC | TM6 (old) | Thai Visa | TM30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Digital pre-arrival entry + health declaration | Old paper arrival card (discontinued) | Legal permission to enter/stay | Residence notification |
| Status since May 2025 | Mandatory, replaces TM6 | Discontinued | Still required per nationality rules — independent of TDAC | Still required |
| Who files it | The traveler (or guardian, for minors) | N/A (retired) | The traveler, in advance or on visa-exempt entry | Normally the property owner/landlord |
| Cost | Free | — | Varies by visa type | Free |
| Where | tdac.immigration.go.th | — | Embassy/consulate, e-Visa portal, or visa-exempt at border | Local immigration office |
Other Thailand Entry Requirements to Know
These aren't part of the TDAC itself, but they're common questions travelers have when preparing for a Thailand trip:
- Passport validity: Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date. Damaged passports — torn, water-damaged, or missing pages — can cause issues at immigration.
- Proof of onward travel: A one-way ticket may prompt additional questioning at the border.
- A valid visa, if your nationality isn't visa-exempt. TDAC doesn't replace this requirement.
- Proof of funds: Some officers conduct random checks, with cited figures around 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family. This isn't universal, but it's worth being prepared.
- e-Gates: Available to travelers 16+ with a biometric passport who've previously registered with Thai Immigration. First-time visitors use manned counters.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Filing Your TDAC
A surprising number of TDAC submissions run into avoidable problems. Here's what to watch for:
Submitting too early
The system rejects submissions made outside the 72-hour window.
Typos in your name or passport number
This is the most common cause of submission issues — and one that can't be fixed by editing afterward.
Using accents, nicknames, or lowercase letters
Where your passport uses uppercase Latin transliteration.
Trusting the MRZ scan blindly
Auto-fill from a passport scan is convenient, but always recheck every field.
Not saving your confirmation
Whether by phone or print, keep it accessible until you leave Thailand.
Assuming a TDAC replaces your visa or return-ticket proof
It doesn't — these are separate requirements.
This is exactly the kind of detail our verification process is built to catch, before it becomes a problem at the airport.
How Travel Declaration Can Help
We know the TDAC form is free, and it should stay that way — filing directly on the official government site never costs anything. What we offer is something different: a careful review of your details before you submit, help correcting the errors that most commonly cause delays, and a real point of contact if something doesn't go as planned.
Our service is built for travelers who want extra reassurance — whether you're unsure about a specific field, filing for a group, or simply don't have time to navigate the process yourself before a flight. We handle the verification and filing on your behalf, so you can focus on the rest of your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
It's a mandatory online entry and health declaration required for all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand, replacing the old paper TM6 form.
Is TDAC a visa?
No. TDAC is a separate declaration, not a visa or an ETA. It doesn't grant permission to enter Thailand.
Is TDAC required if I'm visa-exempt?
Yes. Visa exemption and TDAC are independent requirements — you need both, where applicable.
Is the TDAC free?
Yes, filing directly on the official government site is completely free. Be cautious of any third-party site charging a fee for the form itself.
How do I fill out the TDAC?
You'll enter your passport details, travel information, accommodation address, and complete a short health declaration — the whole process typically takes 5-10 minutes. See our step-by-step guide above for the full walkthrough.
How many days before arrival can I apply?
You can submit within 72 hours (3 days) of your arrival date, including the day you land.
What should I enter for a child's occupation?
Entering "student" or "child" is standard practice, since children don't have a formal occupation.
Do I need a new TDAC every time I enter Thailand?
Yes — every entry requires a fresh TDAC submission, even for multiple-entry visa holders.
Can I edit my TDAC after submitting it?
Only non-identity details, like travel and accommodation information. Your name, nationality, date of birth, and passport number cannot be changed — a mistake there means filing a new TDAC.
What happens if I don't complete my TDAC?
You may be denied boarding by your airline, or face delays clearing immigration on arrival in Thailand.
Sources & Further Reading
- Official Thailand Digital Arrival Card website — Thailand Immigration Bureau
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card — Wikipedia