Apostille Certification: documents, steps and pitfalls

Documents to prepare

• Original Thai government-issued document, or a document certified by a notarial attorney
• Certified English translation
• Copy of the document holder's passport
• Power of attorney authorising us to act
• Written requirements from the receiving authority abroad

Step-by-step process

1. 1

   Check that the destination is a Convention party and what it accepts from Thailand during the transition

2. 2

   Obtain the original source document from the issuing authority

3. 3

   Prepare a certified translation in the language the destination requires

4. 4

   File for legalisation at the Department of Consular Affairs, MFA

5. 5

   Before 28 Feb 2027 continue to the destination embassy; from that date the apostille route applies

6. 6

   Verify acceptance with the receiving party before shipping the document

Cautions and common mistakes

• Relying on claims that Thailand is already bound in 2026 and planning on that basis
• Translating before the latest original is issued, forcing a re-translation
• The document is older than the receiving authority accepts
• The destination requires its own official language, not English
• Not keeping colour copies at each stage, making loss recovery difficult

Compare: do it yourself vs let us handle it