Guide to corporate documents for overseas use | NAATI Thailand By Thai Notary Law
Guide to corporate documents for overseas use
The core set is the company affidavit, shareholder list, memorandum of association, articles, financial statements and board resolutions. Obtain fresh extracts close to filing, translate into the destination language, certify with a Notarial Services Attorney and legalise. A standard set takes about five to ten business days.
Companies opening branches, signing contracts, opening accounts or bidding abroad usually must send corporate records certified through the full chain: the Department of Business Development, a Notarial Services Attorney, the MFA and the destination embassy.
Who needs this
Companies incorporating subsidiaries or branches abroad
Companies opening foreign bank accounts or investing cross-border
Bidders and vendors registering with foreign agencies
Companies certifying board resolutions for transactions
Document checklist
1.Freshly issued company affidavit
2.Shareholder list (Bor Or Jor 5)
3.Memorandum of association and articles
4.Audited financial statements
5.Relevant minutes and board resolutions
6.ID or passport of the authorised director
7.Power of attorney with the duty stamp required by law
8.VAT registration certificate (Por Por 20) where requested
Step-by-step process
1. Confirm the list with the counterparty or authority
Request a written checklist naming the language and the accepted certification format.
2. Obtain fresh extracts from the Department of Business Development
Many destinations accept only extracts issued within the last 30–90 days.
3. Translate with consistent legal terminology
Company name, director titles and signing-authority wording must be identical across every document.
4. Certify with a Notarial Services Attorney
The director signs before the attorney, evidencing signing authority per the company affidavit.
5. Legalise at the MFA and the destination embassy
Where the destination is an Apostille Convention party, the chain ends at the Apostille.
6. Ship and archive a spare set
Retain digital copies with the legalisation reference numbers for future transactions.
Typical timing
Fresh extracts 1–3 business days · corporate translation 2–5 business days · certification and legalisation 3–5 business days · 5–10 business days end to end
Common pitfalls
The signatory must hold authority under the company affidavit, otherwise the document may not bind the company.
A power of attorney with insufficient stamp duty can be challenged later.
Every document must spell your name exactly as in your passport. If the spelling differs, attach the name-change certificate or a transliteration note.
Torn, corrected or copy-of-a-copy originals are commonly rejected at the legalisation stage — request a freshly issued copy from the issuing authority first.
Some documents carry a validity window (often 3–6 months from issue) set by the receiving authority. Check it before starting the chain.
The order cannot be swapped: translate → certify → legalise → embassy. Skipping a step means restarting the whole chain.
Practical tips
Scan every original to a 300 dpi colour PDF before sending it out, in case you must refile or the destination asks for a soft copy.
Always prepare two sets — one to submit, one to keep. Many authorities retain the submitted originals.
If the documents will be used in more than one country, say so up front: the number of sets and the attestation format differ by destination.
Leave at least two weeks' buffer before your real deadline: Thai public holidays and embassy holidays do not coincide.
Keep every receipt and acknowledgement slip — they are what lets you trace the file or request a replacement if it is lost.
Relevant authorities
Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce · Lawyers Council of Thailand · Department of Consular Affairs
Comparison: notarial certification vs MFA legalisation
Aspect
Notarial Services Attorney
Department of Consular Affairs (MFA)
What is certified
The signature, the true copy, an affidavit, and facts witnessed in person
The signature and seal of the Thai official who signed the document
Issuing authority
A lawyer registered with the Lawyers Council of Thailand
Officers of the Legalisation Division, Department of Consular Affairs
Order in the chain
First step for private documents and translations
After translation or certification, before the destination embassy
Acceptance abroad
Many countries require legalisation and embassy steps on top of this
A standard prerequisite before most embassies will attest
If done out of order
The set is typically rejected and must be redone from the start
The stamp will not cover a translation attached afterwards
More than a processing agency — an advisor through the whole process
Our team has worked on cross-border documentation for more than 15 years. You get more than a completed errand: we map the correct order of steps from the start, flag the items receiving authorities most often send back, and explain the fastest route that fits your specific case.
Case assessment before we start — which documents are genuinely required and which are not, so nothing is done twice.
A dedicated advisor for your case, so you never have to re-explain your situation.
Step-by-step progress updates and a digital copy of every page at completion for future reference.
Continued guidance after delivery — when documents need renewing and what the next step in the same matter looks like.
Note: we provide document preparation, translation and certification services. Approval decisions always rest with the receiving authority.
Prefer not to handle this yourself?
We handle the whole chain — document review, translation, certification by a Notarial Services Attorney, MFA legalisation and the destination embassy. Send one set and receive the finished file with a digital copy of every page.
