How to get a driving license in Thailand: steps, documents and the exam

Step 1. TM-30 notification

A TM-30 is the notification of a foreigner's address, registered against the passport. It is filed by the landlord or hotel, not the tenant. It is free and can be filed online or in person.

Hotels usually file it automatically, private landlords often don't. For a short-term rental or Airbnb the host files it; if you're staying with a friend, the property owner does. Without a TM-30 there is no residence certificate, and this is the most common problem with the paperwork.

Step 2. Photo

Any photo shop does it in a few minutes. Just say it's for a residence certificate: they'll pick the size and background.

Step 3. Residence certificate

A residence certificate isn't a residence permit and has nothing to do with your visa status. It is one page confirming your address. Phuket Immigration issues it to any foreigner with a valid stamp, tourists included. It costs 500 ฿, usually the same day, and is valid for 30 days.

What to bring:

• passport;
• a copy of the photo page;
• a copy of the page with your stamp or visa;
• your TDAC arrival card;
• photo.

A rental agreement isn't always asked for, but bring it if you have one. Immigration is at 482 Phuket Rd, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket (map), open 08:30-16:30, closed for lunch 12:00-13:00. It gets busy, so go in the morning.

Beyond a license, this certificate is used to open a bank account, buy a motorbike or car, register a vehicle and for some visa procedures.

Step 4. Medical certificate

Any local clinic issues one, usually without an appointment. It costs about 100 ฿, the check is short and standard, and you need your passport. It is valid for 30 days from issue.

Cost and time for the documents

Step 5. DLT online course

Before the tests you complete the DLT training course. In 2026 most offices expect the course on dlt-elearning.com to be done before the visit, though some still run it on site on the day. Check which applies when you book.

Step 6. Booking at Phuket DLT

Bookings go through the official DLT Smart Queue system. Registration needs your passport number, an email address and a Thai phone number for the confirmation code.

This is the least predictable step. According to ExpatDen, foreigners in summer 2026 reported no free slots at the Phuket office at all. Hence the practical rule: find a DLT slot first, and only then get the medical and residence certificates, so their 30 days don't run out before the appointment.

Step 7. Physical tests

The office checks four things: colour vision, depth perception, brake reaction time and peripheral vision. The tests are short, but reaction time is measured, so come rested.

Step 8. Theory test

The theory test has 50 questions, and you need at least 45 right, 90%. It is offered at least in Thai and English.

The difficulty isn't the rules but the wording. People who run practice-test sites warn plainly that many questions are phrased unusually and are tricky, so not everyone gets 45 out of 50 without preparation.

Step 9. Practical test

Applicants for a new license take a practical test on the DLT's closed course. Conversion has no practical test: a valid IDP with matching categories is enough, and for a Russian license not even the IDP is needed.

How long doing it yourself takes

With the TM-30 filed, the documents take a day or two. After that it depends on a free Smart Queue slot, the theory result and whether the medical and residence certificates survive the wait. With an unlucky booking it can stretch to months, and some documents have to be done twice.

What it looks like through Phuket License

We help you get the license fast: we take away the stress, the wasted time and the waiting.

More on motorbikes in the motorcycle license in Phuket guide, on conversion in converting a foreign license. If you can't ride yet, start with learning to ride a scooter.