Employment and immigration documents

Most employment documents are private documents issued by an employer, so they need an authorised signature and prior signature certification by a Notarial Services Attorney before the Department of Consular Affairs can legalise them. Government-issued documents such as work permits follow the public-document route directly.

Bank confirmations and statements need care. Formats differ by bank and some are issued electronically without a wet signature, which may not be usable in the legalisation chain. Ask for a version bearing the bank's signature and seal when you know it will be legalised.

Work and permanent residence applications usually come with a fixed document list that also states the level of certification each item needs. Some items need only a certified translation; others need the full chain. Reading the destination checklist closely saves both time and cost.

Where documents must go to several bodies at once — an immigration authority and a professional council, for example — prepare separate legalised sets from the outset, because obtaining an extra set later restarts the whole chain.

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.