Document Legalisation (Apostille and MFA Authentication)

TWO TYPES OF LEGALISATION APOSTILLE (Hague Convention countries) An apostille is a standardised authentication issued by the competent authority in the document's country of origin. It is accepted by all other Hague Convention member states — including Thailand (which acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention effective 7 January 2019). If your document originates from an apostille-eligible country (Australia, UK, USA, most EU countries, and 120+ others), the legalisation chain is: 1. Obtain the apostille from the designated authority in your country (e.g., DFAT in Australia, the FCO in the UK, your US state's Secretary of State office). 2. The apostilled document is accepted by Thai government offices directly — no further legalisation required. Note: some Thai offices still ask for a Thai translation even after an apostille is attached. The apostille certifies authenticity, not language. CONSULAR LEGALISATION (non-Hague countries) For documents from countries not party to the Apostille Convention, the traditional consular legalisation chain applies: 1. Document certified by the relevant authority in the originating country. 2. Legalised by that country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 3. Legalised by the Thai consulate or embassy in that country. Only then is the document accepted by Thai government offices. MFA AUTHENTICATION (documents from Thailand going abroad) For Thai documents being used overseas (Thai marriage certificates, Thai birth certificates, Thai criminal background checks, Thai company documents), the legalisation chain runs the other way: 1. Obtain a certified copy from the issuing Thai authority (Civil Registration, DBD, court, etc.) 2. Submit to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs Department, Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok) for the MFA authentication stamp. 3. If the receiving country is a Hague member, the MFA stamp functions as the apostille — no further steps needed in Thailand. 4. If the receiving country is not a Hague member, forward the MFA-stamped document to the receiving country's embassy in Bangkok for consular legalisation. MFA processing: walk-in same-day, or by post (3–5 business days). Fee: 200 THB per document. COMMON DOCUMENTS REQUIRING LEGALISATION • Marriage certificates (Thai ↔ Foreign use) • Birth certificates (especially for PR applications and dependant visa applications) • Divorce decrees • Criminal clearance certificates (Police Clearance / Criminal Background Check) • University degree certificates • Power of attorney HOW VISA CENTRE HELPS We identify which legalisation route applies to your document (apostille vs consular chain) based on the originating country and receiving Thai authority, advise on the exact steps in your country, coordinate the Thai MFA authentication for Thai-origin documents, and advise on translation requirements alongside legalisation. For Australian documents: DFAT apostille applications are submitted online. We advise on the DFAT process as it applies to the specific document type (birth certificate vs degree vs police check — each has a different originating authority before DFAT). General guidance only. Legalisation requirements vary by document type, originating country, and receiving Thai authority. Not legal advice. No outcome guaranteed. Independent assistance agency; not affiliated with any government body.