Marriage or registering a foreign marriage in Thailand.

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Getting married in Thailand.

First and foremost, you should check the requirements at your local Amphoe office where you intend to register your marriage. Most Amphoe's will at minimum require an Embassy certified copy of your Passport information page, as well as an 'affidavit' of no impediment to marry, certified by your Embassy. These documents must be translated into Thai, then both the original and translations legalised by the Legalisation division of the Consular department of Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Typical documents required by an Amphoe.

1. Passport.
2. Intended spouses Tabien Baan and ID card.
3. Embassy certified 'affidavit'', Embassy certified Passport copy and Thai translations, legalised by the Legalisation division of the Consular department of the MFA.
4. The marital status of your intended spouse can be checked on their online database for any previous record of marriage, or divorce. If your intended was previously 'widowed', I would recommend she takes her ex husbands Death certificate as proof of her marital status.

Next you must swear an 'affidavit' of no legal impediment to marry at your designated Embassy in Thailand. Each Embassy will have it's own procedure, but you will have to provide evidence of your current marital status, either 'single', 'widowed' or 'divorced'.

Certain Embassies may have 'templates' for such that they request you download, print and complete the fields with the requested information.

Do not sign – the 'affidavit. It must be signed in the presence of an Embassy official qualified to take such statements and witness. You will have to make an appointment at your Embassy to complete the procedure.

Your Embassy may request additional documents to verify information stated in the 'affidavit'.

I suggest you take the following documents to avoid any disappointment.

1. Passport
2. Completed 'affidavit' (unsigned).
3. Any 'final divorce decree' or 'death certificate' of ex spouse
4. Intended spouse Tabien Baan and ID card.

The Consular building of Thailand's MFA in Bangkok also has a translation office on the floor above from their legalisation office. You can arrange for translations and the legalisation of the documents to be returned to your home address by EMS, rather than wait around in Bangkok.
Takes approximately 5 working days for return by EMS.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Legalization Division
3rd floor, Department of Consular Affairs
123 Chaeng Wattana Road, Bangkok 10210
Call Center: Tel: +66 (0) 2572 8442 (Thai language only) OR +66 (0) 2 575 1058, +66 (0) 2 575 1059 (from 8.30 –14.30)
E-mail: consular04@mfa.go.th
Hours: 08:30-11:30 and 13:00-14:30

 

The above information is a general guide to the procedure to marry a Thai national in Thailand. Please check requirements at your local Amphoe and your Embassy before proceeding.

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Registering a foreign marriage in Thailand.

Not all foreigners marry their Thai spouses in Thailand, some tend to marry in their home Country.
However, if you plan to settle in Thailand at a later date and apply for 1 year extensions of stay based on Thai spouse, then it's important you register your foreign marriage at your local Amphoe.
The reason is simple, although you may be legally married, Thailand has no record of the marriage and do not accept foreign marriage certificates in their current form.

The foreign marriage certificate first has to be 'authenticated', 'translated' and then approved by the legalisation division of the consular section of Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Legalization is the process of authenticating a document so a foreign country’s legal system will recognize it as valid and with full legal effect.”

Different Countries will all have their own procedural process to authenticate a marriage certificate issued in that Country. However, there are usually two basic procedures to 'legalise' a foreign marriage certificate to be recognised as a legally presentable and acceptable document in Thailand.

1. a). The marriage certificate must first be certified as an authentic document by the legalisation division of your home Countries department dealing with Foreign Affairs. In the UK this would be the Home Office, in the US Department of Homeland Security, or in Australia the Department of Home Affairs.

b). It is then forwarded to the relevant Thai Embassy for certification of the authorised signature by that Countries legalisation department attesting the certificate to be authentic, who will attach an Apostille

d). In Thailand have your Embassy make certified copies of your marriage certificate and also certified copies of the information page of your Passport.

e). Have the certified copies of Passport and marriage certificate translated into Thai.

f). Take the original marriage certificate, certified copies and translations to the legalisation department of the Consular section of Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them 'legalised'.

2. Certain Embassies provide the service to make a sworn oath in the form of an affidavit as to the marriage certificates authenticity. In this case, then follow steps d, e and f, above.

Once you have certified and legalised translations of your Passport and marriage certificate, these should be acceptable to an Amphoe to register your foreign marriage on their database for further use. Keep your original legalised foreign marriage certificate, do not let the Amphoe keep it.

There is a translation service in the same building of the Consular Affairs department.
You can arrange for the legalised documents to be returned by EMS to your Thai address, to save waiting and a return visit. Return by EMS usually takes 5 working days.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Legalization Division
3rd floor, Department of Consular Affairs
123 Chaeng Wattana Road, Bangkok 10210
Call Center: Tel: +66 (0) 2572 8442 (Thai language only) OR +66 (0) 2 575 1058, +66 (0) 2 575 1059 (from 8.30 –14.30)
E-mail: consular04@mfa.go.th
Hours: 08:30-11:30 and 13:00-14:30

 

The above information is for Guidance only. You should first check your Amphoe's requirements and your Countries legalisation process and Embassies procedures for legalisation of a foreign document to be legally acceptable in Thailand.