Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.
Last updated on September 5, 2026
TDAC (บัตรขาเข้าดิจิทัล, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, sometimes written digital arrival card or e-arrival card) is the online arrival declaration that every foreign national must submit before entering Thailand, through the Immigration Bureau’s portal at tdac.immigration.go.th, within 72 hours of the scheduled arrival. It replaced the paper TM6 arrival and departure card on 1 May 2025. It is not a visa, not an electronic travel authorisation and not a permission to enter: it is the digital version of the arrival form, and it is free.
Table of Contents
What the arrival card is and who files it
The Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) requires every person entering the Kingdom to give the competent official the particulars in the prescribed form. For decades that was the TM6 handed out on the aircraft; since 1 May 2025 it is the TDAC, completed online and matched to the passport at the counter. The obligation falls on all foreign nationals, including children and infants, whatever their visa, exemption or residence status. Thai nationals do not file one.
The card asks for passport details, name, date of birth, nationality and gender, the flight and port of entry, the address of the first night’s accommodation in Thailand, and a health declaration listing countries visited in the previous 14 days. Each traveller has their own card, but one session on the portal can submit up to 10 cards for a family or group. Flight details can be edited after submission; name, passport number, date of birth and nationality cannot, so an error there means a new card.
Filing it and what goes wrong
The card is filed on the official portal or through the Immigration Bureau’s mobile application, and a confirmation with a QR code is emailed. The portal opens 72 hours (three days) before the scheduled arrival, so it cannot be filed a week ahead. There is no fee; websites that charge for filing a TDAC are unofficial and the card they produce may not exist in the Bureau’s system. The confirmation should be kept on the phone for the immigration counter and for the 90-day report, where some offices ask for it in place of the old TM6 stub.
A traveller who arrives without a card is sent to kiosks at the major airports to complete it, which costs time at busy periods. The common mistake is entering the wrong accommodation address or a hotel that was later changed; the address is matched against the TM30 filed by the host, and a mismatch is a routine reason for questions at an extension of stay.
TDAC, ETA and visa exemption are different things
| Document | Purpose | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| TDAC | Arrival declaration replacing the TM6 | Mandatory for all foreigners since 1 May 2025 |
| ETA (electronic travel authorisation) | Pre-screening of visa-exempt travellers | Announced, no confirmed start date |
| Visa exemption | Permission to enter for tourism without a visa | 60 days until 14 September 2026, 30 days from 15 September 2026 |
| e-Visa | A visa applied for online before travel | In force worldwide since 1 January 2025 |
Filing a TDAC gives no right to enter; the officer still checks the visa or exemption, the onward ticket and funds. Nor does it replace the host’s TM30 or the foreigner’s 90-day report. A new TDAC is required for every entry, including a return from a border run on the same day. The 30-day visa exemption from 15 September 2026 leaves the TDAC requirement unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
Is the TDAC free and where do I fill it in?
Yes, it is free on the Immigration Bureau’s official portal at tdac.immigration.go.th and on the Bureau’s mobile application. Third-party sites that charge a fee are not official and may not lodge the card in the Bureau’s system, so the traveller can arrive with a paid receipt and no card.
When do I need to submit the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
Within the 72 hours (three days) before your scheduled arrival in Thailand. The portal does not accept earlier submissions. It can be filed at the departure airport or during a stopover, and the confirmation email with the QR code should be saved on the phone for the immigration counter.
Do I need a TDAC for every entry into Thailand?
Yes. The card relates to a single arrival, so a foreigner who leaves and returns, even the same day on a border run, files a new one each time. Residents on extensions of stay, permanent residents and holders of long-term visas are all included; only Thai nationals are exempt.
See also: visa exemption, TM30, 90-day report, Immigration Bureau, and the guides to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card and the electronic travel authorisation.
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