Residence Certificate in Phuket: Form for a Driving Licence
For a Thai driving licence you ask Phuket Immigration for a residence certificate, using its "Application Form for Residence Certificate in Thailand". The form has a "Driving License" reason box. Phuket Immigration Office is at 482 Phuket Rd., Talad Yai, Mueang, Phuket 83000. The Phuket fee, processing time and document list are not confirmed.
On this page
If you want a Thai driving licence and hold no work permit, you need official proof of where you live, and Immigration issues a residence certificate with a “Driving License” box for that purpose. In Phuket you file for it at Phuket Immigration Office, because a foreigner must contact the immigration checkpoint in the area where they live.
What the residence certificate is
At the counter, ask for the “residence certificate” (หนังสือรับรองถิ่นที่พักอาศัย), the document requested on the “Application Form for Residence Certificate in Thailand”. It has a “Driving License” reason box.
Why the licence office wants it
A foreigner applying for a licence must show either the certificate of residence that permanent residents hold under the immigration law, or other evidence of a place of residence in Thailand. That evidence can be issued by a Thai authority, a foreign government agency or an international organisation. If you are not a permanent resident, the residence certificate from Immigration is the Thai-authority document that fills this gap, and its form has a “Driving License” box for exactly this use.
A work permit is accepted as an alternative, so if you hold one you can skip the certificate. Converting a foreign licence in 2024 also needed a certificate of residence in Thailand. Full licence steps are in Thailand Driving Licence in Phuket, and bike renters should read Motorbike Rental in Phuket.
The form and where to get it
Download the form from the Phuket Immigration form page (opens in a new tab), where it is listed under that name. Fill in your passport number, entry date, permitted stay and Thai address.
The form still has an arrival card (TM.6) line. For LTR holders at TIESC Bangkok, the paper TM.6 card has been replaced by the electronic Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Ask the counter what to write there; the TDAC guide explains the card.
Steps at Phuket Immigration
- Download the form and tick “Driving License” as the reason.
- Fill in the passport, entry, stay and address lines.
- Take it to Phuket Immigration Office, 482 Phuket Rd., Talad Yai, Mueang, Phuket 83000.
- Sign the form or give a right thumb print.
- Ask the counter for the fee and how long it takes, because Phuket publishes neither.
482 Phuket Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
The office is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Call 0 7622 1905 before you go, and see Phuket Immigration Office for opening hours.
What to bring
We recommend bringing your passport, a copy of its bio page, visa page and latest entry stamp page, and the landlord’s TM.30 receipt. Those are the documents on the list for LTR holders at TIESC Bangkok. Phuket publishes no list of its own.
Add your lease or other proof of residence showing your name and address, which is what the Singapore Embassy asks for in its own route. The house-master, owner or possessor of the residence notifies immigration within 24 hours of your arrival. Steps are in our guide to the landlord’s address notification.
Not the TM.15 or TM.16 certificate
Immigration also issues a certificate of residence under TM.15 and TM.16, which are separate services at Phuket Immigration. That certificate belongs to permanent residents, and if you already hold one, the licence rules accept it as it is. Everyone else should not ask for it. Their fee-table headings include “Residence certificate (TM. 16)”, and permanent residence is a separate form.
Say you want the residence certificate for a driving licence. Immigration fees are in Thailand Immigration Fees.
If you hold an LTR visa or want an embassy letter
Skip this section unless you hold an LTR visa, a Singapore passport or want a letter from your embassy.
LTR holders can get proof of residence from the embassy or consulate of their own nationality. At the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center (TIESC) in Bangkok, you apply in person with the completed form. Processing there takes 15 days after the request form is submitted. See Thailand LTR Visa.
Singapore passport holders can get the Department of Land Transport’s Certificate of Residence from the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok. You execute an affidavit in person. As of 28 May 2026 the fee is 110 Baht, processing takes half a working day and an appointment is required.
An archived 2022 Department of Land Transport page asked for an address certificate from an embassy or the immigration bureau, valid for 1 year, or a work permit. Confirm the current rule with the licence office.
In Phetchabun province, a first licence needs a residence document from the local Immigration Office, and the landlord must notify the stay within 24 hours with form TM.30.
Photos (1)
- Michel Kluska
Step by step
- Get the formDownload the Application Form for Residence Certificate in Thailand from the Phuket Immigration form page.
- Fill it inTick the Driving License reason and add your passport number and Thai address.
- Go to Phuket Immigration OfficeFile at 482 Phuket Rd., Talad Yai, Mueang, Phuket 83000, the office for the area where you live.
- Sign and ask about the feeSign the form or give a right thumb print. The fee is not published, so ask at the counter.
Not confirmed: Fee, processing time and documents at Phuket are unclear: call 0 7622 1905 or ask at the counter, and allow for a second visit. Validity, and whether the Phuket licence office accepts it: ask there before booking your test. Embassy letter or bank use: ask the licence office or bank.
Common questions
Is this the same as the TM.15 or TM.16 certificate of residence?
No. The TM.15 and TM.16 certificate of residence are separate services at Phuket Immigration. For a licence, ask for the residence certificate form.
Can a work permit replace the certificate?
Yes for the licence office: a work permit under the foreign-worker law is accepted as an alternative to the residence certificate.
Can I sign with a thumb print?
You sign the form or give a right thumb print.
What do I write on the TM.6 line?
The form still has an arrival card (TM.6) line. For LTR holders at TIESC Bangkok, the paper TM.6 card has been replaced by the electronic TDAC. Ask the Phuket counter what to write.
Do I need the notification receipt first at Phuket?
Phuket's list is not confirmed, so bring it. LTR holders at TIESC Bangkok need the TM.30 receipt.
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