Document checklists and step-by-step procedures — by service

Choose a checklist by service

• Certified translation — documents, steps and pitfalls

  Before translating anything, identify the certification system the receiving authority accepts: NAATI (Australia), sworn translators (Germany, France, Spain, Italy), certified translation with a Certificate of Accuracy (US/UK), or a Ministry of Justice registered translator for Thai courts.

  6 documents · 5 steps

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• MFA legalisation — documents and sequence

  Thai public documents intended for a foreign authority must pass the Legalisation Division of the Department of Consular Affairs first, whether the chain later ends with an Apostille or with the destination embassy.

  6 documents · 5 steps

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• Embassy attestation — what to prepare and the order that matters

  Embassy legalisation is the final link of the outbound chain. An embassy will only act on a document that already carries Thai Department of Consular Affairs certification.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• NAATI translation for Australia — documents and workflow

  Australian authorities such as the Department of Home Affairs, VETASSESS, AHPRA and universities require translations by a NAATI certified translator, carrying a valid stamp, practitioner number and expiry date.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Notarial Services Attorney in Thailand — scope and documents

  Thailand has no separate notary profession. Certification is performed by a Notarial Services Attorney licensed by the Lawyers Council, who certifies signatures and signing in their presence — not the truth of the content.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Police clearance certificate — documents, steps and validity

  Thai police clearance certificates are issued by the Royal Thai Police Special Branch and usually need translation plus legalisation before a foreign authority will accept them.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Thai visas and extensions — documents, steps and common mistakes

  Keep three concepts separate: the visa (permission to travel), the permission to stay stamped at entry, and the work permit. A visa never guarantees admission — the immigration officer at the border decides.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Thai work permit — company-side and employee-side documents

  Work permits are issued by the Department of Employment and are tied to the employer, position and workplace. Changing job, role or location requires a new filing.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Marriage and family documents — two directions to keep apart

  Cross-border family paperwork always runs in one of two directions: registered in Thailand for use abroad (outbound), or registered abroad for use in Thailand (inbound). Documents and sequence differ completely.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Education documents — degrees and transcripts for overseas use

  Academic records must first be certified by the issuing institution before translation and legalisation. Some assessment bodies require the institution to send documents directly to them.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Corporate documents — affidavits, shareholder lists and financials for overseas use

  Company records for foreign use must be freshly issued by the Department of Business Development and then translated and legalised for the destination. Most destinations accept them only within about six months of issue.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Cross-border power of attorney — get the draft right first

  A power of attorney used abroad must define its scope precisely and is usually signed before a certifying officer before entering the legalisation chain for the destination country.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Court and Ministry of Justice work — translations Thai courts accept

  Documents used in Thai court proceedings generally require a translator registered with the Ministry of Justice, and terminology must stay consistent across the entire case file.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Medical documents — certificates and treatment records

  Medical documents for foreign authorities must show the physician's name, licence number, clinic seal and date, otherwise they fail at the certification stage.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Outbound visas from Thailand — documents and preparation

  We prepare, translate and legalise documents; we do not decide outcomes. Every decision rests entirely with the embassy or immigration authority of the destination country.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Interpreting for official settings — how to prepare

  Interpreting before government offices, courts or clinics depends on advance context: specialist terminology directly affects the substance of what is recorded.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Permanent residence and Thai nationality — build the file early

  Both PR and naturalisation are assessed on a continuous multi-year record. Systematic document keeping from year one is the deciding factor.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Thai immigration compliance — TM.30, 90-day reports and re-entry

  TM.30 address notification is the housemaster's duty; the 90-day report (TM.47) is the resident's. Neither is a visa extension.

  6 documents · 4 steps

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• Legal and litigation documents — preparing them to be accepted

  Cross-border legal paperwork usually fails on the certification chain, not the wording. Court records, judgments and powers of attorney must follow the correct sequence before a foreign court or authority will accept them.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Intellectual property and dispute documents

  Trademark, patent, copyright and dispute-related documents used abroad must be translated with consistent technical terminology and certified along the route the receiving authority requires.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Tax documents and Double Tax Agreement (DTA) claims

  Claiming DTA relief usually requires a Certificate of Residence (R.O.22) from the Thai Revenue Department together with consistent income evidence, and the translation often has to be certified before use abroad.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Corporate advisory for cross-border expansion

  Incorporating, opening a branch or closing a cross-border transaction requires a fully legalized corporate bundle, sequenced to match the deadlines of the receiving bank and registry.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Vehicle documents, driving licences and cross-border use

  Driving licences, vehicle registration books and import/export paperwork must be translated and certified to the receiving transport authority's format. Some countries accept an International Driving Permit; others require a separately certified translation.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Long-stay and special visa programmes — choosing the right one

  Each long-stay programme has its own eligibility rules, financial evidence and deciding authority. Choosing the wrong programme at the start wastes both time and non-refundable fees.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• On-the-ground representation at Thai authorities

  Most document work still has to be filed in person. A local team reduces the number of trips and resolves counter-level requests on the spot when officials ask for extra paperwork.

  4 documents · 5 steps

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• Apostille for Thai documents — preparing for the entry into force

  Thailand has acceded to the Apostille Convention, which enters into force on 28 February 2027. Until that date, Thai documents used abroad still follow the existing route: legalisation at the Department of Consular Affairs, then a further stamp at the destination embassy. Planning ahead lets you decide whether to file now or wait.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Driving licences across borders — translation, certification and conversion

  Three distinct routes exist: using a Thai licence abroad (an International Driving Permit from the Department of Land Transport), driving in Thailand on a foreign licence, and converting a foreign licence into a Thai one, which requires a certified translation and proof of residence.

  6 documents · 5 steps

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• Legal name changes — making every document match

  After a change of first name, surname or title, older documents still carry the previous name, and receiving authorities treat them as belonging to a different person. The fix is a complete chain of evidence: the change-of-name certificate, house registration, passport, and certified translations that state both the former and current name.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Birth registration and dual-nationality children's documents

  A child of parents from two countries needs paperwork that works in both. There are two directions: a Thai birth certificate used abroad, and a foreign birth certificate used in Thailand. Each direction follows a different certification order.

  6 documents · 5 steps

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• Cross-border estates and wills — what courts and banks require

  Settling an estate that spans two countries needs two parallel document sets: proof of death and heirship, and authority to deal with the assets. Both must be certified in the form the destination court or bank accepts.

  6 documents · 5 steps

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• Life certificates and foreign pension paperwork

  Pensioners living in Thailand are usually asked for a periodic life certificate (proof of life). The form must be witnessed by someone the fund accepts — a notary public, an embassy, or a Thai government office — and often translated and certified before being returned.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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• Credential evaluation and sending academic records directly

  Immigration bodies, professional councils and universities often refuse academic records handed over by the applicant; they must arrive directly from the institution or an evaluation service. The work therefore has two halves: producing compliant documents and arranging accepted direct delivery.

  6 documents · 5 steps

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• Certified copy retrieval and nationwide document courier

  Almost every certification job starts with a freshly issued certified copy from the office that issued the original. Many clients live in another province or abroad and cannot attend in person. This service covers retrieval by proxy, on-the-spot verification, and hand-off into translation and certification in one cycle.

  5 documents · 5 steps

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Frequently asked questions about document preparation

Do I need originals or are copies enough?

Most government certification requires originals or freshly issued certified copies from the issuing authority. Photocopies are usually refused.

Translate first or certify first?

It depends on the destination. Some countries certify the original first, others require the translation to be certified. Confirm the route before starting.

My name is spelled differently from my passport

Always follow the passport spelling and tell us in advance so we can add a spelling note to the translation.

Do documents expire?

Many authorities accept documents issued within the last 3–6 months. Plan backwards from your actual appointment date.

Can you handle everything for me?

Yes. We manage the full chain from obtaining certified copies to translation, certification and submission, with regular status updates.