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A bank abroad, an overseas partner or a new subsidiary may ask you to legalise Thai company documents for use abroad. This guide covers that direction — company paperwork going out of Thailand — and not foreign documents coming into Thailand, which other pages on this site cover. A Thai company's documents usually move through the same stages before a receiving country abroad will take them: the Department of Business Development (DBD) issues a company certificate or a certified copy, a translator renders it into English, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) legalises it, and the destination country's embassy in Bangkok adds its own step where that country requires one. From 28 February 2027 an apostille will replace that embassy step for other Convention states that have not objected to Thailand's accession to the Apostille Convention, where the destination country requires that step. Until then, the embassy step applies wherever the receiving country asks for it.
In short
- The usual path: a DBD certificate, then translation, then MFA legalisation, then the destination embassy where it requires that step — or, from 28 February 2027, an apostille instead, for Convention states that have not objected to Thailand's accession.
- Thailand's MFA legalises a business document only if it is no older than six months. That rule is the ministry's, not the bank's.
- A board resolution or a company power of attorney is certified differently: the director signs in front of an MFA officer, in person.
- From 28 February 2027 an apostille replaces the embassy step for other Convention states that have not objected to Thailand's accession; countries that object, or that are outside the Convention, keep the embassy step where the destination country requires it.
- Every bank sets its own list on top of this chain, so it is worth asking in writing what it actually wants.
Which company documents are needed abroad
Most requests from a foreign bank or partner cover a small set of documents, each issued and certified differently.
| Document | Where to get it | How it is certified | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company certificate (หนังสือรับรอง) | DBD | DBD-certified copy, translated into English, then MFA legalisation | proving the company exists and naming who may sign for it |
| Memorandum of association | DBD | DBD-certified copy, translated, MFA legalisation | for review of the company's memorandum by the receiving organisation |
| Articles of association | DBD | DBD-certified copy, translated, MFA legalisation | the internal rules a bank or partner may want to see |
| Shareholder list (BOJ 5) | DBD | DBD-certified copy, translated, MFA legalisation | showing the shareholders reported in the DBD filing |
| Financial statements | DBD (filed copy) | DBD-certified copy, translated, MFA legalisation | due diligence by a bank or credit check by a partner |
| Registered changes and special resolutions | DBD | DBD-certified copy, translated, MFA legalisation | evidence of a change of directors, address or capital |
| Board resolution or company power of attorney | drafted and signed by the authorised director | the MFA certifies the director's own signature, not a DBD copy | authorising a bank account, a subsidiary or a representative abroad |
The last row is the one people usually get wrong, because it does not follow a DBD-and-translate path at all. Our lawyers check first whether the DBD's English-language certificate is available for your document and accepted by the recipient, rather than assuming it comes out bilingual.
The DBD affidavit: recent and certified
The DBD issues the company certificate — what foreign banks often simply call a certified copy of Thai company registration — in Thai and in English, including through its online e-Certificate service. For most of the table above, this certificate or a certified copy of the underlying filing is the starting point. Whether the MFA accepts a printed e-Certificate or an electronically signed PDF, rather than a paper DBD-certified copy, has not been confirmed — check the accepted format before you order it.
The six-month rule belongs to the MFA, not to the DBD and not to the bank: the ministry will not legalise a business document once it is older than six months. A foreign bank is free to be stricter. In practice, banks usually ask for a recent certificate and each one decides what counts as recent, so we advise ordering the DBD certificate close to the date you expect to file it, rather than reusing one from an earlier matter.
Translation and certification
Once the DBD has issued the certificate, a translator renders the Thai text into English and signs it as a "certified correct translation." For postal applications, since 10 February 2026 the MFA has also required the translator to attach a copy of a valid government-issued identity document to the translation.
A board resolution or a company power of attorney takes a different route. The MFA certifies the director's own signature rather than a translation of the document: the director attends in person, the company certificate shown must be no older than six months, and the company seal is presented at the same time; the MFA's published list does not say what a company without a seal should do, so check with the ministry in advance. Some Thai practitioners describe this instead as work for a notarial services attorney; the ministry's own pages describe only the director-signature route above, so that is what we follow, and we flag the notarial alternative only where the receiving country specifically asks for it.
If the director cannot attend, the MFA still requires the signature to match the one in the passport, and the original passport has to be shown. A representative may file the DBD paperwork itself on the company's behalf with a power of attorney carrying a 10-baht stamp duty and a copy of the company certificate — our team will plan the director's visit to the MFA around whichever of these two routes your documents need.
Thailand's MFA, the embassy and the apostille
The MFA's legalisation certifies the signature, the capacity of the signer and the seal on a document — not what the document says. For the postal service, the fee is 200 baht per legalisation, paid by postal money order, with the document returned by EMS. Filing at the counter may follow a different tariff for the service you choose, so check before you go.
After the MFA, the destination country's embassy or consulate adds its own step where that country requires it. Each embassy sets its own fee, processing time and document list for commercial applicants, so check the page of the country you are dealing with before you plan the timeline.
From 28 February 2027 this changes for other Convention states that have not objected to Thailand's accession: a single apostille from Thailand's Department of Consular Affairs replaces the embassy step for those countries, where that country would otherwise require it. For countries that object or stay outside the Convention, the embassy step remains where the destination country requires it. The objection window for existing Convention members runs to around 30 December 2026, and administrative documents dealing directly with a commercial or customs operation stay outside the Convention either way (Article 1(3)(b)); whether that exception covers a particular Thai trade document needs checking case by case. We will check the HCCH status table for your specific country once that window closes, rather than assume the apostille will apply.
What foreign banks ask for
No single rule sets what a foreign bank must see — each bank decides for itself. Ask your bank whether it needs the company certificate, articles of association, shareholder list, a board resolution naming the account operators, or recent financial statements. Use this list as a starting point for that conversation, not as a fixed requirement.
We advise asking the bank for its list of required documents in writing before you order translations or book an MFA appointment: what counts as "recent enough" or "fully legalised" differs from one bank to another, and a document prepared for the wrong standard may need additional certification, translation or replacement. Once you have that list, our team compares it with what the DBD and the MFA actually issue, to reduce the risk of unnecessary repeat orders.
What to do next
Send us the bank's or partner's list of requested documents, and our team will compare it against what the DBD and the MFA actually issue for a Thai company. We will tell you which documents can be prepared without travelling to Bangkok, which need the director's personal attendance at the MFA, set the price before we start, and reply within 24 hours. We also offer document legalisation support for the full MFA-and-embassy chain, and if the company itself is not yet registered, our guide on how to register a Thai company is the place to start.
For the Apostille Convention itself — what it changes and what stays the same after 28 February 2027 — see the apostille in Thailand. For a power of attorney that a director cannot sign in person, our page on notary and power of attorney services covers the alternatives.
