Norwegian citizens in Thailand will soon need to find alternative ways to prove their financial means when applying for or renewing retirement visas. The Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok has announced it will stop issuing income confirmation letters, a service previously provided to support visa applications to Thai immigration authorities.
The decision follows a written response from Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, to a question raised in the Norwegian Parliament by Erlend Wiborg, a Member of Parliament from Østfold and Chair of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs.
“Issuing confirmation of pension or income from Norway is neither an urgent nor a legally mandated task,” says Espen Barth Eide.
He emphasized that consular assistance must focus on core, legally required services, especially given the large number of Norwegians living and traveling abroad.
The embassy will phase out the service with one year’s notice to allow time for citizens to adapt. Norwegian retirees in Thailand are encouraged to familiarize themselves with current Thai immigration rules and prepare accordingly.
Shift in Thai immigration practice
The change aligns with broader developments in Thai immigration procedures. In recent years, Thai authorities have moved away from accepting income statements issued by foreign embassies, citing concerns over unverifiable information.
Previously, many embassies — including those of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, and others — ceased issuing such letters after Thai immigration began requiring direct evidence of income, such as deposits into Thai bank accounts.
Thai immigration offices in many provinces now prefer:
- A lump-sum balance of at least 800,000 THB maintained in a Thai bank account
- Or monthly deposits of at least 65,000 THB into a Thai bank account
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out that those needing to document income should refer to official sources:
The ministry’s updated guidance can also be found in the recent government white paper, “Når uhellet er utenlands – Konsulær bistand og bistand fra norske myndigheter i krisesituasjoner i utlandet” (Meld. St. 18 2024–2025).
This move brings Norway in line with many other Western countries whose embassies no longer provide income verification services for use in Thai visa applications.
Maybe both comments here have a poor understanding of the English language. This is happening.
Sure that Denmark and Sweden doesn`t issue this ? I think this article is wrong
The article regarding income statement and the Norwegian Embassy is highly inaccurate
Both the Danish and the Swedish embassies issues income statement for their citizens. The Immigration Department has no problems regarding these statements.