Sworn translator certification for European authorities

Documents to prepare

• 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
• Legalization request form in the format used by the Department of Consular Affairs
• Name of the destination country and the exact receiving authority

Process steps

1. Step 1. Obtain a freshly issued original from the office that produced the record and check that every page is present.
2. Step 2. Prepare a complete translation with the translator's statement of accuracy attached.
3. Step 3. File for legalization at the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the original and the translation together.
4. Step 4. Complete the next certification layer required by the destination country — Apostille, or legalization at that country's embassy in Thailand.
5. Step 5. Collect the finished bundle, scan a full copy for your records, then submit it in the format the receiving authority specifies.

What gets files rejected

• Several European authorities accept only a translator sworn before their own courts.
• Confirm the accepted route before translating, to avoid paying twice.
• Spell every name exactly as it appears in the passport, across every document in the same bundle.
• Never remove staples or separate pages that an authority has bound and stamped across the seam.

What this certified set is used for

• Filings with European authorities
• Court and notary submissions in the EU
• Residency and citizenship files

Other playbooks