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Certification, legalisation and clearance

Quick answer

How Thai documents become usable abroad and foreign documents usable in Thailand, given that Thailand is not an Apostille party.

Sub-services in this family

MFA consular legalisation

Submission of translations and documents for certification at the Department of Consular Affairs, MFA, before filing with a destination embassy or foreign authority.

Police clearance certificate

Application for a police clearance certificate from the Royal Thai Police, including fingerprinting and onward certification.

Choosing between options

Sub-service comparison table
ServiceBest forAuthority
Attorney signature and document certificationPeople sending documents abroad and organisations in cross-border transactions.Lawyers Council of Thailand (notarial services regulations)
MFA consular legalisationPeople using Thai documents abroad and organisations sending documents cross-border.Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Police clearance certificatePermanent-visa applicants, overseas job applicants and citizenship applicants.Royal Thai Police

Frequently asked questions

What does certification, legalisation and clearance cover?

How Thai documents become usable abroad and foreign documents usable in Thailand, given that Thailand is not an Apostille party. It currently contains 3 sub-services: Attorney signature and document certification · MFA consular legalisation · Police clearance certificate.

How do I pick the right sub-service in certification, legalisation and clearance?

Start from "where will this be used and who reviews it?" That identifies the receiving authority, and the receiving authority — not the other way round — dictates the format of work required.

Can several services run in parallel?

Often yes, and it usually saves time because the same base documents are reused. Some pairs have a mandatory order, though — certified translation cannot precede a fully certified source document.

Where is certification, legalisation and clearance available?

Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nong Khai, plus online intake from every province and from overseas.

When is attorney signature and document certification the right choice?

Certification of signatures, true copies and permitted factual statements by a lawyer authorised as a Notarial Services Attorney. Unlike translation certification, this attests to the signature or copy, not to the accuracy of a translation.

When is mfa consular legalisation the right choice?

Submission of translations and documents for certification at the Department of Consular Affairs, MFA, before filing with a destination embassy or foreign authority. Unlike lawyer certification, this is a state-issued certification that many countries require before accepting the document.

When is police clearance certificate the right choice?

Application for a police clearance certificate from the Royal Thai Police, including fingerprinting and onward certification. Unlike private background checks, this is an official document accepted by foreign authorities for visa and licensing decisions.

Other service families

Content last reviewed: 2026-08-17