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To use a Thai birth certificate abroad, you first have it translated into English, then have Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs certify the original and the translation. If the receiving country's authority asks for it, its embassy or consulate in Thailand legalises the document next. From 28 February 2027, once the Apostille Convention takes effect for Thailand, a single apostille from the MFA's Department of Consular Affairs will replace this whole chain for Convention states that have not objected to Thailand joining. The Ministry's office at Central Festival Phuket also handles legalisation; check in advance whether it can process your certificate and translation. Any embassy step depends on the receiving country's requirements.
In short
- First, an English translation of the certificate, signed by the translator.
- Then Thailand's MFA: it certifies the Thai official's signature and seal, not the content of the document.
- Next, if your country's authority requires it, that country's embassy or consulate in Thailand — until 28 February 2027.
- From 28 February 2027, an apostille from Thailand's MFA replaces the whole chain for Convention states that have not objected.
- Thailand's MFA also legalises documents on Phuket, at its office in Central Festival.
Why the certificate needs legalising
A Thai birth certificate may need translation and legalisation for use abroad. Check the requirements of the specific receiving authority before arranging either step. Where legalisation is required, the usual route is Thailand's MFA followed, if required, by the destination country's embassy or consulate. What each stamp checks is narrow: it confirms that the named Thai official really signed and sealed the document, not whether the names, date or place of birth on the certificate are correct.
Translation: who does it and who certifies
Thailand's MFA accepts the original certificate, a copy and an English translation signed by the translator for legalisation (MFA document list, updated 17 April 2025); whether this exact list applies to a non-Thai child's certificate is worth checking before you go. A parent applies on behalf of a minor — along with documents proving the parent's own identity and the relationship, though exactly which ones are needed is best confirmed in advance.
The MFA certifies two separate signatures: on the certificate, the signature and seal of the Thai registrar who issued it; on the translation, the translator's own signature. This is not a check of the document's content, and it's not a guarantee that any receiving authority abroad will accept that particular translation. It's worth confirming beforehand whether the English translation will actually suit your destination office — a translation into a different language, or in a different format, may be required separately, under that office's own rules. Our lawyers check in advance which language and which form of translation a particular receiving authority needs, since registrars, courts and passport offices often ask for different things.
Thailand's MFA: legalisation and the apostille
At Thailand's MFA you bring the original certificate, a copy and an English translation signed by the translator — worth confirming with the MFA in advance, along with what parental documents, what proof of the child's identity and what proof of the relationship a foreign child's certificate will need. An officer checks the signature and seal on the original and adds the Ministry's own stamp, confirming that the correct Thai authority issued the document.
Thai law firms report a regular fee of THB 200 per stamp with a two-working-day turnaround, and THB 400 for same-day express service. We haven't found an official MFA fee page, so it's worth confirming the amount when you book through the qlegal appointment system.
The MFA's office at Central Festival Phuket also handles legalisation. We'd suggest checking with that office in advance exactly which documents it accepts and whether your case qualifies for the express service — not every document type is guaranteed to.
Separately, there's the apostille. On 30 June 2026 Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the 1961 Apostille Convention; for Thailand the Convention takes effect on 28 February 2027, and the competent authority named is the same Department of Consular Affairs at the MFA (HCCH). Until that date, Thailand neither issues nor accepts an apostille — only the chain of MFA legalisation followed by the destination country's embassy applies. Existing Convention members can object to Thailand's accession until around 30 December 2026; where a country objects, the apostille won't work between that country and Thailand, and documents will still need embassy legalisation. The procedure and fee for Thailand's own apostille haven't been published yet.
Your embassy: the next step
Until 28 February 2027, once Thailand's MFA has legalised the certificate, it goes on — if the destination country or office requires it — to the embassy or consulate of the country where it will be used. That's a separate step, with its own rules, timing and usually its own translation requirement.
Whether a country will accept, after 28 February 2027, a legalisation that was done the old way before that date is for that country to decide. No official guidance has been published on this yet, so for a certificate you'll need after 2027, it's sensible to ask the relevant embassy now.
UK, US, EU: what differs
What's needed after Thailand's MFA depends on where the certificate will be used.
| Country or region | What's needed after Thailand's MFA |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | GOV.UK asks for a translation from an "approved translator" and doesn't mention a separate legalisation step. A full certificate showing both parents' details is needed for a passport application. Registering the birth with UK authorities is optional and costs £150; a consular birth certificate, if ordered, is a further £50. |
| United States | Your embassy sets its own document checklist — check it before applying. |
| EU countries (for example Germany) | Each embassy sets its own checklist — check it before applying. From 28 February 2027, confirm on the HCCH status table whether that specific country has objected to Thailand's accession: objections are filed country by country, not by the EU as a bloc, so one EU state's position doesn't tell you another's. |
If your country isn't in this table, send us a message — we'll walk you through the order of steps for your case.
What to do next
The usual order is:
- Get the certificate translated into English by a translator who signs the translation.
- Submit the original, a copy and the translation to Thailand's MFA — in Bangkok or at the Phuket office.
- Collect the legalised document and, if needed, a separate translation into the destination country's language.
- Until 28 February 2027, take it to the embassy or consulate of the destination country, if that step is required there. From that date, for Convention states that haven't objected to Thailand's accession, the MFA issues an apostille instead of its ordinary stamp — covering both step 2 and the embassy step in step 4.
If someone other than the parent is filing the documents, our team can prepare a power of attorney for the MFA submission and check that it meets the requirements for your particular case.
Tell us which country and which authority the document is for, and we'll reply within 24 hours with the order of steps and prepare the documents in both languages. We agree the cost of certification and the power of attorney upfront, before we start.
For how document legalisation for Thailand works more broadly, and what changes once the Apostille Convention takes effect, see our article on the apostille in Thailand. If you need help with a translation, legalisation or a power of attorney for a specific document, take a look at document legalisation support and notarised power of attorney in Phuket — we cover how to set up a power of attorney for an MFA submission if you can't come in person.
