What is the difference between notarisation and legalisation?

Notarisation is performed by a Notarial Services Attorney and certifies a signature, a declaration or a true copy. Legalisation is performed by a government body — the Department of Consular Affairs and then an embassy — and certifies that the previous official's signature and seal are genuine. Many files need both, in that order.

Can a foreign document be legalised in Thailand?

Only after it has been authenticated in the country that issued it. A foreign birth certificate, for example, is apostilled or legalised at origin, legalised by the Thai embassy there where required, translated into Thai and then submitted to the Department of Consular Affairs. Thai officials cannot certify a foreign registrar's signature directly.

How long does consular legalisation take?

Department of Consular Affairs processing is typically 2–4 business days for standard service once the file is complete, and embassy processing depends entirely on that mission's own schedule, which can range from same-week to several weeks. Timeframes are ranges because government queues cannot be guaranteed.

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Thai MFA Legalization (Department of Consular Affairs)

Legalization of Thai documents and translations by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for use in any country worldwide.

3–5 business days standard · 1 day express฿800 – ฿3,500 MFA & embassy ready

Call 083-249-4999 LINE @NYCLI Free quote

Why clients choose us for this

We queue at the MFA Chaeng Watthana office every business day
Translation + legalization in one workflow — no extra trips
Express 1-day option for time-critical files
Real-time WhatsApp / LINE status updates

Documents commonly handled

A non-exhaustive list — bring anything you're unsure about.

Birth, marriage, divorce certificates
Single-status affidavit (Khor Ror 2)
Police clearance certificate
Academic transcript & diploma
Company affidavit (DBD certificate)
Power of attorney

Step-by-step process

1
1. Translate + certify
Documents are translated by our MFA-accepted translators and signed off.
2
2. Submit to MFA
Filed at the Department of Consular Affairs each morning.
3
3. Collect within 3–5 business days
Express 1-day available on request.
4
4. Onward embassy attestation
We can immediately forward to your destination country's embassy in Bangkok.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Where is the MFA office?

Department of Consular Affairs, 123 Chaeng Watthana Road, Lak Si, Bangkok 10210. Our courier handles every visit.

Q. Express service really delivers in 24 hours?

Yes — MFA offers a same-day track for an extra government fee. We file before the morning cutoff and collect the same afternoon.

Start your file in 15 minutes

Send a scan or photo via LINE / email. We reply with a fixed quote, turnaround estimate, and document checklist within 15 minutes during business hours.

083-249-4999 nyclegal@ilc.ltd

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Other services

Certified Document Translation Notary Public Services NAATI Certified Translation Embassy Attestation Apostille Service Thai Police Clearance Certificate Thai Visa Services for Foreigners Thai–Foreigner Marriage Registration

Aspect	On your own	With NYC Legal
Sequencing	Steps done out of order mean starting the whole set again.	We sequence to the destination's actual requirement from day one.
Embassy appointments	Slots fill quickly and booking rules are complex.	We monitor availability and submit under your power of attorney.
Rejection risk	Mismatched translations and expired documents are common.	Every file is checked before submission to reduce rejections.

Option	What it is	Best for	Watch out for
Notarial Services Attorney (Thailand)	A lawyer licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand to certify signatures and documents.	Signature and true-copy certification, powers of attorney, documents for foreign schools or companies.	This is not a US-style Notary Public; some receiving parties still require consular legalization on top.
MFA legalization (Department of Consular Affairs)	Certification of the signature/seal of the issuing Thai authority by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.	Thai civil and government records used abroad: house registration, marriage, birth, police clearance.	Translations must follow the format the MFA accepts, otherwise the file is returned and you lose a cycle.
Destination embassy / consulate legalization	A further certification by the destination country's embassy in Thailand after the MFA step.	Countries that do not accept an Apostille, or authorities that explicitly require an embassy stamp.	Each embassy has its own intake days, forms and translation requirements — verify before filing.
Apostille (Hague Convention of 1961)	A single-layer certification used between member states in place of multi-step embassy legalization.	Documents issued in one member state and used in another member state.	Thailand deposited its instrument of accession on 30 June 2026 and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027. Until then Thai documents still follow the MFA + embassy route.

Thai MFA Legalization (Department of Consular Affairs)

Why clients choose us for this

Documents commonly handled

Step-by-step process

1. Translate + certify

2. Submit to MFA

3. Collect within 3–5 business days

4. Onward embassy attestation

Frequently asked questions

Start your file in 15 minutes

Other services

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