Dependants have their own conditions and need properly legalized relationship documents.

Can I change jobs while holding it?

Notification and a fresh eligibility review are required, since the status is tied to the endorsed role.

Case study: SMART Visa requires qualification endorsement before the visa step

SMART Visa assessment starts from the applicant’s qualifications and the target business in a designated industry. Endorsement by the relevant agency comes first, and only then the visa step. Filing out of order sends the case back to the endorsement stage.

The situation

A technology specialist with an offer from a company in a targeted industry

The client had a full document set for the visa stage but no qualification endorsement from the relevant agency.

What actually blocked the file

The employer’s eligibility within a targeted industry was unconfirmed.
Experience and qualification evidence was not mapped to the endorsement criteria.
Foreign documents were not legalized through the correct channel.

The sequence we ran

Confirmed the industry group and applicant category before document work.
Mapped qualification and experience evidence to the endorsement criteria.
Completed legalization of foreign documents before the endorsement filing.
Filed for endorsement first, then proceeded to the visa stage.
Planned post-approval duties, including reporting and change notifications.

Outcome

The sequence was reordered to match the agency’s process, with every document ready before the visa stage.

What to prepare for the SMART Visa

Passport and identity documents of the applicant and dependants
Evidence of expertise or qualifications in a field within the targeted industries
Employment contract or certification from a Thai entity operating in a targeted industry
Company documents such as the affidavit and evidence that the business falls within the targeted industries
Investment evidence or a business plan where applying as an investor or startup entrepreneur
Endorsement from the sector-specific qualifying agency named in the published criteria

This list reflects the requirements published by the responsible authority on the verification date. Authorities may change their conditions, so confirm with the source before lodging. Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) · 2026-08-14 · source

How the SMART Visa for specialists and investors is applied for

Check that the business or activity falls within the targeted industries announced for the SMART Visa.
Select the sub-type matching the applicant’s role: talent, investor, executive, startup entrepreneur or dependant.
Lodge the application in the BOI online system with both the applicant-side and company-side supporting documents.
BOI refers the file to the relevant agencies to endorse the specific qualification, such as technology or investment, depending on the sub-type.
With the qualification endorsement, obtain the visa at a Thai embassy or consulate-general, or at the service centre in Thailand.
SMART Visa holders report on the cycle set for this category, which differs from the standard ninety-day cycle.
A change of employer or of the qualifying activity must be notified and re-endorsed under the rules.

The steps below are drawn from the procedures the responsible authority publishes itself, with the source and verification date shown. Some steps depend on the case and may change with the authority’s own announcements. Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) · 2026-08-14 · source

What to watch next time

Order of operations matters as much as document completeness.
Assess the applicant and the company together.
Finish foreign-document legalization before filing.

Questions this case raises

Can dependants join?: Dependants have their own conditions and need properly legalized relationship documents.
Can I change jobs while holding it?: Notification and a fresh eligibility review are required, since the status is tied to the endorsed role.

Would rather not run this yourself?

We act as advisers from the first document review: we map which authority must sign in which order, prepare the file, and courier it for you. Fifteen-plus years of certification and legalisation work means we flag the usual rejection points before submission, not after.

Talk to our team Full Immigration and stay-compliance support guide