{"id":1813,"date":"2026-04-18T17:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/glossary\/legalization-of-documents\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:33:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:33:23","slug":"legalization-of-documents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/legalization-of-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"L\u00e9galisation de documents (MAE et ambassade) en Tha\u00eflande"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Legalisation of documents<\/strong> (\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e40\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23, <em>kan raprong ekkasan<\/em>, also spelled <em>l\u00e9galisation<\/em> or called <em>authentication<\/em>) is the chain of official certifications that lets a document issued in one country be accepted by authorities in another. In Thailand the chain runs through the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), which certifies signatures and seals but not the contents of a document. Foreigners need it for marriage registration, visa extensions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/work-permit\/\">permis de travail<\/a>, property transfers by power of attorney and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/probate\/\">succession<\/a>, and Thai nationals need it for documents going abroad.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table des mati\u00e8res<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#the-two-legalisation-chains-explained\">Les deux cha\u00eenes de l\u00e9galisation expliqu\u00e9es<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#offices-fees-and-timing-at-the-mfa\">Bureaux, frais et d\u00e9lais au MAE<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#legalisation-versus-apostille-the-2027-change\">L\u00e9galisation versus apostille : le changement de 2027<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">Foire aux questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-two-legalisation-chains-explained\">Les deux cha\u00eenes de l\u00e9galisation expliqu\u00e9es<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Inbound (foreign document for use in Thailand).<\/strong> The document is first authenticated in its country of origin (notary, then the foreign ministry or equivalent), then legalised at the Thai embassy or consulate in that country, then translated into Thai by a competent translator, and finally the document and translation are legalised at the MFA Department of Consular Affairs. An affidavit sworn at a foreign embassy in Bangkok, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/affirmation-of-freedom-to-marry\/\">affirmation of freedom to marry<\/a>, skips the first two steps.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Outbound (Thai document for use abroad).<\/strong> A Thai government document, or a private document whose signature has been certified by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/notary\/\">Avocat en services notariaux<\/a>, is legalised at the MFA and then authenticated by the destination country&#8217;s embassy in Thailand. Legalisation certifies only the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the signatory and the identity of the seal. An error in the document itself passes straight through.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offices-fees-and-timing-at-the-mfa\">Bureaux, frais et d\u00e9lais au MAE<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Where to go.<\/strong> The main Legalization Division is on the 3rd floor of the Department of Consular Affairs, 123 Chaeng Watthana Road, Bangkok, with branch counters at MBK Center (opened March 2023), Central World (opened November 2024) and Central Phuket Festival. Appointments are booked online through the MFA&#8217;s qlegal system; counters open in the morning and again after lunch.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Service<\/th><th>Frais<\/th><th>Temps<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Regular legalisation<\/td><td>200 baht per document<\/td><td>Environ 2 \u00e0 3 semaines dans le cadre du syst\u00e8me de rendez-vous<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Service le jour m\u00eame<\/td><td>400 baht per document<\/td><td>Le m\u00eame jour<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>V\u00e9rification de traduction<\/td><td>200 baht per document<\/td><td>With the legalisation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Postal return (EMS)<\/td><td>60 bahts<\/td><td>Added to the above<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>What to bring.<\/strong> The original document, the Thai translation, a copy of the applicant&#8217;s passport or ID, and a power of attorney if someone else files. The translation is the usual point of failure: names must match the passport letter for letter, and the MFA rejects translations with errors, so a translator used to consular work saves a second trip.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"legalisation-versus-apostille-the-2027-change\">L\u00e9galisation versus apostille : le changement de 2027<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Un <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/apostille\/\">apostille<\/a> is a single certificate under the 1961 Hague Convention that replaces the embassy stage between member states. Thailand deposited its instrument of accession on 30 June 2026 and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, after the six-month objection window closing on 30 December 2026. From that date the Department of Consular Affairs is the competent authority issuing Thai apostilles, and an apostilled foreign document from a non-objecting state will no longer need Thai embassy legalisation, though a Thai translation may still be required by the receiving office.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Until then, an apostille on its own is not enough in Thailand and the full chain applies. The Convention works only between Thailand and states that raise no objection, so for documents from any objecting state, and for all countries outside the Convention, the embassy route continues after 2027.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Foire aux questions<\/h2>\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Combien de temps prend la l\u00e9galisation de documents en Tha\u00eflande ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Le service r\u00e9gulier au d\u00e9partement des affaires consulaires du minist\u00e8re des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res prend environ 2 \u00e0 3 semaines dans le cadre du syst\u00e8me de rendez-vous, et un service le jour m\u00eame est disponible pour 400 bahts par document. Les d\u00e9marches \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, \u00e0 savoir la notarisation et la l\u00e9galisation par l'ambassade de Tha\u00eflande \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, ajoutent leur propre d\u00e9lai, de sorte qu'une cha\u00eene compl\u00e8te entrante prend souvent un mois.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">La Tha\u00eflande accepte-t-elle une apostille au lieu d'une l\u00e9galisation ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Pas encore. La Tha\u00eflande a adh\u00e9r\u00e9 \u00e0 la Convention Apostille le 30 juin 2026, mais elle n'entrera en vigueur pour la Tha\u00eflande que le 28 f\u00e9vrier 2027, et ce uniquement avec les \u00c9tats qui n'\u00e9mettent pas d'objection. Jusqu'\u00e0 cette date, un document \u00e9tranger doit \u00eatre l\u00e9galis\u00e9 aupr\u00e8s de l'ambassade de Tha\u00eflande \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger et de nouveau aupr\u00e8s du minist\u00e8re des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res \u00e0 Bangkok.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Quelle est la diff\u00e9rence entre la notarisation et la l\u00e9galisation ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>La notarisation est la certification d'une signature ou d'une copie par un notaire (en Tha\u00eflande, un avocat habilit\u00e9 aux services notariaux). La l\u00e9galisation est la certification suppl\u00e9mentaire par le minist\u00e8re des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res, et le cas \u00e9ch\u00e9ant par une ambassade, que le notaire ou le fonctionnaire qui a sign\u00e9 \u00e9tait authentique et habilit\u00e9. Un document notari\u00e9 doit g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement encore \u00eatre l\u00e9galis\u00e9 avant qu'une autorit\u00e9 \u00e9trang\u00e8re ne l'accepte.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Voir aussi\u00a0: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/apostille\/\">apostille<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/notary\/\">notary (notarial services attorney)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/affidavit\/\">d\u00e9claration sous serment<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/power-of-attorney\/\">procuration<\/a>, and our full guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/legalization-of-documents-in-thailand\/\">legalisation of documents in Thailand and the 2027 change<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Legalisation of documents (\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e40\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23, kan raprong ekkasan, also spelled legalization or called authentication) is the chain of official certifications that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":214,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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ThaiLawOnline","rank_math_description":"Legalization of documents in Thailand: the MFA Department of Consular Affairs chain for foreign and Thai papers, fees, offices and the 2027 apostille 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