Education documents

Education documents issued by state institutions carry an official signature that can be verified. Documents from some private institutions may first need endorsement by their supervising authority before the Department of Consular Affairs can legalise them.

An English transcript issued directly by the institution is usually the smoothest route, since it already bears the registrar's signature. Where only a Thai version exists, the translation must match every course code, credit value and grade. A single misplaced decimal in a GPA is enough to have the file returned.

Applicants seeking professional registration abroad — nursing, engineering or health professions, for example — are often required to have the institution send documents directly to the assessing body, in parallel with the legalised set. Check the assessing body's rules before starting to avoid duplicating the whole process.

For non-English-speaking destinations such as China, Japan, Korea or the Gulf states, that country's embassy in Thailand determines the required translation language and the order of certifications. Requirements differ significantly between embassies and change over time, so confirm case by case.

Thailand still operates the traditional legalisation chain. The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 30 June 2026 (source: HCCH). Until that date, documents must still pass through the Department of Consular Affairs and the destination embassy.