Non-B + WP · 🇯🇵 Japanese Applicants
💼 Non-Immigrant B Visa + Work Permit for Japanese Citizens
Country-specific 2025 guide — Apostille chain via Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, embassy in Bangkok, common Japanese pitfalls handled.
Bangkok-based visa concierge · 196 countries · Open จันทร์ – ศุกร์ 9:00 – 18:00
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Non-B is Thailand's standard business visa for foreigners employed by Thai companies (employer needs THB 2M registered capital per foreigner + 4 Thai staff). Work permit from Ministry of Labour must be filed within 90 days of entry. NYC handles both end-to-end: from Non-B at the embassy to WP, 90-day reports, re-entry permit and annual extension.
Japanese Applicant · Key Facts
- Embassy in Bangkok
- Embassy of Japan
- Apostille member
- Yes (Hague)
- MFA authority
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- Visa-exempt to Thailand
- 30 days
- Visa-on-Arrival eligible
- No
- Stay length
- 1 ปี ต่ออายุปีต่อปี
- Gov fee
- ~USD 200
- NYC fee
- THB 22,000–55,000
- Processing
- 20–30 วันทำการ (Visa) + 7 วัน (WP)
🇯🇵 Japanese-Specific Intelligence
Why Japanese citizens choose this visa
Largest Japanese expat community in Asia outside HK/Singapore — Non-B (manufacturing/automotive) + Non-O Retirement core base.
Japanese #1 rejection reason
Koseki Tohon (family registry) is the only marriage proof accepted; the abbreviated Koseki Shohon is rejected. All Japanese docs need bilingual notarisation before Apostille.
Hague Apostille route
Documents from Japanese apostilled/legalised via Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Authentication Division).
Eligibility
- Job offer from Thai company
- Employer with THB 2M paid-up capital per foreigner
- Degree + relevant experience
- Age 22–60
- No criminal record
Documents
- Passport 18+ months
- WP3 (Ministry of Labour pre-approval letter)
- Offer letter + employment contract
- Company docs (DBD certificate, VAT cert, audited statements, staff list)
- Degree + resume + reference letter (apostille + translation)
- Photos + TM.7 form
- Police clearance
- Medical certificate (6 conditions)
- Company tax filings PND.1, PND.50
- VAT registration + corporate bank statement
How to apply · Non-B + WP · Japanese applicants
- 1Thai company collects 12 docs + files WP3 at Ministry of Labour (7 days)
- 2WP3 forwarded to foreign hire for Royal Thai Embassy filing
- 3Apply Non-B + receive 90-day single-entry visa (5–10 business days)
- 4Enter Thailand + apply Work Permit at One-Stop or MOL (7 days)
- 5Within first 90 days: extend visa to 1 year at Immigration
- 690-day reporting every 3 months + re-entry permit before travel
- 7Annual visa + WP renewal
For Japanese applicants, Step 2 (document legalisation) goes via Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Authentication Division).
Choosing a Thai visa consultant as a foreign national
Choose a Thai visa consultant by how well they match a visa category to your actual situation and long-term plan, not by the fastest route in. Ask them to explain the conditions for maintaining status after approval, including 90-day reporting and re-entry permits, and to separate government fees from their service fee.
How to evaluate a provider
- Matches the category to your real situation — The wrong category at the start can make later extensions impossible.
- Explains status-maintenance obligations — 90-day reporting, re-entry permits and financial conditions affect every extension.
- Separates government fees from service fees — You should know which part the state collects.
- Tracks regulatory changes — Newer long-stay categories are revised periodically.
- Plans the extension from day one — Extensions depend on evidence gathered during the first period of stay.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Which visa category fits my situation and my long-term plan?
- After approval, what must I do to maintain status and qualify for an extension?
- How many working days does it actually take, counted from a complete file?
- If the receiving authority rejects or asks for changes, do you correct it, and under what terms?
- How can I track status, and who physically holds the original documents?
Your options, and who each suits
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Apply yourself | Applicants comfortable reading official notices with complete documents | You must track condition changes and reporting deadlines yourself. |
| Consultant for the first application only | New arrivals | Plan the extension path at the first application, not near expiry. |
| Ongoing annual support | Long-stay residents and families | Define whether reporting and extensions are inside the scope. |
FAQ on choosing a provider
- Which Thai visa consultant is recommended?
- Choose one that identifies the category matching your actual situation, explains the post-approval conditions such as 90-day reporting and re-entry permits, and clearly separates government fees from the service fee. Ask how the first application sets up your future extensions.
- Can I change visa category later?
- Some categories can be changed in-country, while others require a fresh application at a Thai embassy abroad. That is why the category should match your long-term plan from the first application rather than the quickest available entry.
แหล่งอ้างอิงทางการ · Authoritative Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy — eVisa Portal — Official online application
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Consular Affairs — Visa policy & fees
- Immigration Bureau Thailand — Extension, 90-day, re-entry
- Department of Employment (Work Permit) — WP3, alien work permit issuance
- BOI One Stop Service — Fast-track for BOI-promoted firms
- Japanese MFA / Apostille authority — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Authentication Division)
Ready to apply for Non-B + WP as a Japanese citizen?
Free 15-min consult with our Japanese-experienced team — we coordinate apostille at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and full embassy chain.
Other Thai visa options for Japanese citizens
Service Knowledge Base
Work permits, BOI/IEAT privileges, Treaty of Amity and APEC card — practical answers
First-party answers on Thai work authorisation: the standard Department of Employment route, BOI and IEAT channels for skilled experts, US company rights under the Treaty of Amity, and the APEC Business Travel Card for Thai nationals — including which supporting documents must be translated and legalised first. (19+ search topics covered)
Is a work permit the same as a visa in Thailand?
No. A visa such as Non-Immigrant B is issued by a Thai embassy or consulate, extensions of stay are approved by the Immigration Bureau, while the work permit itself is issued by the Department of Employment under the Emergency Decree on Managing the Work of Aliens B.E. 2560 (2017). Holding a valid visa does not by itself authorise employment, and working before authorisation carries legal penalties, so both tracks must be planned together.
Can dependants of a work-permit holder work?
Permission to stay as a dependant and permission to work are separate matters. Dependants admitted on the basis of the principal's status do not gain an automatic right to work; they need an employer and their own work permit application under the normal criteria. Children entering school require a separate process, including certified translations of academic records.
Does Treaty of Amity status remove the work permit requirement?
No. The treaty concerns the company's right to do business, not an individual's right to work. US executives and staff still need an appropriate visa category and a work permit under the same rules as other foreign nationals.
What must be done when changing employer or job title?
A work permit is tied to the conditions recorded in it, including employer, position and place of work, so material changes must be notified or amended under the applicable law before working under the new conditions. Changing employer also usually affects employment-based permission to stay, so the two processes should be planned together. Typical documents are a letter from the new employer, corporate registration papers and the new employment contract; verify the current procedure with the Department of Employment.
Do I need a work permit for remote work for a foreign company?
This is fact-specific. The law addresses work performed within the Kingdom rather than only the location of the payer. Visas designed for remote workers carry their own conditions and do not automatically confer the right to work for a business in Thailand. Where Thai clients or a Thai entity become involved, obtain advice before starting to avoid regulatory exposure.
What is the IEAT route?
Operators inside industrial estates governed by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand may be permitted to bring in skilled workers, experts and their families under the IEAT Act. It is a separate legal basis from BOI promotion, but the work permit and stay formalities still have to be completed with the responsible agencies.
What happens to the permit if I change employer or job title?
Authorisation is granted by reference to the employer, workplace and described duties, so a change in any of them normally requires a filing rather than a private arrangement. Continuing to work under the old permit after the change is treated as unauthorised work. Plan the change with the new employer before resigning, because the gap between employments also affects the underlying permission to stay.
Which comes first, the visa or the work permit?
In the usual sequence, the foreign national first holds a non-immigrant visa consistent with the intended employment, then applies for a work permit under the law on managing the employment of foreign workers, administered by the Department of Employment. Continued stay afterwards is decided separately by the Immigration Bureau. The three systems are distinct but interlocking, and a gap in one blocks the next.
Topics covered
หน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้อง: กรมการจัดหางาน (DOE) · สำนักงานคณะกรรมการส่งเสริมการลงทุน (BOI) · การนิคมอุตสาหกรรมแห่งประเทศไทย (กนอ./IEAT) · กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า (DBD) · สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง (ตม.) · กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ
คำค้นหลัก: ขอใบอนุญาตทำงานคนต่างชาติ · work permit thailand requirements · BOI work permit e-Expert · one stop service center visa work permit · IEAT work permit นิคมอุตสาหกรรม · treaty of amity company registration · บัตรเอเปค APEC Business Travel Card
เอกสารที่มักต้องแปล/รับรอง: ปริญญาบัตร/ทรานสคริปต์ · หนังสือรับรองประสบการณ์ทำงาน · ใบอนุญาตประกอบวิชาชีพ · หนังสือรับรองบริษัทต่างประเทศ · หนังสือมอบอำนาจ (Power of Attorney) · ทะเบียนสมรส/สูติบัตรของผู้ติดตาม
Official references
- สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง (Thai Immigration Bureau) — ระเบียบการต่อวีซ่า รายงานตัว 90 วัน และ re-entry permit
- Thai e-Visa Official Portal (กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ) — ช่องทางยื่นวีซ่าเข้าประเทศไทยอย่างเป็นทางการ
- กรมการจัดหางาน (Department of Employment) — ใบอนุญาตทำงาน (work permit) และ Digital Workpermit
Need your documents reviewed or your case assessed? Ask our team by phone, LINE, or email. We reply during business hours (Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat 9:00–15:00, ICT).
Service Playbook
Thai work permit — company-side and employee-side documents
Work permits are issued by the Department of Employment and are tied to the employer, position and workplace. Changing job, role or location requires a new filing.
Documents to prepare
- • Company side: current affidavit, shareholder list, financial statements, social security filings
- • Employee side: passport, the correct visa category, and the required medical certificate
- • Degrees and experience letters, legalised at source and translated for Thai use
- • Employment contract and job description
- • Workplace map and photographs where requested
- • Power of attorney for the company's filing agent
Step-by-step process
- 1. Check company and role eligibility — Registered capital, Thai-to-foreign staff ratio and reserved occupations are verified first.
- 2. Prepare foreign documents — Qualifications and experience letters must be legalised abroad and translated before filing.
- 3. File the application — Through the Department of Employment, or a dedicated channel such as the BOI One Stop Service.
- 4. Collect and comply — Work only within the stated role and location, and renew before expiry.
Pitfalls and rejection causes
- • Working outside the stated role or location breaches the permit conditions.
- • A permit belongs to the employer — it cannot follow you to a new company.
- • Visa and permit expire on different dates; track both.
- • Company documents older than the accepted window must be reissued.
Tips from our team
- • Set reminders at least 45 days before either expiry date.
- • Maintain a standing company document pack to speed up future filings.
- • BOI-promoted companies should use the dedicated channel to cut steps.
Prefer not to handle the queues yourself, or worried about a rejection? Send us photos of your documents for a free pre-check. We handle the full chain — obtaining certified copies, translation, certification and submission — and keep you updated at each step. Reach us on LINE, phone or email during business hours.
Route Comparison
Comparing Thai work permit routes
Different employer types use different channels, and each channel pairs with a different visa category.
| Route | When to use | Certifying authority | Approx. duration | Rejection risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard filing with the Department of Employment | The employer is an ordinary Thai company without BOI promotion | Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour | Variable, driven by how complete the employer's file is | Thai-to-foreign staff ratios and registered capital not meeting thresholds is the common refusal ground |
| BOI-promoted company channel | The employer holds a promotion certificate and the position is on the approved list | BOI together with the Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment | Generally faster than the standard route, still variable | A position that differs from the approved list requires an amendment first |
| Conditional or short-term work authorisation | Short assignments or job types covered by specific published rules | Department of Employment under the notification in force | Shorter than a full application | Working beyond the authorised scope is an offence even when a permit exists |
Timelines above are practical estimates from live casework and can change with each authority's policy; confirm with the receiving authority before booking travel. If you would rather not test routes by trial and error, our advisers can assess which route fits your case.
Advisory Service
We do not just process documents — we advise you through the whole case
Our team has worked on cross-border documents, certified translation and government liaison for over 15 years. Most rejections we see are not caused by missing paperwork but by choosing the wrong route on day one, so we always start with a case assessment.
Route assessment
We look at your destination, purpose and deadline, then tell you which certification route applies — and which steps you can skip.
Pre-submission review
Name spelling, consistency across documents, document age and translation format are checked before anything reaches a counter.
Timeline planning
We sequence the steps around your appointment or travel date and flag bottlenecks in advance.
Rejection recovery
We read the refusal reasons, identify the underlying cause, and plan a resubmission that answers what the authority asked for.
Rather not learn by trial and error? Send your case details and document photos for a review — reach us on LINE, phone or email during business hours.
Practical Q&A
Practical questions · Near me / DIY / Required documents
Where is a Thai work permit filed, and must the employee attend?
Applications are filed with the Bangkok area employment office or the provincial employment office covering the workplace, under the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour. Some categories can be filed through the e-Workpermit system. An employer or authorised representative may file, but the employee may still be asked to appear. We can assemble and pre-check the document set; contact our team by phone, LINE or email.
How must foreign supporting documents be translated and certified?
Foreign degrees or experience letters are first certified in the issuing country and by the relevant embassy, then translated into Thai or English as required by the receiving office, and finally legalised by the Legalization Division of the Department of Consular Affairs. Doing these steps out of order is the most common cause of rejection.
Can I handle the application myself?
Yes, the Department of Employment procedure is open to applicants and employers. Delays usually come from outdated forms, company documents older than the office accepts, and translations that do not match the required format. Check the current checklist of the office you will file with before you start.
Practical advice & cautions
Visa and immigration matters: advice and cautions
Before you start
Make funds explainable
Large deposits made shortly before filing attract questions. Support them with evidence of income and use statements bearing the bank's original seal.
Order documents to the authority's checklist
Assembling the bundle in the required order with an index speeds up assessment and reduces requests for more documents.
Keep every receipt and acknowledgement
Photograph all filing receipts and stamps; they are key evidence in any later verification.
Check passport validity and blank pages
Many countries set a minimum remaining validity and number of blank pages. Verify before your appointment.
Common reasons documents get rejected
Translations the destination does not accept
Accepted translator categories differ by country; confirm the required type before ordering.
Expired supporting documents
Civil registry extracts, medical certificates and police clearances have limited validity; old copies make the bundle incomplete.
Ignoring post-approval obligations
Periodic reporting, address notification and work conditions are ongoing duties that affect the next extension.
Refiling immediately without fixing the cause
Analyse the refusal grounds and address them; resubmitting the same file usually produces the same result.
Requirements differ by authority and destination country and can change. Confirm current conditions with the receiving authority, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
What people search for
Frequently searched topics about visas and immigration
- Refusal and reapplication
- Read the stated reason first and address the actual cause rather than resubmitting the same file.
- Notification of residence for foreign nationals
- House owners or occupiers must notify the stay of foreign nationals under Thai immigration law.
- Extensions and periodic reporting
- Long-stay holders must report at the intervals set by the Immigration Bureau.
- Documents required for a visa application
- Checklists are set by the embassy or receiving authority; always follow their current published notice.
These topics reflect the rules and practice of the relevant authorities and can change. Confirm with the receiving authority, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
Related services
What clients usually handle next
One document set often moves through several stages — translation, notarial certification, legalization and finally a visa filing. The links below follow that real sequence.
- Thailand visas for foreign nationalsNew applications, extensions, status changes and 90-day reporting
- Thai work permitsNew applications, renewals and amendments under Department of Employment rules
- BOI, LTR and SMART VisaInvestment promotion privileges and long-term visas for specialists
- Thai–foreign marriage registrationAffirmation of freedom to marry, embassy certification and district office registration
- Thai citizenship & permanent residenceEligibility tracks, supporting documents and interview preparation
- MFA legalization at the Department of Consular AffairsThe step after translation for documents used abroad or filed with an embassy
External authority references
- Thai e-Visa Official Portal (กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ) — ช่องทางยื่นวีซ่าเข้าประเทศไทยอย่างเป็นทางการ
- สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง (Thai Immigration Bureau) — ระเบียบการต่อวีซ่า รายงานตัว 90 วัน และ re-entry permit
- สำนักงานคณะกรรมการส่งเสริมการลงทุน (BOI) — LTR Visa และ SMART Visa
- LTR Visa – Thailand Board of Investment
Authority requirements change. Verify with the receiving authority before filing, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.