NetherlandsWorldwide

Legalisation of documents from Thailand for use in the Netherlands

You want to use a document from Thailand in the Netherlands. You must first have it legalised by the Thai authorities. Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch embassy in Bangkok.

Attention: If you want to use a Dutch document in Thailand, see Legalisation of Dutch documents for use abroad.

Good to know

  • Documents from the Thai civil status records office can usually be issued in English. In that case they do not need to be translated. Follow steps 2 and 3.
  • Documents in Thai must be translated for use in the Netherlands. Follow steps 1 to 3.
  • Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.

Step 1: Having your document translated

If your document is in Thai, you must have it translated into Dutch, English, French or German by a sworn translator.

  1. Have the translated by a sworn translator.
  2. Have the document original and the translation legalised.

Go to step 2.

  1. Have the original document legalised in Thailand.
  2. Have the legalised document translated by a sworn translator in the Netherlands. You do not need to have the translation legalised.
    You can find a sworn translator on the Legal Aid Council website.

Go to step 2.

Step 2: Legalisation by the Thai authorities

Have your document and, if applicable, the translation first legalised by the Consular Affairs Department of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at one of the branches.

You can make an appointment online. When you make the appointment you will see where you can have your documents legalised.

Step 3: Legalisation by the Dutch embassy in Bangkok

Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Dutch embassy in Bangkok.

To have a document legalised you need to make an appointment online.

The overview of consular fees tells you how much you will have to pay and which payment methods are accepted.

  • Legalised documents will be sent by post to your home address in Thailand within a few days. The shipping costs are THB 70.
  • Do you want to collect the documents yourself? Then you can do so 2 working days after you have submitted the documents. You can collect the documents from Monday to Thursday between 13:30 and 15:00.

    Take into account the days on which the embassy is closed. You can find the closing days on the embassy's contact page.

Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.

It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.

Don’t have the document you need?

Find out below where to obtain a document that you need but do not yet have.

You can get a certified copy of a birth certificate in English from a district office (amphur).

If you were born after 1980 you can also get this document from the Bureau of Registration Administration, Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) in Bangkok.

You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate, divorce certificate or death certificate from a district office (amphur).

You can get a certificate of unmarried status from a district office (amphur). You will need to be accompanied by 2 witnesses who can confirm that you are not married.

If you need to obtain another type of document, ask the local authorities where you can get this document.

Help with obtaining documents and having them legalised

The Consular Service Centre can assist Dutch nationals with obtaining documents and having them legalised in Thailand.

After legalisation

Verification of your document in the Netherlands

Legalisation does not prove the authenticity of a document or the truthfulness of its content. A municipality in the Netherlands, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) or another authority may decide to verify these things. Legalisation of your document simply means that your document bears the correct signature.

How recently must your document have been issued or legalised

Organisations have different requirements for how recently your document must have been issued and legalised. For more information, contact the organisation in the Netherlands requesting the document.

Contact

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the contact form.