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The EU adopts more favourable Schengen visa rules for Thailand

18.05.2026 Press and information team of the Delegation to THAILAND

The European Union and Thailand are getting closer! Relations took another step forward with the adoption of Schengen visa facilitations for Thai nationals residing in Thailand through a “visa cascade” system. The new rules will further enhance people-to-people exchanges and the abilities of Thai nationals to experience Europe.

The cascade regime applies to Thai nationals residing in Thailand applying for short-stay Schengen visas* at an Embassy or Consulate of a Schengen state in Thailand. Bona-fide Thai travellers with no history of overstaying may now be entitled to progressively longer visa validity periods. Travellers who have obtained and lawfully used a Schengen visa in the past two years can now be issued a multiple-entry visa with a validity of one year. Following this, frequent travellers can obtain multiple-entry visas with a two- and eventually five-year validity period.

The new rules will facilitate frequent Thai travellers’ access to the whole Schengen area, underscoring the growing momentum in EU-Thailand cooperation under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

*Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work. The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries (of which 25 are EU states): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. 

Please see the following link for more information on Schengen visas: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Please see the following link for more information on Entry/Exit System: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/thailand/travelling-europe-new-entryexit-system_en?s=181