How long does a Thai DTV visa take to process?

There is no single processing time for the Destination Thailand Visa, because each Thai embassy or consulate handles its own files. The Royal Thai Embassy in London publishes no figure on its DTV page. Three posts do, and they disagree by weeks.

What the posts publish

The Hague figure covers e-visas in general and its page dates from February 2025. All three posts say the fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.

What agencies see

Issa Compass, a visa agency, gives 5 to 15 business days for online applications in a guide updated on 2 October 2026, as few as 3 to 4 working days for a clean file, and 2 to 4 weeks at the slower posts. It attributes most delays to the file, not to the embassy: bank statements below the threshold or in the wrong format, unclear proof of activity, details that differ from one document to the next. The Ho Chi Minh City consulate says the same thing officially: the count restarts when you resubmit a missing document.

Can I apply for the DTV online?

Yes, and online is the only way. The Thaiger notes that paper applications ended on 1 January 2025 and that you apply on the official portal, thaievisa.go.th, from outside Thailand. Since 31 August 2026 the post must be the one covering a country where you are a national or a resident, as can I still apply for the DTV in Laos or Vietnam explains.

The timeline that matters

Processing is the short part. Count backwards from your flight:

1. The 500,000 THB, which many posts expect to see on about three months of statements. See how long the money has to sit.
2. The police certificate, which takes from hours to months depending on the country. Our post on the DTV police certificate in six countries gives the delays.
3. The embassy's own processing time, from the table above or from the page of your post.

Do not book a flight you cannot move until the visa is in your inbox. The portal steps are in our complete DTV guide, and visa check confirms that the DTV is the right route for your stay. Processing times are estimates, not commitments, so read the current page of the post that will handle your file.