How are Thai academic documents legalised for study abroad?
Thailand still uses consular legalisation today; the Hague Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027
What to understand before preparing documents: Thailand still uses consular legalisation today; the Hague Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027. In practice today, educational documents used for submission to a foreign authority or embassy follow this chain: (1) originals or freshly issued government copies, (2) translation by a translator the Consular Department accepts, (3) legalisation at the Legalisation Division, (4) a second attestation at the destination country's embassy where that country still requires it. Send scans to LINE @NAATI or contact@naati.ltd and our team will confirm the correct certification route before any work starts.
Quick facts
- Current status: Thailand still uses consular legalisation today; the Hague Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027.
- Turnaround: Standard legalisation 3–5 business days · Express 1–2 business days · Full chain (translation + MFA + destination embassy) 5–7 business days
- Office: Legalisation Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Chaeng Watthana Road, Bangkok · Mon–Fri 08:30–15:30 · nationwide document pickup by post or messenger
Related questions
- → What is an Apostille and how does it differ from consular legalisation?
- → Can Thailand issue an Apostille yet?
- → When does the Apostille Convention enter into force for Thailand?
- → How are Thai documents legalised before the Apostille route starts?
- → Does an Apostille certify the contents of a document?