Corporate Document Legalization in Thailand for Overseas Use
How Thai company documents — DBD affidavit, shareholder list, board resolutions and POA — are translated, notarized and legalized for foreign registration and banking.
Answer first: Thai corporate documents used abroad follow a four-stage chain: certified translation, notarization by a Notarial Services Attorney, certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and legalization at the destination embassy. Most receiving bodies require a DBD affidavit issued within the last one to three months, and the chain typically takes five to ten working days.
Key facts at a glance
| Core documents | DBD affidavit, MOA, shareholder list, board resolution, POA |
|---|---|
| Freshness | Affidavit usually within 1–3 months |
| Notarization | Director must attend for signature certification |
| MFA | 1–3 working days, express available |
| Embassy | 1–14 working days by country |
| Apostille | Not available; full legalization required |
Step-by-step process
- Order a fresh DBD affidavit and the supporting company records.
- Prepare the board resolution or power of attorney in the wording the receiving body requires.
- Order certified translation and have the director sign before the notarial attorney.
- Submit the notarized set for MFA certification.
- Lodge at the destination embassy and collect the legalized bundle for filing abroad.
Where corporate files fail
- Resolution wording that does not grant the exact powers the foreign registrar expects.
- Director name in the translation differing from the passport.
- Expired affidavit by the time the embassy step is reached.
- Missing shareholder list when beneficial ownership must be proven for banking.
Related reading
See our power of attorney guide, company document guide, and the business documentation playbook.
Do not want to handle the queues yourself?
iLC is not only a document agency — our team has more than 15 years of advisory experience with Thai and foreign clients. We review your file first, tell you exactly which steps you actually need, and then run translation, notarization, MFA and embassy submission for you. Ask us on LINE @THAIL, call 092-0170000 or email Contact@thailaw-accounting.co.th — document check and quotation are free.
Frequently asked questions
Which company documents are usually required abroad?
The DBD company affidavit, memorandum of association, shareholder list (Bor Or Jor 5), board resolution and a power of attorney are the most frequently requested set for foreign registration, banking and tender participation.
How fresh must the DBD affidavit be?
Receiving authorities normally require an affidavit issued within the last one to three months. Banks and tender committees are usually the strictest, so order the affidavit close to the submission date.
Does the director have to sign in person?
For notarized signature certification, yes — the signing director must appear before the Notarial Services Attorney with a passport or ID. Certified copies and translations can be handled without attendance.
Can documents be legalized in English only?
Thai official documents are issued in Thai, so a certified English translation is prepared and both are certified. Some destination countries additionally require translation into their own language after legalization.
How long does the corporate chain take?
Typically five to ten working days: one day for translation, one for notarization, one to three for MFA, and one to fourteen for the destination embassy depending on the country.
Is an apostille possible for Thai company documents?
Not yet. Thailand has not ratified the Apostille Convention, so corporate documents follow the MFA plus embassy legalization route.
Go deeper on Legalization at the Department of Consular Affairs
These guides outline possible certification steps; confirm the receiving authority's current requirements before filing:
- Step-by-step playbook: documents, order of certification, rejection risks
- Route comparison: which certification path your receiving authority accepts
Not sure which route applies? Send us the scan — LINE @THAIL · 092-0170000 · Contact@thailaw-accounting.co.th
Documents usually required
- Freshly issued original Thai civil or corporate record from the issuing office
- Complete English translation of every page, with the translator's statement of accuracy
- Copy of the document holder's passport or Thai national ID card
- Power of attorney with ID copies of both parties if someone else files on your behalf
Common reasons a bundle is rejected
- Countries outside the Apostille Convention still need a further endorsement at the destination embassy.
- Translations that use an unofficial English name for a Thai agency are sent back for correction.
- Spell every name exactly as it appears in the passport, across every document in the same bundle.
Prefer not to handle the chain yourself? Send the scans and we run every step for you, from translation to the final endorsement.
How the process runs — Legalization at the Department of Consular Affairs
- Obtain a freshly issued original from the office that produced the record and check that every page is present.
- Prepare a complete translation with the translator's statement of accuracy attached.
- File for legalization at the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the original and the translation together.
- Complete the next certification layer required by the destination country — Apostille, or legalization at that country's embassy in Thailand.
- Collect the finished bundle, scan a full copy for your records, then submit it in the format the receiving authority specifies.
Fees and processing times are set by each authority and vary by document and destination — confirm them with the responsible agency.
Handling it yourself vs letting iLC run it
| Aspect | Doing it yourself | With iLC |
|---|---|---|
| Working out which steps apply | You read each authority's rules yourself, and usually learn a step was missing only after the bundle is refused. | Our advisers review the documents before work starts and sequence translation, notarisation, MFA, and embassy in one pass. |
| Time spent filing | Repeat trips to each office, queueing and collecting in person. | We file on your behalf; you send scans and receive the finished set by post or courier. |
| Risk that the translation is refused | Agency names, job titles, and the certification wording often do not match what the receiving office accepts. | We use terminology and certificate formats the receiving authority has accepted before, with two-stage proof-reading. |
| If the bundle is rejected | You diagnose the cause and refile yourself, losing a full cycle. | We identify the cause, correct it, and refile without you starting over, with progress reported along the way. |
What clients typically use this for
- Visa and residency filings
- Marriage and family registration abroad
- Cross-border corporate transactions
Talk to us before you commit to anything
Many clients arrive with one set of documents while the destination expects a different one. We start by asking where you are filing, for what purpose, and by when — then tell you plainly what is required, including the steps you can complete yourself at no extra cost. A team with over 15 years in cross-border documentation is available before you spend time on the wrong route.
- Destination requirements explained in plain language.
- A clear statement of which steps your case needs and which it does not.
- Help sequencing multiple documents across multiple authorities.
Consult us at LINE @THAIL · 092-0170000 · Contact@thailaw-accounting.co.th
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