What are the requirements for translating and legalizing a French marriage certificate for a Non-O dependent visa in Thailand?

Apr 5, 2024
7 months ago
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Questions about Non o dependant visa🙏 marriage certificate translation & apostille.

hello everyone, I know apostille is not officially accepted in thailand, i searched online and in this group, and could not find too much information. However my lawyer suggested me to get apostille for our French marriage certificate .

my exact questions are,

1,do we need to translate our marriage certificate to Thai before to get the apostille stamp? as thailand is not a partner,would a translation into english be useful in anyway?

2,do we need to do legalization after we get apostille?

3,Or is it easier to translate through a notary in thailand is much easier? As I will first arrive by tourist visa and convert from there.

Thank you in advance ! wish to hear your experiences about this matter.❤️
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the complexities of obtaining a Non-O dependent visa in Thailand, specifically regarding the translation and legalization of a French marriage certificate. The user seeks clarification on whether it's necessary to translate the marriage certificate into Thai prior to obtaining an apostille, if further legalization is needed after getting the apostille, and the ease of translating the certificate through a notary in Thailand after arriving on a tourist visa. Responses indicate the importance of having the marriage certificate authenticated in France and advise on translation requirements and potential agents for easing the application process.
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Andreas *********
@Amanda *****
. . AAAH! I FOUND IT! (LISTE DES TRADUCTEURS AGREES PAR L’AMBASSADE DE FRANCE) . . . . . Here is the list of Embassy of France accredited traducteurs:
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ec3b91a6cccb78bc07e966dfcf2a773c4dafd
Ally ************
In order to apply for any type of visa or permit of stay based on marriage.. the Thai authorities will normally require (1) your original marriage certificate to be authenticated by the authorities in the country where you were married.. so assuming you were married in France.. this should be done in France before you travel.. or alternatively it can be done at the French Embassy in Thailand.. though the latter may be more difficult (logistically) depending on where you intend to be based in Thailand.. since an in-person visit to the Embassy is necessary.. for most people it would be easier and less costly to arrange this in their home country.. but in addition, they will also want you to produce (2) a translated copy of your marriage certificate (into the Thai language) and the translation will need to be authenticated by either the Thai Embassy in France.. or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Thailand.. if you leave everything until you get here you will quickly realise the process will be faster and less stressful if you engage an agent to handle it all.. since this removes any need for you to attend the Embassy/MoFA in person.. but the whole process could take around 1-month to complete and cost in the region of 5-6 thousand baht.. so you need to factor this delay into your application process.. which makes preparation of these documents in your home country a much better option.. assuming you have time to put arrangements in place before you travel.. speaking from personal experience of applying for a non-o (married) visa in CM last year.. but my understanding is that the requirements are the same for any application where a marriage certificate has to be included in the supporting documentation.. hope this helps your understanding.
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andreas ********
if I do everything in Thailand , can I use agency ? As we will not reside in BKK, that’s why I prefer to prepare the paper in France if it is possible
Andreas *********
@Amanda *****
yes you can use an agency. I actually recommend using an agency, in order to maintain a speedy workflow. If you are in Pattaya, I recommend
@Stefan *******
and his F.S. Consulting Co. in the Soi Pratamnak.
Kool *******
@Amanda *****
one important detail everyone has failed to mention after you have your original marriage license legally translated into Thai and all certified as being accurate, and real, is then you take this to the local amphur, district office, and get it registered there in order to be able to use it at immigration. You will get a separate registration document that you must have to show your marriage is now legally registered in Thailand. Both documents are required at immigration, your translated marriage certificate and the registration document.
Andreas *********
@Kool ******
this is not true! Only foreigners married to a Thai wife will have to get their marriage registered at the Amphur. A married foreign couple can use the embassy and MfA certified documents as proof of their marriage being real, for immigration office purpose. They do NOT need a certification or a Kor Ror 22 by the Amphur. What you talk about is already certified the very moment the MfA certifies their marriage documents
Kool *******
@Andreas ********
I read it wrong. I always assume a Thai spouse.
Andreas *********
@Ally ***********
everything is correct in your advice. Only the poor spelling "visit your embassy in France" is complete nonsense
Doug *********
@Ally ***********
I am not sure what can or cannot be done in France, and I speak under correction here. I believe steps 1 and 2 can be done in Thailand and a further requirement is to obtain a Kor Ror 22.
Andreas *********
@Ally ***********
"this should be done at your Embassy in France " . . . there is no French Embassy in France
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
thank you so much for your through answer, actually we just emailed Thai embassy in France to ask if they need the Thai translation also be legalized in another French office(Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs ) in order to be able to be authenticated by the embassy, what was your experience? Did you need to find a sworn translator in order for the translation to be admitted by embassy?
Andreas *********
@Amanda *****
"Did you need to find a sworn translator in order for the translation to be admitted by embassy?" . . . . you need a French Embassy Bangkok approved translation service. I reckon you will find adresses and link to these translation service on the website of the French Embassy Bangkok . for a start, try here
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Andreas *********
the fee to apply for the "change of visa type" would be 2000.- THB, and the fee for the application to the 1-year extension of stay will be 1900.- THB. But you should first READ about the rest of the requirements you need to fulfill for the application to the change! It's NOT as easy as applying for the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa on the Thai Embassy in France and entering Thailand on that visa. READ HERE:
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/4.FOREIGNER-WHO-IS-WORKING-IN-A-COMPANY-OR-LIMITED-PARTNERSHIP-NON-O.pdf
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andreas ********
thank you so much! Can this French embassy legalization part be done in France in French language ? And translate the “legalized certification “ into Thai and then get them “cross legalized “ in Thai embassy in France or in Thailand ?
Andreas *********
@Amanda *****
So much WRONG and BAD info here! I had to CRINGE and almost vomitted my coffee, when I read someone’s advice of “visit your embassy in France” . . . as there is no French Embassy in France!

You can (and I recommend) apply for the 90 days Non-Imm-O dependent visa on the Royal Thai Embassy Paris, with your original French marriage documentation. No need to do anything yet, until this point.

Well your intention is to enter Thailand with a 60-days tourist visa and apply for the “change” to the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa on Immigration. Well it could be tricky. . . you need time!

You COULD apply for the “change of visa type” from a Tourist Visa to the 90-days Non-Imm-O trailing spouse visa” only AFTER you got your ducks in a row. In order to apply for the “change”, one needs to still have a minimum of 15 working days left on the stay permit stamp.

Which means, the clock is running. First you need to have your original French marriage documentation translated by an approved translation service, and legalized by the French Embassy

And afterwards most probably you will then need to get them “cross legalized” by the Thai MfA (ministry of foreign affairs) in Bangkok, before you are even allowed to apply for the “change”

The MfA requires an appointment being made! It could get you slip into a situation when the time you need for all of this, will fall short.

So keep in mind:

Once you have entered Thailand WITH a “90-days Non-Imm-O dependent visa”, you have 90 days to get your ducks in a row.

You need to have your original French documents translated by a French Embassy of Bangkok approved translation service, and get them legalized (an apostille is a little different thing as an apostille is an entitlement to GET married!) by the French Embassy in Bangkok.

Then you most probably will need to get them "cross-legalized" by the Thai MfA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Only this accomplished, your documents with the Embassy and the MfA seals and stamps, will get approved by the Thai Immigration and can be used to achieve the 1-year Extension of Stay Permit based on being a dependent of a foreigner who is holding an Extension of Stay based on Employment
John **********
From a previous believe you need to get the marriage certificate authenticated in your home country then take that to the thai embassy there for their approval. Speak to the thai embassy for their requirements
Andreas *********
@John *********
their French marriage documents are already certified for use to apply for a Thai visa in France. Only to be able to use them inside Thailand, they need translation & legalization by the French Embassy Bangkok, and further probably immigration will require the legalized documents "cross-legalized" again, by the Thai MfA in Bangkok
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
we did ask them in France, if i was to apply non-o visa directly from thai embassy in france, they accept marriage certificate in french. However our plan is i arrive with tourist visa and convert inside thailand. Therefore i am looking for any reference people may have here.
John **********
@Amanda *****
I understand that but for Thailand to accept your marriage certificate you have to go through the authentication process. I've no idea how it works in France but in the UK there's a specific government department you need to send it to for that purpose
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
probably the legalization stuff serve the same propose as apostille? it is also part of my question, is it possible to this "legalization" in thailand , through french embassy in thailand. As we just received the documents, to do it in France is very lengthy and kind of complicated.
John **********
@Amanda *****
you would have to ask the French embassy. For the UK it has to be done in the UK. And yes it's lengthy and complicated as you have to send the paperwork to the UK even if you are physically in Thailand
Steve *******
Who is your Thai dependant? Or are you trying to 'piggy back' on a family members visa?
Amanda ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
no, my husband who is french is gonna apply non-b and work permit. and I plan to come with him together with a tourist visa first and convert mine once his application is finished
Steve *******
@Amanda *****
You cant convert in Thailand or, apparently, neighbouring Countries. You really need the Non Imm O from your home Country
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