Civil status and registration documents
Birth certificates, house registration, marriage and divorce records, single-status affidavits and name-change certificates — translations compared line by line at the Department of Consular Affairs.
Civil status records are issued by district registration offices under the Department of Provincial Administration. To be used abroad they must be translated into English and legalised by the Legalisation Division of the Department of Consular Affairs. That endorsement certifies the translation against the original — it does not certify the facts recorded in the document.
The most common failures are a spelling that differs from the passport, a title that no longer matches the person's current status, and official place names translated inconsistently with their formal English form, including districts renamed after the record was issued. Bring passport copies for everyone named in the document so the translation follows one spelling.
Dates need equal care. Thai records use the Buddhist Era; the English translation must convert to the Common Era correctly and should keep the B.E. year in brackets so the two can be compared. National ID numbers and document numbers are copied exactly, including leading zeros.
Many receiving authorities require a recently issued certified extract and refuse self-made photocopies. Confirm the recipient's rule before translation, since it differs by country and changes over time.
Legal status note: Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027 (source: HCCH). Until that date, translations and documents still pass through the Department of Consular Affairs and the destination embassy in the traditional order.
Documents in this family
- Birth certificates and birth notifications
- House registration (Tor Ror 14) and certified registration extracts
- Marriage registration (Kor Ror 2) and marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3)
- Divorce registration (Kor Ror 6) and divorce certificate (Kor Ror 7)
- Single-status / marital-status affidavits
- Given-name and family-name change certificates
- Death certificates and death notifications
Order of steps
- Obtain a certified extract from the issuing registration office
- Translate into English in the format consular officers verify against
- Submit for legalisation at the Legalisation Division, Department of Consular Affairs
- If the destination requires it, obtain further legalisation at that country's embassy in Thailand
Preparation checklist
- Prepare passport copies for everyone named in the document
- Check every Buddhist-Era to Common-Era date conversion
- Match district and province names to their current official forms
- Copy ID and document numbers character for character
- Ask the receiving authority how recent the extract must be
FAQs
What exactly does the Department of Consular Affairs certify?
The Legalisation Division certifies that the translation corresponds to the original document submitted. It does not certify that the facts in the document are true, nor the holder's qualifications.
Can I translate the document myself and submit it?
In practice the translation is verified line by line against the original; if the wording or format is wrong, officers return it for correction and resubmission. Confirm the current requirements with the Department of Consular Affairs before filing, as practice is updated from time to time.
My birth certificate spelling differs from my passport — what now?
Follow the passport spelling and note the discrepancy. Where the difference is material, obtain a same-person certificate from the registration office so the receiving authority can link the records.
How long is a single-status affidavit valid?
Validity is set by the receiving authority or embassy in the destination country, not by the translator. Ask the recipient directly before starting.
Do registration records need a lawyer's certification too?
Government-issued records can be submitted for legalisation directly. Certification by a Notarial Services Attorney applies to privately prepared and signed documents such as self-declarations and powers of attorney.
How do I arrange this from abroad?
Thai registration records must be obtained inside Thailand, usually by a representative under a power of attorney. A power of attorney executed abroad must first be certified by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General in that country.
Send scans of your set by LINE or email and our staff will confirm the exact steps and the fee for your case before any work starts.