You have the new passport, but the visa sticker and the last permitted-to-stay stamp are still in the old book. Exworker handles the transfer of stamps into the new passport with the Immigration Bureau, and follows through on the other side as well — amending the passport details recorded on the work permit with the Department of Employment.

This is where people usually slip: many assume it ends at Immigration. The next time they deal with any government office, the passport number on the work permit is still the old book, and the case stops at the counter. We take care of both legs as one job.

Information as of August 2026

Which case is yours — a 30-second check

Case 1 The old book expired, or ran out of stamp pages

You already have the new book and the stamps in the old one are still legible — this is the standard case, using the document set below.

Case 2 The old book was lost

A police report and a letter from the embassy to Immigration are required. The document set differs from the first case and it takes longer.

A different matter You do not have a new book yet

The new book has to be issued by your own country's embassy first, then the stamps can be moved — see our passport service for migrant workers

This job has two legs, at two different agencies — do not do only one

Leg 1 — Immigration Bureau Transferring the stamps into the new book

The Immigration Bureau's own name for this step is "changing the passport book and transferring the stamps into the new passport".

Leg 2 — Department of Employment Amending the details on the work permit

This uses the Department of Employment's application form for amending an entry in a work permit — a different form at a different office from the first leg.

The problem our clients run into most often They complete the first leg and stop there. Then at work permit renewal time or at the next reporting round, the two systems disagree about which book is current, and the fix has to happen at the very moment the deadline is tightest.

A misconception to clear up first: not transferring the stamps is not overstay

Failing to transfer the stamps does not automatically make someone an overstayer The offence of staying beyond the permitted period under Section 81 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 arises when a person stays in the Kingdom without permission, or when the permission has ended or been revoked (imprisonment of up to 2 years, or a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both). The element of the offence is the status of the permission to stay, not which book the stamp sits in — the permitted period does not become shorter because the book changed.

That does not mean it can be left alone. The real consequences arrive by another route, and sooner than people expect.

So how urgent is it — the law does not set a number of days

Immigration law does not specifically prescribe how many days you have to transfer the stamps. The "within 15 days" figure seen on general websites is not something we could find in any official document, so we do not use it. Even so, it should be done as soon as the new book is issued, because Immigration's records are still tied to the old one.

One consequence that is certain, and verifiable The Immigration Bureau states that where the passport book has been changed, a foreign national cannot file the 90-day report through the online system. The report must be made to Immigration officers in the area of residence (another person may be authorised to do it), and only from the following round can the online system be used again.

Documents to prepare

Where the old book expired or ran out of stamp pages

Application form for the stamp transfer (we fill it in)
Letter of certification from the embassy of the country of origin
The old passport, with a copy
The new passport, with a copy
A copy of the stamp showing the most recent entry into the Kingdom
A copy of the passport page bearing the visa (if any)
A copy of the most recent permission-to-stay stamp
Immigration card TM.6 (departure card), with a copy

Where the old book was lost

Application form for the stamp transfer
A copy of the police report
A copy of the old passport page bearing the photograph (if available)
A copy of the new passport
A letter from the embassy to the Immigration Bureau requesting that the entry stamp be reproduced in the new book

This is the general set published by the Immigration Bureau Individual offices may ask for different supporting documents, and Immigration's published material does not separate the procedure by worker group (MOU or Cabinet-resolution groups). We therefore check with the office covering your area before every case, so the employee does not lose a working day for nothing.

This much is enough to start with Photos of the old passport page with the photograph, the pages with the visa and the most recent permission-to-stay stamp, the first page of the new book, and the work permit — plus the province where the employee works. We will tell you which case it is, where it has to be filed, what documents are needed and what is still missing.

Where it is filed

The Immigration Bureau states that where an application to stay on in the Kingdom has been filed before, the application may be submitted at the immigration checkpoint where that most recent application to stay was filed. Workers employed outside Bangkok therefore do not always have to travel to the capital — contact the immigration office in the area where the earlier application was filed. For a lost book, the Immigration Bureau designates a specific service counter for passport-change work.

There is no online channel for transferring stamps — this is counter work.

What happens when we handle it

Case check first (free) From the photos you send we identify whether it is an expiry, a full book or a loss, and whether the case also falls in the relief group that must file by 11 December 2026.
Preparing both document sets Both the Immigration set and the Department of Employment application to amend the work permit entry, together with the powers of attorney.
Filing the stamp transfer At the immigration office where the most recent application to stay on was filed.
Amending the new book details on the work permit So the passport number on the permit matches the actual book.
Returning the documents and flagging what comes next Including the reminder that the next 90-day report has to be made at the office, not online.

Costs

The figure in the price box at the top of this page is our fee for handling the case, per person.

Government feesImmigration Bureau fee rates are set by ministerial regulations issued under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 — we tell you the actual cost for your case when we review it, rather than quoting a vague estimate.

Cost of the new bookThe fee for issuing a new passport belongs to the embassy of the country of origin and is separate from the stamp transfer — if there is no book yet, we can arrange it under our passport service.

Why employers have us handle it

Both legs are closed out, rather than transferring the stamps and leaving the work permit still showing the old book
We check with the local office before filing, because document lists are not the same everywhere
The employee does not lose several working days waiting at a counter to find out
If the case falls in the group that must file by 11 December 2026, we say so at the case-check stage rather than letting it run into the deadline
Several employees can be handled at once and filed as a batch

Frequently asked questions

If the stamps are not transferred, is it overstay?

Not automatically. The offence of staying beyond the permitted period under Section 81 attaches to the status of the permission to stay, not to which book holds the stamp. Leaving it, however, affects the steps that follow, such as the 90-day report and work permit renewal.

Within how many days must it be done?

The law does not prescribe a specific number of days. The figures seen on general websites are not something we found in official documents, so we do not confirm them. Our advice is to do it as soon as the new book is issued.

After changing the book, can the 90-day report be filed online?

Not for the first round. The Immigration Bureau states that where the passport book has been changed, the report must be made to officers in the area of residence; another person may be authorised to do it, and from the following round the online system can be used again.

After the transfer, is a new work permit needed?

Not a whole new one, but an application must be filed with the Department of Employment to amend the entry in the work permit so that the passport number on it matches the actual book.

Does TM.30 have to be filed again after changing the book?

We found no requirement to re-file because of a change of book. TM.30 under Section 38 is the duty of the house master or owner of the premises when a foreign national takes up residence, so the trigger is a different one. If you are concerned, confirm with the immigration office in your area.

Does the employee have to attend in person?

We give advance notice, case by case, of the steps that require the person and the original book. Whatever can be done under a power of attorney we do on their behalf, so the employee loses as few working days as possible.

Let us look at your case

Send photos of the old passport, the new passport and the work permit over LINE, and tell us the province of work. We will reply with which case it is, where it must be filed, which documents are needed, and which deadlines this case has to watch.

Sources

Immigration Bureau — Other Services page, section on changing the passport book and transferring stamps into a new passport
Immigration Bureau — Notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days (updated 14 August 2026)
Immigration Act B.E. 2522, Sections 37 and 81
Cabinet resolution of 14 July 2026 — the group required to file by 11 December 2026

Visa Stamp Transfer Service to a New Passport