Answers · Non-OA Retirement Visa

What is the police clearance requirement, and what counts as an acceptable document?

Every OA applicant must provide a Police Clearance Certificate, Criminal Background Check, or equivalent document issued by their country of application. This is a hard requirement with no alternative.

The certificate must be issued by an official government authority at either the national or sub-national level (such as a state, province, or equivalent). Commonly, this means applying directly to a federal or state police authority rather than using a third-party service.

Important Note: Certificates or background reports generated by third-party commercial services are not accepted. Services that provide quick online “clean background” reports do not qualify regardless of how official they appear. The document must be a government-issued certificate that clearly reflects a national or sub-national level background check.

Applicants with a clean record should find this straightforward to obtain, though processing times vary by country and can take several weeks in some jurisdictions. Planning ahead on this document is important, as it can occasionally be the longest lead-time item in the entire application package.

Last verified 2 September 2026

What else do people ask about this visa?

The only newsletter you need about moving to Thailand.

Twice a week, we'll cover one essential topic to help you move, settle, and thrive in Thailand without the headaches.

We will never spam or sell your info. Ever. How we handle your data.

Still not sure how this applies to you?

Every answer here is general. Yours is not. A free assessment gives you the version that accounts for your age, your money and the embassy you would be applying through.