
Documents from Taiwan for use in Thailand
Quick answer
Obtain an issuer-certified original, have the Taiwan authorities authenticate the signature, legalise at the Royal Thai Embassy in Taiwan or at the Taiwan mission in Thailand, translate into Thai, have the translation certified by the Department of Consular Affairs, then file with the Thai receiving authority.
The Apostille fact
Taiwan is not an Apostille contracting party, and neither is Thailand. The working route is authentication by the Taiwan authorities, embassy legalisation, then the Thai translation and its certification. Thailand acceded to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026; it enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, so Apostilles are not yet issued. An Apostille from the issuing country alone does not automatically make a document usable before a Thai authority. The foreign document is legalised either at the Royal Thai Embassy in the issuing country or at that country’s mission in Thailand, then translated into Thai, and the translation is certified by the Department of Consular Affairs, MFA, before it is filed with the Thai receiving authority.
The chain for documents from this country
1. Obtain an issuer-certified original
Request the copy signed and sealed by the registrar or issuing office, not a self-made photocopy. For older documents, request a fresh issue so the signatory is still on the specimen-signature register.
Caution: Photocopies and self-printed PDFs are usually rejected at the very first counter.
2. Authentication in the country of origin
The issuing country’s foreign ministry (or the body it designates) authenticates the signature on the document. Some countries issue an Apostille at this stage; because Thailand is not a party, a further step is still required.
Caution: Many people stop at the Apostille and fly to Thailand, then have to send the document back for further legalisation.
3. Legalisation by the Thai mission abroad, or the issuing country’s mission in Thailand
Route A: legalise at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General in the issuing country. Route B: have the issuing country’s embassy or consulate in Thailand certify it instead. Choose according to what the receiving authority accepts and where the holder is.
Caution: Some missions only certify documents that already carry their own foreign ministry’s seal; skipping the order restarts the chain.
4. Translation into Thai by an accountable translator
The translation must mirror the original line by line, including every seal, signature block and legalisation stamp. Personal names must match the passport spelling or the Thai records already on file.
Caution: Name spellings that differ from existing Thai records are the single most common rejection reason at the translation-certification stage.
5. Certification of the translation by the Department of Consular Affairs
File the legalised original together with the Thai translation at the Legalisation Division, Department of Consular Affairs (Chaeng Watthana) or a passport office that accepts legalisation work. Officers check the translation before affixing the certification.
Caution: A translation filed without the legalised original will not be certified.
6. File with the Thai receiving authority
Submit the completed bundle to the receiving body: district registrar, Department of Provincial Administration, Immigration Bureau, Department of Business Development, a court or an educational institution. Each may ask for supporting papers.
Caution: Some authorities count a validity window from the legalisation date, so check before booking travel.
What to prepare
- The foreign original, legalised through the full chain
- A Thai translation mirroring the original line by line
- Passport copy of the document holder (photo page)
- Thai ID card or house-registration copy where the filer is Thai
- Power of attorney plus the agent’s ID copy where someone else files
- Change-of-name evidence where the names do not match the Thai records
By document type
- Foreign birth certificate from Taiwan
- Foreign marriage certificate from Taiwan
- Foreign divorce decree from Taiwan
- Foreign death certificate from Taiwan
- Foreign police clearance certificate from Taiwan
- Foreign degree certificate from Taiwan
- Foreign academic transcript from Taiwan
- Foreign power of attorney from Taiwan
- Foreign certificate of incorporation from Taiwan
- Foreign board resolution from Taiwan
- Affidavit of marital status from Taiwan
- Foreign adoption order from Taiwan
- Foreign court judgment from Taiwan
- Foreign medical certificate from Taiwan
- Foreign driving licence from Taiwan
- Foreign bank statement from Taiwan
- Foreign employment certificate from Taiwan
Frequently asked questions
How can a document issued in Taiwan be used in Thailand?
Obtain an issuer-certified original, have the Taiwan authorities authenticate the signature, legalise at the Royal Thai Embassy in Taiwan or at the Taiwan mission in Thailand, translate into Thai, have the translation certified by the Department of Consular Affairs, then file with the Thai receiving authority.
Is an Apostille from Taiwan enough for use in Thailand?
Taiwan is not an Apostille contracting party, and neither is Thailand. The working route is authentication by the Taiwan authorities, embassy legalisation, then the Thai translation and its certification. Thailand acceded to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026; it enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, so Apostilles are not yet issued. An Apostille from the issuing country alone does not automatically make a document usable before a Thai authority. The foreign document is legalised either at the Royal Thai Embassy in the issuing country or at that country’s mission in Thailand, then translated into Thai, and the translation is certified by the Department of Consular Affairs, MFA, before it is filed with the Thai receiving authority.
Should legalisation be done at origin or at the mission in Thailand?
Taiwan maintains a mission in Thailand, so you may legalise either at the Royal Thai Embassy in Taiwan or at the Taiwan mission in Bangkok.
Which language must a Taiwan document be translated into?
Documents from Taiwan are usually issued in zh. Unless the document is already in Thai, it must be translated into Thai with every seal transcribed.
Can a copy be used instead of the original?
Generally no. Certification is placed on a document already authenticated by the issuer or a diplomatic mission; a self-made photocopy carries no weight at this stage.
What if the name on the Taiwan document does not match the Thai records?
Attach linking evidence such as a change-of-name certificate or a same-person affidavit; otherwise the registrar will not record it. Fix the spelling in the translation to match the passport from the outset.
Do Taiwan documents expire for Thai filings?
The document itself usually has no expiry, but many Thai receiving bodies require it to have been issued or legalised within a recent window. Check the receiving authority’s rule before starting.
Do I need to travel to Taiwan in person?
Not always. In many cases an authorised representative can act at origin, or the document can be certified at the issuing country’s mission in Thailand instead, depending on what the receiving body accepts.
Are electronic documents or e-certificates accepted?
It depends on the Thai receiving body. In practice a printed copy carrying the same legalisation chain is still expected; where only a file exists, have the issuer certify a true copy first.
Which step goes wrong most often?
Name spellings that differ from existing Thai records are the single most common rejection reason at the translation-certification stage. The next most common is: Many people stop at the Apostille and fly to Thailand, then have to send the document back for further legalisation.
Can your team handle the whole chain?
Yes. We review what you hold, sequence the legalisation correctly, prepare the translation, file it for certification and advise you through the Thai submission — advisory support throughout, not just processing.
How do I get a Taiwan document checked first?
Send photos of the document and all legalisation stamps to LINE @Thainotary or call 094-895-8999; we will tell you whether the copy you hold can proceed as is.
Related services
Have the document reviewed first
Send photos of the Taiwan document and every stamp to LINE @Thainotary or call 094-895-8999 and we will tell you which step comes next.
Procedure reviewed on 2026-08-17