Although the Hague Convention of 1961 vastly simplified the process of document legalisation for many countries, not all countries are signatory to this convention. In fact, 75 countries around the world do not currently recognise the Hague Apostille. This means that, in these countries, there are more steps in order to legally recognise a document from abroad. In this article, we will look at the specific process for legalising a British public document through the Thai Embassy.
Embassy Attestation
Countries that have not adopted the Hague Apostille follow a process of double certification to validate public documents from abroad. For general information on this process, see our article An Overview of Embassy Legalisation. Essentially, the document(s) must be certified in both the sending and the receiving country. In the UK, the process involves:
- Submitting the document(s) to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for the Hague Apostille,
- Submitting the apostilled document(s) to the receiving country’s embassy for the second certification.
Depending on the country and document, you may also need to look at solicitor or notary public certification. When necessary, this should be completed before a document is sent to the FCDO for an Apostille.
The process of legalising a document in Thailand follows these same basic steps. However, there are some specific details which do not apply to all countries. The Royal Thai Embassy requires you to include a copy of every single page of the document, including the Apostille, in your application. There is also an application form that must to fill out for all documents. Additionally, Thai nationals must provide a copy of their passports. [1]
The certified document(s) are generally ready for collection from the Royal Thai Embassy after 2 working days. The process may take longer if you submit more than 10 documents.
Following the above process, the double-certified documents must also be stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legalisation Division, Bangkok [2] before they can be used in Thailand.
It can be difficult to navigate the different requirements for Embassy legalisations. Unlike in countries that have adopted the Hague Apostille, the process varies depending on the receiving country and the type of document. At Pardus Bloom, we can help take the stress out of this process. All you need to do is let us know what type of document you need legalising and where it needs to go – we can take it from there. Contact us today.
[1] https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/81905-legalisation?menu=5d6636ce15e39c3bd0007344