Révisé par ThaiLawOnline, un cabinet d'avocats thaïlandais agréé exerçant en Thaïlande depuis 2006. Avocate thaïlandaise en charge du dossier : Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., licence du barreau thaïlandais 3149/2556.
Dernière mise à jour le 5 septembre 2026
Un affirmation of freedom to marry (หนังสือรับรองความเป็นโสด, also called an affidavit of freedom to marry, affirmation of marital status ou certificate of no impediment) is the sworn statement, issued or witnessed by a foreigner’s own embassy in Thailand, that the person is single and legally free to marry. Thai district offices require it from every foreign party before registering a marriage, because capacity to marry is judged by the law of the person’s nationality and the registrar cannot check a foreign civil status. Translated and legalised, it is the document on which the registration turns.
Table des matières
Why the district office asks for it
The legal reason. Le Code civil et commercial sets the conditions of a valid marriage: both parties at least 18 since the 2025 amendment, neither already married (Section 1452), and for a woman a wait of 310 days after a previous marriage ended unless she has given birth or a court permits (Section 1453). The registrar checks a Thai citizen against the civil registration database. For a foreigner there is nothing to check, so the rules require a statement from the embassy that the person is free to marry under their own law.
What the embassy does. Each embassy has its own name and procedure for the document. Some witness an affidavit sworn by the applicant, some issue a certificate after checking their records, and some ask first for a divorce decree or death certificate of a former spouse. The embassy certifies the oath, not the truth of it; a false affirmation is an offence at home and the marriage is vide if the person was still married.
Getting it, translating it and legalising it
The affirmation is obtained by appointment at the embassy in Bangkok, in a day to about a week, for a fee set by each embassy, around 50 US dollars or 50 pounds at the American and British missions. It is translated into Thai, and both documents go to the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Chaeng Watthana for legalisation. The Ministry works by appointment and the wait can run to two to four weeks; the route from embassy to registered marriage takes about two weeks with express handling and one to two months otherwise.
Once legalised, district offices treat the affirmation as valid for about 90 days, so it should not be obtained months ahead. The registrar at the amphur or khet records the marriage in the Kor Ror 2 register and issues each spouse a Kor Ror 3 certificat de mariage the same day. Two witnesses are needed, and a foreigner who does not read Thai should bring an interpreter.
Common mistakes and what goes wrong
The first mistake is arriving at the amphur with the embassy paper alone; without the Thai translation and the Ministry stamp the registrar will not act. The second is a mismatch: the name on the affirmation must match the passport exactly, and a divorced applicant whose affirmation does not mention the previous marriage will be asked for the divorce decree, translated and legalised in turn. The third is timing: an expired affirmation, or a Ministry appointment booked after the wedding date.
A Thai citizen never needs an affirmation; the registrar uses the identity card and house registration. Two foreigners marrying each other each need their own. Couples who married abroad register the foreign certificate, translated and legalised, instead.
Foire aux questions
How do I get an affirmation of freedom to marry in Thailand?
Book an appointment at your embassy or consulate in Bangkok, bring your passport and, if you were married before, the divorce decree or death certificate, and swear or collect the document. Have it translated into Thai and legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Chaeng Watthana, then present the original, the translation and your passport at the district office.
How long is the affirmation of freedom to marry valid?
District offices generally accept it for about 90 days from legalisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some registrars are stricter, so the safe course is to obtain the embassy document, complete the legalisation and register the marriage within the same few weeks.
Do I need an affirmation of freedom to marry if my partner is Thai?
The foreign partner does; the Thai partner does not. The registrar checks a Thai citizen’s status on the civil registration database using the identity card and house registration, while the foreigner must prove capacity to marry through the embassy affirmation, translated and legalised.
Voir aussi : marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3), legalisation of documents, affidavit, Contrat prénuptial, and the full guides to getting married in Thailand ET marriage registration in Bangkok.
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