From the long stretches of fine white sand in the east to the breathtaking wilderness in the west, Phuket has something for every variety of travelers. As the tourism industry slowly opens up in the area, there are documents that you need to prepare before your visit—one of which is a Certificate of Entry or COE. The Thai government requires all inbound travelers with foreign and Thai passports to obtain a Certificate of Entry (COE) to travel around the area. And to make this process as smooth as possible, we have compiled three simple steps that you can take to get your COE and bring on your trip.
Certificate of Entry application process for inbound passengers
- Prepare the supporting documents
- Register and upload the first batch of the required documents
- Wait for the pre-approval and submit the second batch of the required documents
Step 1: Prepare the supporting documents
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Prepare a copy of your travel documents. Ready a scanned digital copy of your passport and Covid-19 travel insurance. Take note that your insurance coverage should have a minimum of USD100,000 and covers the treatment and medical expenses related to Covid-19. You also need to scan a digital copy of your visa: Tourist visa, non-immigrant visa, or extension of stay with a re-entry permit.
Step 2: Register and upload the first batch of the required documents
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For this step you will need a scanned copy of the following documents:
- Passport
- Visa
- Vaccination certificate
- Medical insurance (Covid-19 insurance)
Fill out the Certificate of Entry Application Form and submit the first batch of the required documents. The COE application form is available on both the Thai Embassy and COE Thailand’s official websites. Fill up the form with your personal information, contact details of the accommodation that you’re planning to stay in Phuket, and contact person. Your contact person will be notified about your flight number and arrival. Upload the scanned copy of your passport, Thai visa, vaccination certificate, and Covid-19 medical insurance. After your documents are uploaded and verified, you will receive a system-generated 6-digit code which you will use to proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Wait for the pre-approval and submit the second batch of the required documents
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For this step you will need a scanned copy of the following documents:
- Confirmed flight booking
- Confirmed SHA+ hotel booking
- SHABA Certificate
The embassy will screen and pre-approve the applicants who meet the requirements. You will receive an email from the embassy within 3 days after your application. Once your COE has been pre-approved, you will need to book a flight and your SHA+ hotel in Phuket. The SHABA certificate will be issued by your SHA+ hotel after your booking has been confirmed. Directly contact your hotel to get a copy of the SHABA certificate.
Remember that you only have 15 days to confirm your roundtrip airline tickets and SHA+ hotel booking at the COE Thailand website. Once your new set of documents are uploaded, The embassy will screen your application and notify you within 3 days.
Once your application is approved, the embassy will send you a copy of your Certificate of Entry via email. Print your COE and bring it with you to the airport. Remember that the COE is just one of the many travel documents that you need to prepare before your trip to Phuket.
In case you encounter any issue with your application, you can visit COE Thailand’s official website or contact the Thai embassy in your country.
FAQs
Who needs a Certificate of Entry?
Travelers must come from countries considered as low or medium-risk areas by the Thai Government. Travelers must, however, be in these eligible countries for at least 21 consecutive days.
List of eligible travelers who are required to secure a COE before entering Thailand
- Thai passport holders
- Diplomats, officials of international organizations, and their family members
- Non-Thai nationals who are spouses (holding a Thai Marriage visa), parents or children of Thai nationals
- Non-Thai nationals who have a Certificate of Permanent Residence
- Non-Thai nationals with valid work permit or letter of confirmation to work (WP3) from the relevant Thai government agency, and their spouse and children
- Non-Thai nationals who are students of formal educational establishments in Thailand as approved by Thai authorities, and their parents
- Non-Thai nationals in need of medical treatment in Thailand, except for treatment of COVID-19, including their accompanying persons
- Holders of Non-Immigrant visa Category OA/OX
- Holders of APEC Business card or Thai Elite Visa
- Holders of Special Tourist Visa (STV) or Tourist Visa (TR) selected countries only
- Holders of Non-Immigrant visa for Business purpose, ownership of condominium or investment
- Holders of Non-Immigrant O retirement visa
- Passport holders of Countries under Visa Exemption Program
If I intend to apply for a 60-day Thai tourist visa, should I apply for that before applying for a Certificate of Entry?
You must have a visa before applying for a Certificate of Entry. A valid visa is part of the COE application process.
What should I do if I can’t travel on the date specified on the COE?
You should re-apply for a new Certificate of Entry. You can only travel on the date specified on your COE.
What should I do if my application is rejected?
Don’t panic. It only means that you missed an important section during the application process. The embassy will send you an email that directs you to the section or document that needs correction. Follow the instructions on the email and simply re-apply for another COE.
