Technical article

How Long Could You Stay? Visa Rules in Thailand, Bhutan, Indonesia, Central Asia, Turkey and Nepal

Some places let a visitor stay for a short, fixed time and then ask them to leave.

By Neil Solomon · 6 min read

Picture a couple named Frank and Dolores. Both are 64. They have been thinking about spending long stretches in Asia. Three months here, four months there. They want to know one thing before they book anything. How long does each government let them stay, and what does it ask for?

I looked at official pages for eight places. The answers fall into three groups. Some places let a visitor stay for a short, fixed time and then ask them to leave. Some have a permit for retirees, with an age, an income and a deposit. One has a daily fee and no route for staying on at all that I could find.

Short stays, no visa

A few notes. The Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey figures come from the US State Department's country pages, read on 10 October 2026. Their update dates run from January 2026 to June 2026. The Nepal figure comes from the UK government's travel page, updated on 1 October 2026. That page says visas come "for several lengths of stay at various costs" but gives no amounts. No Nepal or Kyrgyz immigration page is among the sources, so the host country's own words are not in this table.

If Frank and Dolores want to spend, say, four months in Central Asia, these pages suggest they would be moving between countries or applying for a longer visa. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan both show 30 days. Kazakhstan shows 90 days in six months.

Thailand: two routes with numbers

The retirement extension. The Thai government portal lists these points for people aged 50 or older who hold a non-immigrant visa.

• A deposit of "at least 800,000 baht must remain in a commercial bank account located in Thailand". That is THB 800,000.
• The money must sit there for at least 2 months before applying, and for at least 3 months after permission is given. After the 3 months, money may be taken out, but the balance must not fall below THB 400,000.
• Another way to qualify is proof of income of at least THB 65,000 a month.
• Health insurance is needed, with cover of at least US$100,000 or THB 3,000,000.

The page says its information is as of 8 February 2023. It does not give the length of the extension or the fee. No newer official page was found in two tries, so please treat these figures as the last ones available.

The 10-year Wealthy Pensioner visa. The Board of Investment page says:

• Age 50 or older, with an annual pension or stable passive income.
• "Minimum unearned or passive income* of USD 80,000 / year at the time of application." Salaries and earned income do not count.
• If passive income is under US$80,000 but at least US$40,000, the applicant needs a US$250,000 investment in their own name, made before applying. The page lists Thai government bonds with at least five years left, shares in Thai companies, or Thai property.
• Health cover of at least US$50,000, or Thai social security, or US$100,000 kept in a bank account for 12 months.
• The page says "10* years renewable visa", and says permission is first given for five years and then extended for five. The asterisk is not explained. Where the fee is paid in Thailand, it is THB 50,000 per person. Fees paid abroad "may be considerably more."

Bhutan: a daily fee

Bhutan's tourism page says "US$100 per day (per adult; concessionary rates apply for children)", plus a one-off visa application fee of US$40. The UK government's page words it as US$100 "per night". The amount is the same on both. My arithmetic: 30 days would be US$3,000 plus the US$40 visa fee. Ninety days would be US$9,000 plus the fee. The UK page says anyone wanting to stay longer should ask the Department of Immigration in Thimphu. No retirement or residence route appears on an official page.

Indonesia: one page, with gaps

An Indonesian immigration office page for older visitors says:

• Age 55 or more.
• Proof of a pension or bank income of at least US$1,500 a month.
• Proof of property bought for at least US$35,000, or rent of at least US$500 a month in Jakarta, Bandung and Bali, US$300 in other parts of Java, Batam and Medan, or US$200 elsewhere.
• Health, death and third-party insurance.
• The page says the visa is valid for 1 year. Fees listed are IDR 200,000 for visa approval and US$150 for the limited stay visa.

The page has no date. It does not show the code E33E or E33F. It also lists some points that read like older rules, such as a sponsor travel agency letter and a promise to hire two Indonesian citizens. The main immigration page for the retirement visa did not load. I cannot say which rules apply today.

What is left open

• Tajikistan was not checked.
• Indonesia: current terms of the retirement permit (E33E or E33F), and whether it now runs for 1 year or 5.
• Thailand: the length and fee of the retirement extension, and whether the 2023 figures still stand.
• Nepal: the visa fees, and any rule on leaving and coming back.
• Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan: the host countries' own immigration pages.