Thailand visa on arrival and ETA

Dutch and Belgian nationals cannot get a visa on arrival (VoA) in Thailand: since 15 September 2026 it only applies to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) has not been introduced; instead, the Thai government has introduced the digital arrival card TDAC.

Last checked: 11 October 2026

In short (as of 11 October 2026)
Visa on arrival: since 15 September 2026 only for passport holders of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Until 14 September 2026 the list had 31 countries and territories.
The Netherlands and Belgium are not on the VoA list, nor were they on the lists of July 2022 and July 2024. They fall under the visa exemption.
What the VoA costs: 2,000 baht, for a stay of up to 15 days, only at designated border checkpoints.
ETA: not introduced. According to the Thai government (February 2026), the TDAC was developed instead of the ETA. No official ETA website has been announced.
For Dutch and Belgian nationals since 15 September 2026: 30 days visa-exempt for tourism, extendable once by 30 days at immigration (1,900 baht), and always the free TDAC in advance.

This article is for Dutch and Belgian nationals who want to know whether a visa on arrival or an ETA applies to them. Which passports qualify for the visa on arrival or the visa exemption is set by Thailand's country lists, and the parts about embassies and documents are written for Dutch and Belgian passport holders, so if you hold another passport, check your country against those lists and the requirements of the Thai embassy or consulate that serves you.

What a visa on arrival in Thailand is

A visa on arrival is a visa you only apply and pay for when you arrive, at the border checkpoint. The Thai Immigration Bureau describes it like this: some nationalities can get a visa on arrival at designated border checkpoints and may then stay for up to 15 days.

That is different from the visa exemption: if you travel visa-exempt, you do not need a visa and you pay nothing. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs sums it up in its 2026 overview as "Visa Free ≠ Free Visa".

Which countries get a visa on arrival since 15 September 2026

The Thai Ministry of Interior set the list in an announcement of 26 August 2026, published in the Royal Gazette (Thailand's official gazette) on 31 August 2026. The announcement applies from 15 days after publication; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives 15 September 2026 as the date it took effect.

The list has three countries:

Azerbaijan
Belarus
Serbia

The same announcement revokes the VoA list of 15 July 2024. That list had 31 countries and territories, including China, India and Russia. On 19 May 2026 the Cabinet first decided on four countries and territories, and on 14 July 2026 it set the list at three.

The Netherlands and Belgium

The Netherlands and Belgium are not on the list of 15 September 2026 (which the embassy in The Hague also publishes), not on the list of 15 July 2024 (31 countries), and not on the list of 18 countries that the Thai embassy in Bucharest published in July 2022. They fall under the visa exemption: up to and including 14 September 2026 for 60 days, since 15 September 2026 for 30 days. In the Royal Gazette of 31 August 2026, Belgium (No. 4) and the Netherlands (No. 38) are on the list of 60 countries and territories with a 30-day visa exemption for tourism.

Conditions and costs of the visa on arrival

The official sources of 2026 state the following for the VoA:

Cost: 2,000 baht (Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, valid from 15 September 2026).
Stay: up to 15 days (Immigration Bureau).
Where: only at designated border checkpoints ("designated immigration checkpoints").
Other conditions: "as set by the Immigration Bureau". The announcement in the Royal Gazette only contains the list of countries.

These conditions do not apply to Dutch and Belgian nationals: they pay no visa fees when they enter visa-exempt.

Euro amounts are an indication, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 October 2026: 1 euro = 37.574 baht.

Visa on arrival (only Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Serbia)                          2,000 baht  (about 53 euros)

For Dutch and Belgian nationals:
Visa-exempt entry (tourism)                   0 baht
TDAC via tdac.immigration.go.th               0 baht
Extension by 30 days at immigration       1,900 baht  (about 51 euros)
Tourist visa in advance, The Hague       35 euros (1 entry) / 175 euros (multiple, 6 months)
Tourist visa in advance, Brussels        40 euros (1 entry) / 170 euros (multiple)

The fee of 1,900 baht for an extension of stay is set in Ministerial Regulation No. 27, in force since 26 August 2003. The embassy fees have applied since 15 July 2024.

The ETA: what was announced and where it stands

An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is an online travel authorisation that visa-exempt travellers would have to apply for in advance. Thailand announced this plan but has not introduced it. The official steps:

28 May 2024: the Thai Cabinet approves a package of visa measures. According to the press briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 30 May 2024, the only long-term measure is: "Introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system to be implemented in line with the e-Visa system." No start date is given.
1 May 2025: the TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card), the online version of the arrival form TM.6, comes into use.
10 February 2026: the Cabinet takes note of the progress. According to the Thai government's Public Relations Department (11 and 12 February 2026), the Immigration Bureau developed the TDAC "to replace the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system".
14 July 2026: in the revision of the VoA, the government reports that the security agencies are improving the TDAC to screen travellers in advance. An ETA is not mentioned.

Status on 11 October 2026: there is no ETA requirement. The entry information of the Thai embassies in The Hague (23 September 2026) and Brussels (updated 18 September 2026) and of the Dutch government (24 September 2026) does not mention an ETA. No official ETA website has been announced.

What does apply to Dutch and Belgian nationals

Visa-exempt, 30 days, for tourism only

Since 15 September 2026 Dutch and Belgian nationals may stay in Thailand for 30 days without a visa for tourism (Royal Gazette of 31 August 2026; embassy in The Hague 23 September 2026; embassy in Brussels).
Extension: once, by up to 30 days, at the Immigration Bureau in Thailand, for 1,900 baht (Immigration Division 1, extension for tourism). According to the embassy in The Hague, the local immigration officer decides whether the extension is granted.
Over land: visa-exempt entry through a land border checkpoint is possible up to 2 times per calendar year (Royal Gazette of 31 August 2026, clause 3).
Arrived before 15 September 2026? Then the length of stay stamped on entry (60 days) applies until it ends.

The Netherlands and Belgium: what the sources ask per country

The Netherlands (Dutch government, 24 September 2026): passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; you must be able to show that you will leave Thailand within the visa-exempt period, for example with a return or onward ticket.
Belgium (Thai embassy in Brussels, updated 18 September 2026): passport valid for at least 6 months, a return ticket and sufficient funds: at least 20,000 baht (500 euros) per person or 40,000 baht (1,000 euros) per family. A Belgian or Luxembourg refugee travel document does not give a right to the visa exemption.

The TDAC is mandatory

All non-Thai travellers fill in a TDAC before every entry, children included, and also when arriving over land or by sea.
You can submit it within 3 days before arrival, the day of arrival included.
The official TDAC is free. On 17 August 2026 the Thai government warned that travellers end up on unofficial sites that charge money via search engines. So only use tdac.immigration.go.th or the Immigration Bureau's THIM (Thai Immigration) app, a second official route for the TDAC since 1 August 2026.

Longer than 30 days or another purpose

According to the Dutch government, only tourists travel visa-exempt. For another purpose or a longer stay you need a visa, applied for via thaievisa.go.th at the embassy in The Hague or Brussels. According to the embassy in The Hague (list of 31 August 2026), the tourist visa (TR) gives a stay of 60 days.

Common mistakes

Thinking you can buy a visa on arrival. With a Dutch or Belgian passport that is not possible: the Netherlands and Belgium are not on the VoA list. If you come for something other than tourism, or for longer than the visa-exempt period, apply for a visa in advance.

Paying for an "ETA". As of 11 October 2026 Thailand has not introduced an ETA; an offer to arrange one does not match the official rules.

Filling in the TDAC on a paid site. The official TDAC costs nothing.

Where the sources contradict each other

Brussels, VoA page: the "Visa on arrival (VOA)" page of the Thai embassy in Brussels (last updated 15 July 2024) still mentions 19 countries and territories on 11 October 2026 and refers to sites for an online VoA application. According to the Royal Gazette, the VoA has applied to three countries since 15 September 2026.
Brussels, visa exemption: the "Visa exemption" page (updated 18 September 2026) mentions 30 days plus a 30-day extension, but also "in total not exceeding 90 days". Immigration Division 1 gives one extension of up to 30 days for tourism, so up to 60 days in total.
Belgian travel advice: the FPS Foreign Affairs (last updated 4 September 2026) still describes the rules of 15 July 2024 on 11 October 2026. Follow the Thai government and the Thai embassy in Brussels (18 September 2026).

What has changed

28 May 2024: the Cabinet approves extending the VoA from 19 to 31 countries and territories, and the ETA as a long-term plan.
15 July 2024: VoA list of 31 countries and territories in force.
10 February 2026: the Cabinet takes note of the progress; a second VoA extension with 8 countries is still being prepared at that point.
19 May 2026: the Cabinet decides to reduce the VoA to 4 countries and territories.
14 July 2026: the Cabinet sets the list at Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.
1 August 2026: the Immigration Bureau's THIM app is available, also for the TDAC.
31 August 2026: announcement (of 26 August 2026) published in the Royal Gazette.
15 September 2026: new VoA list of three countries in force; at the same time a 30-day visa exemption for tourism for countries including the Netherlands and Belgium.

Frequently asked questions

Can Dutch citizens get a visa on arrival in Thailand?

No. Since 15 September 2026 only Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia get a visa on arrival. Dutch nationals may enter Thailand visa-exempt for 30 days for tourism.

Can Belgians get a visa on arrival in Thailand?

No. Belgium is not on the VoA list. Since 15 September 2026 Belgians may enter Thailand visa-exempt for 30 days for tourism, extendable once by 30 days.

Which countries get a visa on arrival for Thailand in 2026?

Since 15 September 2026 only Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Before that, from 15 July 2024, it was 31 countries and territories.

How much is a visa on arrival in Thailand?

2,000 baht, for a stay of up to 15 days, only at designated border checkpoints. This only applies to the three countries on the list.

Do I need an ETA for Thailand?

No. As of 11 October 2026 Thailand has not introduced an ETA. Every foreign traveller must, however, fill in the free TDAC before arrival.

Is the TDAC the same as an ETA?

No. The TDAC is the digital arrival form that replaces the paper TM.6, mandatory since 1 May 2025 and free. According to the Thai government (February 2026), the TDAC was developed instead of the ETA.

Sources

All sources opened on 11 October 2026.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Thai visa rules can change and are sometimes applied differently from one office to another. Check the current requirements with the Thai embassy or the immigration office before you apply or travel.

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Thailand visa on arrival and ETA: what applies to Dutch and Belgian travellers