Documents in Thailand: Translation, Legalisation and Apostille (2026)

Three words that get confused

• Translation: a Thai or English version of the document by a translator, which officials may require to be certified.
• Legalisation: a chain of stamps in which each authority confirms the signature or seal of the one before it.
• Apostille: a single certificate, issued by the country that issued the document, that replaces the whole chain between countries that have joined the Hague Apostille Convention.

The current process until 27 February 2027

Thailand has not yet put the Apostille Convention into force, so an apostille alone is not enough for use in Thailand. A foreign public document usually goes through steps like these, and the exact order depends on the document and the embassy:

• Get the original or a certified copy, and a notarised copy if the document is a private one, such as a power of attorney.
• Have the foreign ministry of the issuing country authenticate it.
• Have the Royal Thai Embassy or consulate in that country legalise it.
• Translate it into Thai if the Thai office needs that, using a translator whose work can be certified.
• Take it to the Legalization Division of the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok, or an authorised office, for final legalisation. Appointments are booked online through the Department's system.

Check the exact requirements with the Thai embassy for your country, because they publish their own pages and they differ. A Thai authority sometimes also has its own rules about how recent a document must be. As an example, reports say that powers of attorney sent for legalisation must be recent, with a six-month limit mentioned, so confirm before you start.

What changes on 28 February 2027

Thailand deposited its accession to the Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, with the Department of Consular Affairs confirming the date. After that, between Thailand and countries that have not objected, an apostille should generally replace the embassy chain for public documents. The Department of Consular Affairs is expected to issue apostilles for Thai documents going abroad.

Until that date, keep following the current process, and do not assume the new rules apply early. If you are starting a long procedure near the change, ask the office that will receive the document which rules it will apply on the day you submit it.

Translation tips

Use a translator that the receiving office accepts. In Thailand the Department of Consular Affairs can certify translations, and since February 2026 a translator submitting a Thai-to-English or English-to-Thai translation is reported to need a copy of a valid government ID. Names must match the passport exactly, so give the translator your passport details and the spelling you use on your visa.

Ask for the translation to be stapled to the original or copy and keep the whole set together, because a loose translation can be rejected.

Documents Phuket expats are most often asked for

• Marriage and birth certificates for family visas and registering a child.
• Police clearance certificates for some long-stay visas and work permits, which must be recent.
• Bank or pension income letters for retirement and extension applications, covered in our visa guides.
• Diplomas for education and work purposes.
• Powers of attorney, wills and probate documents for property and estate matters.
• Company documents for businesses.

Practical advice

Order several certified copies of each important document before you leave home, because each legalisation uses an original or certified copy. Keep digital scans. Allow weeks, not days, particularly for a foreign will or death certificate, which can take one to three months to pass through the chain. A visa agent or lawyer can handle the queue for you for a fee, but you should still check that the final stamps are the ones the receiving office needs.