Medical and insurance documents
Medical certificates, treatment records, test results, insurance claims and referral letters — where clinical terminology and units must be preserved exactly.
Medical records are sensitive documents that drive clinical and financial decisions. Translations must preserve diagnoses, drug names, dosages, units and laboratory reference ranges exactly as printed. Converting units or adjusting values to the destination country's convention is clinical interpretation and falls outside translation.
Drug names keep the generic name shown in the original; where a brand name appears, it is retained, with the generic name in brackets only when the document itself identifies it. Translators do not add medication information absent from the source, because these records support ongoing treatment and claim assessment.
Medical certificates for overseas use normally need the issuing physician's name and medical licence number plus the facility's seal so the receiving authority can verify them. Without these, later certification steps may fail — confirm with the issuing facility before translation.
Cross-border insurance claims usually combine receipts, billing summaries and clinical records. The translated set should align service dates, item codes and amounts so the assessor can reconcile documents without requesting more.
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
- Medical certificates and physician opinion letters
- Clinical records and treatment summaries
- Laboratory results and diagnostic imaging reports
- Treatment receipts and billing summaries
- Health and travel insurance claim documents
- Referral letters and fitness-to-fly certificates
Order of steps
- Request official copies from the facility with physician signature and seal
- Translate preserving clinical terms, units and reference ranges
- Certify at the level the recipient requires
- Add consular and embassy legalisation only where the receiving body requires it
Preparation checklist
- Check the physician's name and medical licence number appear
- Keep units and reference ranges as printed; never convert
- Align service dates across every document in the claim set
- Redact any third-party patient data captured in the copies
- Confirm with the recipient which period of records is needed
FAQs
May the translator convert laboratory units?
No. Converting units or adjusting values is clinical interpretation. Values and units stay as printed; if the recipient needs converted figures, a clinician should produce them separately.
What must a medical certificate contain for overseas use?
Typically the patient's name as in the passport, examination date, the physician's opinion, the physician's name and medical licence number, and the facility's seal. Final requirements are set by the receiving authority.
How are hospital records obtained?
Through the hospital's own request procedure, by the patient or an authorised representative, because the records are protected personal data. Ask the medical records department which form and evidence are required.
What certification level do insurance claims need?
It depends on the policy and the insurer. Some accept a translator's certification; others require more. Obtain the insurer's requirement in writing before proceeding.
How is patient data protected?
Medical records are sensitive personal data under data protection law. Agree in writing with the translation provider on storage scope, access and destruction timelines in advance.
Do medical documents always need consular legalisation?
Not always — it depends on the receiving authority. A translator's certification is often enough, but filings with government bodies or courts may require legalisation.
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.