Use inside Thailand only
e.g. district office, DBD business registration, Thai court, Thai bank
→ Notary Public alone (sometimes none needed)
See Notary services Updated 14 Feb 2026 — Thailand is now Hague Apostille state #126
Notary Public vs Apostille vs MFA Legalization
Which one, when, and in what order?
Pillar guide covering all three stages of the cross-border document "chain of authentication" — statutory basis, correct order, transparent prices, and 12 real document examples — by the NYC Legal attorney and translation team.
1. 30-Second Comparison Table
| Aspect | Notary Public | MFA Legalization | Apostille |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certifying body | Lawyer (Lawyers Council of Thailand) | MFA Consular Affairs Dept. | MFA (Competent Authority) |
| Certifies what | Signature · true copy · oath | Notary or government seal | Same, plus universal Apostille stamp |
| Used where | Inside Thailand + gateway to MFA/Apostille | Foreign embassies in Bangkok + overseas | All 126 Hague states — no embassy needed |
| Turnaround | 1–3 hours | 2 days (std) · 1 day (rush) | 2 days (std) · 1 day (rush) |
| Gov. fee | — | THB 400 / 1,000 per seal | THB 400 / 1,000 per seal |
| Attorney fee | THB 800–2,500 per seal | THB 1,500–3,500 per set | THB 1,500–3,500 per set |
| Standalone? | Yes (sometimes) | Needs Notary/gov first | Needs MFA/gov first |
2. What is a Thai Notary Public?
In Thailand, a Notary Public is technically called a Notarial Services Attorney, a lawyer registered with the Lawyers Council of Thailand under the Lawyers Council Regulations on the Registration of Notarial Services Attorneys B.E. 2551 (2008), issued under section 27 of the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985).
Five categories of work:
- Signature witnessing — signer signs in person before the attorney
- Certified true copy — passport, national ID, house registration, transcripts, professional licences
- Oath / affirmation — for affidavits and statutory declarations
- Certification of identity / directors / corporate seals — for cross-border transactions
- Certificate of facts — proof of life, residence, date/time attestation
Every Thai notarial certificate carries a red seal, holographic sticker, and a 5-digit registration number verifiable in the Lawyers Council database. Bilingual TH/EN notarial certificate is standard.
3. What is MFA Consular Legalization?
MFA Legalization is issued by the Nationality & Legalization Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (Chaeng Watthana Road, Bangkok). It certifies that the seal and signature of a Thai government body — or a Thai Notary Public — are genuine and legally authorised.
Statutory basis: MFA Regulation on Document Certification B.E. 2539 (1996) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963.
Seal types:
- Translation certification — source + translation, blue seal
- Signature certification — of an authorised officer, red seal
- True-copy certification — of a public document, green seal
- Apostille — new stamp effective 14 Feb 2026, replaces destination-embassy legalisation
Important: Legalization cannot be done in isolation — a Thai public source document or a Notary certificate must always precede it.
4. What is Apostille? (The game-changer)
Apostille is the universal certificate created by the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, currently with 126 member states.
Thailand officially became a party effective 14 February 2026 — the designated Competent Authority is the MFA Department of Consular Affairs.
What changes:
- Thai documents bearing an Apostille are accepted immediately in all 126 Hague states — no destination embassy step
- Turnaround drops from 5–15 business days to 2 days (or 1-day rush)
- Total cost drops 40–60% versus full embassy legalisation
- Countries with biggest impact: USA, Japan, Korea, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand
Limits: Non-Hague countries (mainland China excluding HK/Macau, some Middle-East states, Vietnam, Malaysia) still need Notary + MFA + destination embassy the old way.
5. Decision Tree — Which do you need?
Use in any of the 126 Hague states
e.g. USA, Japan, Korea, Australia, UK, Germany, France
→ Notary → MFA → Apostille (no embassy step)
See Apostille service Use in a non-Hague country
e.g. mainland China, Vietnam, Malaysia, some Middle East
→ Notary → MFA → destination embassy in Bangkok
See MFA Legalization 6. Real Examples — 12 popular documents
| Document | Notary | MFA | Apostille | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate (original) | — | ✓ | ✓ | No Notary needed (public document) |
| Marriage certificate | — | ✓ | ✓ | Translate to EN + MFA before Apostille |
| Divorce decree | — | ✓ | ✓ | Certified translation first |
| Single-status certificate | — | ✓ | ✓ | Issued by district office |
| Transcript / degree | ✓ (copy) | ✓ | ✓ | University-certified copy → translate → MFA → Apostille |
| Police clearance | — | ✓ | ✓ | Issued by RTP → translate → MFA → Apostille |
| Power of attorney | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Signed in person before Notary |
| Affidavit / statutory declaration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Sworn before Notary |
| Company affidavit (DBD) | ✓ (copy) | ✓ | ✓ | Fetch original from DBD first |
| Board resolution | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Directors sign before Notary |
| Passport / Nat. ID copy | ✓ | — | — | Notary is enough for foreign bank KYC |
| Commercial contract | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Notary witnesses signer(s) |
7. Total cost — transparent 2026 pricing
Notary only
800–2,500
THB / seal
Includes bilingual TH/EN certificate
Notary + MFA (for embassy)
3,500–5,500
THB / set
Includes gov fee + courier
Notary + Apostille (turn-key)
3,500–6,500
THB / set
40–60% cheaper than embassy route
Prices exclude VAT. Final quote depends on document count, destination country, and speed required.
Not sure what you need? Free consultation
The NYC Legal attorney team will review your document and recommend the correct, cheapest, fastest chain — handled in Thailand, delivered worldwide.