Foreign Document Translation & Legalization for Use in Thailand

Service Overview

Foreign documents such as a US birth certificate, an Australian marriage certificate, a UK divorce decree, a Japanese transcript, a Singapore company affidavit, or a German power of attorney intended for use in Thailand must be legalized in two stages: (1) source-country certification via Apostille (if the country is a Hague member) or MFA + Thai embassy attestation (if not), and (2) certified translation into Thai and legalization of the translation by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only then can documents be filed with Thai district offices, courts, DBD, the Revenue Department, the Land Office, Immigration, or other agencies. ILC handles embassy liaison, international document logistics, Thai-language certified translation by MFA-recognized translators, and submission to Thai agencies on your behalf.

Apostille vs Full Legalization — Which Applies?

The Hague Apostille Convention (1961) is an international treaty allowing public documents from one member state to be used in another with just a single "Apostille" certificate — no embassy attestation required. Currently around 128+ countries are members; the remaining 71 still require Full Legalization (Notary → source MFA → destination embassy → destination MOFA). Which path applies depends on the destination country, not the origin. Even for Hague destinations, certain documents (Islamic religious, some Middle-East family documents, or destination-specific special filings) may still require additional embassy attestation. Always confirm with the receiving agency.

Document Categories

ILC covers 63+ document types across 15 categories — personal, corporate, education, medical, IP, and specialized filings. Certified translation is available in the language required by the receiving agency, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Burmese, Hindi, and more upon request.

• Civil Registry — Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate, Adoption Certificate, Name/Surname Change, House Registration, Single Status Certificate
• Education — Academic Transcript, Diploma, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, Doctoral Degree, Professional Certificate, Language Test Result
• Corporate — Company Affidavit, DBD Extract, VAT Certificate, Board Resolution, Corporate Power of Attorney, Shareholder List, MOA / Articles of Association
• Court / Police — Police Clearance Certificate, Court Order / Judgment, Notarized Affidavit, Criminal Record
• Medical — Medical Certificate, Vaccination Record, HIV Test Result, TB Test Certificate
• Property — Land Title Deed (Chanote), Condominium Title, Lease Agreement, Property Valuation Report
• Financial — Bank Statement, Bank Guarantee Letter, Tax Return, Income Certificate
• Intellectual Property — Trademark Certificate, Patent Certificate, Copyright Certificate
• Immigration — Visa Application Documents, Sponsorship Letter, Invitation Letter, Affidavit of Support
• Contracts — Commercial Contract, Employment Contract, Memorandum of Understanding, Distributorship Agreement
• Personal ID — Passport Copy, National ID Copy, Driving License
• Religious / Cultural — Islamic Marriage Certificate, Religious Conversion Certificate
• Technical / Engineering — Engineering Drawing, Product Certificate / CoO, ISO Certificate
• Government — Royal Decree, Ministry Certificate, BOI Promotion Certificate
• Special / Other — Apostille, Destination MOFA Attestation, Translator Certification

How It Works (7 Steps)

1. 1. Assessment & Planning — Share destination, document type, and purpose — we identify the Apostille vs Full Legalization path with an accurate document checklist and destination embassy requirements.
2. 2. Source Document Handling — Receive originals via messenger, mail, or EMS nationwide. If lost, we can reissue at the district office, Ministry of Education, DBD, or relevant agency on your behalf.
3. 3. Certified Translation — Translation by MFA-recognized translators, issued with a Translator's Certification.
4. 4. Notary Public (if required) — Certify signatures, true copies, or affidavits when required by the destination authority.
5. 5. MFA Legalization / Apostille — Submit to Department of Consular Affairs, Chaeng Watthana — 3 business days standard, 1 business day express.
6. 6. Destination Embassy Attestation — Submit to the destination embassy in Bangkok for embassy stamp (unless Hague member).
7. 7. Delivery & Tracking — Domestic delivery nationwide, or international express via DHL/FedEx/EMS with tracking.

Fees & Timeline (Estimated)

From THB 800/page for translation + MFA (Hague destinations); THB 1,500–3,500/page for Full Legalization including embassy fees — pricing varies by document length, target language, and destination. Standard turnaround 8–21 business days; express 3–5 business days at +50–100%.

Common Use Cases

• Marrying a foreigner abroad — marriage & birth certificates + Single Status, MFA + embassy legalized
• Spouse visa UK/US/AU — Police Clearance, Bank Statement, Tax Return + NAATI/Certified translation
• Setting up a subsidiary in SG/UAE — Company Affidavit + POA + Board Resolution + Apostille/Attestation
• Studying in DE/JP — Transcript + Diploma + APS/Uni-Assist via MFA + embassy
• Filing tax/divorce/probate abroad — Tax Return, Divorce Decree, Probate, Will

Why ILC

ILC (ILC (International Language Center) Co., Ltd.) has been providing certified translation and consular legalization for over 15 years, with 6 Bar-registered Notary Public lawyers, MFA-recognized translators in 20+ languages, systematic embassy liaison, 24-hour online case tracking, hotline 080-5578887, and LINE @NAATI.