Five or six weeks in Thailand this winter? Before booking your flights, you need to establish which permission to stay covers your trip. Since 15 September 2026, German nationals have been allowed visa-free tourist stays of no more than 30 days. The previous 60-day rule has been abolished.
This is confirmed by the Federal Foreign Office and the Thai authorities. The following information is current as of 8 November 2026; the Federal Foreign Office’s travel and safety advice has remained unchanged since 26 October 2026.
1. Check your travel dates against your permitted stay
Make a note of your planned arrival in Thailand and your actual departure. Your departure date from Germany and your subsequent arrival home are not enough for this check. Four calendar weeks and a calendar month are also different lengths of time.
If you wish to stay for more than 30 days, establish which tourist visa you need with the relevant Thai diplomatic mission before booking. According to the Federal Foreign Office, a tourist visa issued in advance generally permits a stay of up to 60 days; applications can generally be made for an e-visa. The immigration authorities determine the permitted length of stay on arrival. Check the recorded end date afterwards.
2. Do not count on an extension
A visa-free stay can be extended for tourism purposes by up to a further 30 days. This is at the discretion of the Thai immigration authorities. The application must be submitted before the permitted stay expires.
For a longer winter trip planned as such from the outset, arranging the visa in advance therefore provides a more reliable basis for planning. A later return flight that has already been booked is no substitute for the required permission to stay.
3. Have your passport and supporting documents ready
German travellers may use a passport or temporary passport; a national identity card is not sufficient. The travel document must be valid for at least another six months on arrival. Check its condition too: damage can lead to refusal of entry.
Visa-free entry requires proof of onward or return travel, such as a flight, bus or train ticket. Make sure its date falls within your permitted stay. Under the Thai embassy’s conditions, you must also carry 20,000 baht in cash per person or 40,000 baht per family, or the equivalent in another currency. A bank card alone does not meet this requirement to show cash funds.
4. Allow for the digital arrival card
Before arrival, you must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC. According to the Federal Foreign Office, registration opens no earlier than three days before arrival. Have your passport details, travel information and accommodation address ready; the information must be entered in English. Save the confirmation for your trip. The digital arrival card is not a visa and does not extend your stay.
5. Check your itinerary separately
Permission to enter says nothing about the security situation in individual regions. As of 8 November 2026, the Federal Foreign Office warns against travel to a 20-kilometre-wide strip along the border with Cambodia. All border crossings into Cambodia are closed.
Travel to Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, as well as the districts of Chana, Na Thawi, Thepha and Saba Yoi in Songkhla province, is strongly discouraged. These areas therefore require a separate itinerary check, even for a short trip.
At a glance
First establish your arrival and departure dates, then check them against your permitted length of stay. For more than 30 days, sort out your visa before booking. Then prepare your passport, proof of onward travel and cash, complete the TDAC shortly before arrival and keep areas covered by regional travel warnings out of your itinerary.
Original reviewed by the editors · 8 November 2026
