Vatican visa requirements for Thai citizens
Thai citizens need a visa for Vatican and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Consular fee
- €90
- Minimum passport validity
- Schengen rule, for entering Italy
Last verified: 2 October 2026
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Authorisation system
No border control: entry is from Rome
Vatican City lies inside Rome and can only be reached by first entering Italy, so what really counts are the entry requirements of Italy and the Schengen area: travellers who need a Schengen visa must hold one. St Peter's Square and Basilica and the Vatican Museums are visited with no entry procedure. To access other parts of the State, such as the Vatican Pharmacy, you need a pass from the Permits Office at the Gate of St Anne, on via di Porta Angelica, showing an ID card or passport.
Fee
€90
This is not a Vatican fee: the 90 euros are the short-stay Schengen visa fee (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 16), needed to enter Italy. Children aged 6 to 12 pay 45 euros and those under 6 pay nothing.
Processing time
The consulate decides the Schengen visa within 15 calendar days of an admissible application, extendable to 45 (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23).
Required documents
- A travel document valid for entering Italy: EU citizens, their ID card or passport; everyone else, the passport required by Schengen rules.
- A Schengen visa, if your nationality requires one.
- For areas not open to the public, a pass from the Permits Office at the Gate of St Anne, requested with an ID card or passport.
Transit rules
Since you arrive through Italy, the stay counts towards the Schengen rule of 90 days in any 180-day period for non-EU citizens. The Vatican Museums open Monday to Saturday from 8.00 to 20.00 (last entry at 18.00), and on the last Sunday of each month from 9.00 to 14.00, with free entry.
More Vatican rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Vatican page:
Official portal: https://www.vaticanstate.va/. Destination data verified on 2 October 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Holy See, updated 4 June 2025: ID card, no visa, no vaccinations, Embassy to the Holy See); vatican.va (Holy See, Informazioni utili: access via via di Porta Angelica and the Gate of St Anne with an identity document); museivaticani.va (Vatican Museums: opening hours and free entry on the last Sunday); data.unesco.org (World Heritage List). All checked on 2 October 2026.
Travel insurance for Vatican
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
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Things to see and do in Vatican
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Vatican need an electronic visa to enter Thailand. See the Vatican → Thailand page.
Of the 11 passports from South-eastern Asia that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Vatican 4 enter visa-free and 7 need a visa. Same result as Thailand: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam.
With a passport from Thailand, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania visa-free; you need a visa for Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain.
A passport from Thailand ranks 110 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 78 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Thai citizens need a visa for Vatican?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
The consulate decides the Schengen visa within 15 calendar days of an admissible application, extendable to 45 (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23).
What minimum passport validity is required?
A travel document valid for entering Italy: EU citizens, their ID card or passport; everyone else, the passport required by Schengen rules.
What currency is used in Vatican?
Euro (EUR).
What do Thai passport holders need for the countries near Vatican?
With a passport from Thailand, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania visa-free; you need a visa for Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain.
Related pages
See Vatican requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.