How Long the Company Registration and Work Permit Process May Take

When preparing to register a company, one of the most common questions is how long the entire process of company registration and obtaining a Work Permit (WP) may take.

Below is an approximate timeline for registration, taking into account the search for an office and Thai employees, with the final stage being the extension of a business visa for one year.

The timeframes and sequence of actions may vary depending on the operation of government authorities and the resolution of organizational matters. For general guidance, you may use the schedule below.

Approximate Registration Timeline.

Week.	Company Registration.	Visa and WP.	Employees.	Office.	Company Operations.
1.	Registration of a 100% Thai-owned company with a Thai director.
2.
3–4.		Obtaining a letter from the Labour Department.	First Thai employee.	Office search.
5.		Obtaining a 3-month Non-B visa.
6–7.		Obtaining a WP for a manager position.			Foreign employee may begin working.
8.	Change of director and shareholders (49%) to foreign shareholders, change of address.	Amendment of WP from manager position to director position.			Foreign employee may represent the company (sign contracts, open bank accounts, etc.).
12.	Registration with the Social Security Fund.		Search for three additional employees.
13.
15.		Extension of Non-B visa for 1 year.

Please note the following important points.

The letter from the Labour Department is valid for 30 days, during which the documents for obtaining the Work Permit must be submitted.

We recommend having four Thai employees by the time the Work Permit application is filed. Otherwise, the Work Permit may be issued for a period of less than one year.