Travel from Thailand to Europe in 2025

If you are planning a trip from Thailand to Europe, you should be aware that the new travel authorization system and updates to the Schengen visa may affect your travel experience. Travel to the European Union (EU) will be different in 2025.

This page explains the various changes, shows the easiest ways to travel to the EU, and explains which visa you need for a smooth journey.

How to travel from Thailand to Europe

If you wish to travel from Thailand to Europe, you should apply for a Schengen visa before your trip. A Schengen visa allows you to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period and travel between EU countries without needing any additional visas.

Depending on your nationality, you may be exempt from visa requirements and can enter your desired country temporarily without a visa. In this case, you can simply travel to the country without applying for a visa and show your passport to the border official. Countries whose nationals are exempt from visa requirements for the Schengen Area include:

  • Africa: Mauritius, Seychelles
  • Asia: Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor-Leste
  • Americas: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela
  • Europe: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Holy See, Kosovo, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  • Oceania: Australia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu

    • IMPORTANT: Even if you are entitled to visa-free entry into the Schengen Area, you still need to meet a travel requirement to enter legally, as we will explain below.

    Applying for a Schengen visa

    If you or any of your travel companions are Thai citizens or are not eligible for visa-free entry for other reasons, you will need a Schengen visa. If you require a Schengen visa, you must prepare the following documents:

  • A passport photo of yourself
  • Completed and signed Schengen visa application form
  • Proof of your finances (e.g. a bank statement)
  • Proof of accommodation at the destination (e.g. a hotel bill)
  • All other documents requested by the immigration officer.

    • You can apply for a Schengen visa at any embassy of a Schengen country. However, please note that most of these countries outsource the processing of their visa applications to private companies. These companies vary depending on the embassy and include, for example, TSLcontact, VFS, and BLS.

    Depending on your nationality, you may be eligible for a visa exemption program that allows you to travel to your desired country temporarily without a visa. In this case, you can simply travel to the country without applying for a visa and show your passport to the border official. IMPORTANT: Even if you are allowed to enter the Schengen Area visa-free, you must still meet a travel requirement to enter legally. This is explained below.

    Changes to the Schengen visa

    The Schengen visa program was restructured with effect from the end of 2025. The two most important changes are:

    New countries admitted to the Schengen Area

    Bulgaria and Romania will join the Schengen Area on January 1, 2025. You can now visit these two countries with a Schengen visa without additional travel documents. Entry is permitted for travel, work, business trips, or studies.

    Besides Bulgaria and Romania, you can also visit the following countries with the same visa:

  • Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

    • Higher Schengen visa fee

    From 2025, the fees for a Schengen visa for you and your children are expected to increase slightly. On June 11, 2024, the visa fee for adults rose from €80 to €90, and for children and young people between 6 and 12 years old, from €40 to €45. Children up to and including six years of age do not require a visa.

    New travel authorization system

    A new travel authorization system is expected to be introduced in mid-2025 for travelers wishing to enter the EU. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is mandatory if you are exempt from visa requirements for the Schengen Area. Once registered, it will be affixed to your passport. You will need to register once the system is implemented if you are arriving from one of the visa-exempt countries.

    ETIAS applications are completed online and processing is expected to take up to four days. Once approved, the travel authorization is valid for up to three years or until your passport expires. While valid, you can enter any EU country at any time and stay for up to 90 days (the validity can be extended by the same period every 180 days).

    As of February 2025, the launch date for this system has not yet been confirmed, but the authorities emphasize that it will go into operation this year.

    Contact Siam Legal for professional support.

    To ensure that entry problems don't disrupt your European trip this year, contact Siam Legal for professional advice on applying for the correct visa. As a full-service law firm and visa consultancy, we have been assisting foreigners with their entry-related issues for over 20 years.

    Whether you need a Schengen visa, a Thai return visa, or both, our visa consultants have the expertise to help you obtain your visas quickly and easily. We'll assist you in compiling the necessary documents and carefully review your application for errors. Once everything is complete, we'll submit your application on your behalf, allowing you to focus on preparing for your trip to the EU.

    Contact Siam Legal today for a comfortable and relaxed journey to Europe and a smooth return to Thailand.