Degree Legalization for Teaching in Thailand
Legalization Introduction
Legalizing documents means that official documents are affixed, sealed, and signed either with apostille certificates (where countries are signatories to the Apostille Convention) or with a Certificate of Authentication. Apostille certificates are crucial for the degree attestation process, ensuring the validity of UK documents, such as degree certificates, for official purposes abroad. Thailand is not a signatory to the Convention.
Note: Documents that have been laminated will not be accepted for legalization purposes. If your document is in any language other than English, it must be translated into English and stamped as a true translation. Please ensure the word “Bachelor” appears in the English translation, as the Thai government will want to see that you have a bachelor’s degree. A copy of the degree in the native language can then be fully legalized.
Notarial, Authentication, and Legalization Steps
The Legalization process can be done in person, via mail, or by expediting service. An apostille service is crucial in legalizing documents such as degree certificates for international use, ensuring foreign authorities recognize them. Please note that some services will require an appointment to process your documents.
Degree from USA
Step One: Obtain the Degree
If you do not already have your original degree, you must contact your university as soon as possible to obtain a copy. In some cases, you may be required to obtain a certified copy or a new sealed copy for the purposes of authentication, even if you already possess a copy. Please check with your respective state.
Step Two: Notarize Your Degree with a Notary Public
Please use this website to find state commissioned notaries:
https://www.asnnotary.org/?form=locator
Have your degree certificate notarized by a state commissioned notary, not a notary commissioned by the county you are in. If you have a notary sign off on your degree certificate that is commissioned by the county, you will then need to bring your degree to the clerk of the court in the country where the notary is commissioned for their stamp. Please refer to the U.S. Department of State Authentication for more information:
Make sure to scan a nice copy of your degree and use the scanned copy to legalize your degree. Do not legalize the original document. You will bring both the original degree and the legalized copy to Thailand for the work permit.
Important: *Please note, if you must go through the New York Thai Consulate or the Los Angeles Thai Consulate for Step 5, please also have a copy of your passport notarized as well, as stated on their website.
Step Three: Obtain Signature and Seal from State Secretary of State
Your degree certificates must then be signed and sealed by the State Secretary of State. This must be done in the state where your Notary is located, certifying to the Notary’s current status.
The time and cost vary depending on the state. You can find your state secretary of state’s website here: https://www.nass.org/business-services/apostillesdocument-authentication-services
Step Four: Obtain U.S. Department of State Apostille Certificate
Forward all documents to the U.S. Office of Authentications at the following address:
Office of Authentications
U.S. Department of State
CA/PPT/S/TO/AUT 44132 Mercure Circle
P.O. Box 1206
Sterling, VA 20166-1206
Tel: (202) 485-8000
Website:
The Office of Authentication charges a fee of $20.00 (subject to change). It is important to complete the order form when applying for services such as obtaining an apostille. This process can take about 8-10 weeks*.
Step Five: Obtain Embassy/Consulate Authentication of Foreign Government
Once your degree has been authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, bring the documents to a Thai embassy in the United States where they will do the final authentication. It is crucial to get your degree legalised, and many services offer a guarantee to refund the fee if they are unable to legalise your degree, ensuring customer satisfaction and reliability. This process can take about 3-4 weeks*.
If one of the Thailand Consulate-Generals holds consular jurisdiction over that state in which your degree was notarized and authenticated, you may submit your document to that Consulate-General for final legalization. (Please note that your legalization application may be rejected by the Embassy/Consulate General that does not hold consular jurisdiction over the state where your document is executed.)
Chicago: click here for Thai Embassy
New York: click here for Thai Embassy
Washington DC: click here for Thai Embassy
Los Angeles: click here for Thai Embassy
Please mail in:
Legalization form that is found on the embassy or consulate’s website.
Original documents bearing the Seal of the United States Department of State in Washington D.C.
A copy of every page of the original documents
A copy of passport or Identification card or driver’s license of the owner of documents or preparer
Los Angeles: Notarized signature required by a notary public or using the Notary Public Form provided by the Royal Thai Consulate General, Los Angeles.
Download the form on their website: Here
Notary
$2 - $20
Seal and Signature of State Secretary of State
$10 - $30
U.S. Department of State Authentication
$20
Thai Embassy Legalization
$15
Total (per document)
$47 - $85
Visa Expediting Services
Monument Visa
The legalizing and authentication of documents can be a timely process and can take anywhere from 12 – 16 weeks to complete. It is crucial to provide the address where the document returned should be sent to ensure proper handling. Due to this, you may wish to use an expediting service to complete the legalization process for them. These services can be found online with a simple search and for an average cost of $125 per document they will complete each step of the process. We recommend Monument Visa as an expediting service however it is important to note that they are currently unable to expedite the authentications step. The process is still taking around 10 – 14 weeks with
Monument Visa.
Important: Please note that there are severe delays authenticating documents at this time and this process, even using an expediting service can take up to 12 weeks to complete.
Degree from South Africa
Step one: Submit Degree to SAQA (can take between 3-8 weeks)
The degree is submitted to South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to be verified. Please visit their website here:
Go to “Verifications of South African Qualifications”
Click on “Individual Verification Letters”
Find the “Verification Letter Procedure” for instructions on how to submit your degree to SAQA for verification.
Step two: Submit Degree to DIRCO (can take 4-6 weeks):
Documents must then be submitted to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) for further authentication: http://www.dirco.gov.za/consular/legalization.htm
Scroll down to “Tertiary Qualifications” for instructions.
Submit The Following to DIRCO:
Original SAQA letter that has been stamped, along with a copy of your degree that were stamped by SAQA
A covering letter, addressed to the Legalization Section, stating the country for which the document is needed as well as your contact information including an e-mail address.
Collection of Documents from DIRCO
You are able to collect your documents in person from DIRCO or arrange to have the documents returned via courier service.
Via a courier service:
If an e-mail address was included within the covering letter, you will then receive an e-mail notification (within this e-mail notification will be the procedure to be followed to make arrangements for collection via a courier service). You must firstly receive the e-mail notification from the Legalization Section. You will then be requested to make arrangements with the courier service directly and provide the courier company with a letter of authority, which must include the specified address where it must be forwarded to, and the specific reference number which was allocated.
DEGREE LEGALIZATION Cost
SAQA Verification
R610
DIRCO
R150
Thai Embassy Legalization
R200
Total (per document)
R960
Step three: Submit to Thai Embassy in Pretoria (can take 3-7 days):
Once the documents have been authenticated by DIRCO they must be sent to the Thai Embassy in Pretoria where they’ll add a Certificate of Legalization to the front page. https://pretoria.thaiembassy.org/en/index
Expediting Services
Below are details of a company that can assist with your degree and transcripts legalization. The company is based in Pretoria.
Contact Details
Contact: AbduRahman Aboo (Ray)
Email: 123attested@gmail.com
Phone: 072 957 0578 & 012 321 2433
Address: POSTNET Pretoria West, Shop 107 Quagga Centre, Corner of WF Nkomo (Church St) + Court St, Pretoria west, 0183
PROCESS Cost with 123Attested
SAQA Verification
R610
DIRCO
R150
Thai Embassy Legalization
R200
123Attested Processing Fee
R600
Total (per document)
R1,560
Degree from the United Kingdom
Step One: Have your Degree Notarized
Degre Legalization Process Cost
Notary
£50 - £100
Legalization Office
£30
Thai Embassy Legalization
£10
Total (per document)
£90 - £140
The documents must be taken to a British Notary Public and signed in his/her presence, or in the case of notarial certified copies, the original documents are displayed to the Notary. The Notary will attach an authentication certificate or stamp to the documents which certificate will bear the Notary’s signature, stamp and seal.
Step Two: Contact the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Legalisation Office
To check if the document can be legalized and to apply online for this service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised. Alternatively, individuals who need their legal documents returned to specific countries can use the e-Apostille service, which eliminates extra courier costs associated with returning documents when using standard methods.
Before sending your document to the UK Legalization Office, ensure that you pay the UK courier fee so that your documents can be forwarded to the Thai Embassy in London - enclose a pre-addressed envelope for the Thai Embassy
Step Three: Have the document legalized by the Thai Embassy in London
Once the original document(s) have been legalized by the UK Legalization Office the document(s) must be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy in London for the next stage of the process. If you have already paid the courier fee the UK Legalization Office will send these for you. Further information can be found on the Royal Thai Embassy website.
https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/81905-legalisation?menu=5d6636ce15e39c3bd0007344
Expediting Services
The legalizing and authentication of documents can be a timely process and can take several weeks. Due to this, participants may wish to use an expediting service to complete the legalization process for them. One such company is Hague Apostille who can be found by following the link below. Please note that other express services are available. Please visit:
Degree from Ireland
Step One: Have your degree notarized
The documents must be taken to an Irish Notary Public and signed in his/her presence, or in the case of notarial certified copies, the original documents are displayed to the Notary. The Notary will attach an authentication certificate or stamp to the documents which will bear the Notary’s signature, stamp and seal.
Step Two: Have the Degree Authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
Once an Irish notary has notarized your documents, they must be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. The Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade can authenticate documents created in Ireland for use abroad. All documents to be authenticated should bear an original signature, seal, or stamp from an Irish practicing public official or organisation.
https://www.dfa.ie/travel/our-services/authenticating-documents/
Step Three: Have the document legalized by the Thai Embassy in London
Once the original document(s) have been authenticated, the document(s) must be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy in London for the next stage of the process. Further information can be found on the Royal Thai Embassy website:
https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/81905-legalisation?menu=5d6636ce15e39c3bd0007344
Degree Legalization Process Cost
Notary
€10 - €50
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
€40
Thai Embassy Legalization
€10
Total (per document)
€60 – €100
Degree from Canada
Step One: Notarize Your Document
Find a lawyer or notary public to notarize your degree. The lawyer or notary public will sign the documents and affix his/her seal to it.
Step Two: Authenticate Your Degree
Authenticating a document proves that the signature, the position of an official and the seal on a certified document are genuine. You can apply in person or by mail. Make sure you have all documents prepared for this process.
Where to get the authentication is categorized by the location that you are residing in. Please refer below to see where you will have to get your document authenticated from.
British Columbia (anywhere outside of Victoria)
TheLaw Society of British Columbia
845 Cambie Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 4Z9
Tel: (604) 669-2533
Toll-free within B.C. 1-800-903-5300
Website: www.lawsociety.bc.ca
The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
700 – 625 Howe Street Box 44
Vancouver, BC, V6C 2T6
Tel: (604) 681-4516
Fax: (604) 681-7258
Website: www.notaries.bc.ca
Victoria
Order in Council Administration Office
Ministry of Attorney General
Attention: Authentication Clerk
Tel: 250-387-4376
Email: BCAuthentication@gov.bc.ca
Website: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/authentication/index.htm
Alberta
Attorney General of Alberta
Deputy Provincial Secretary’s Office
Room 111, 9833 – 109 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2E8
Tel: 780-427-5069
http://justice.alberta.ca/programs_services/official/Pages/authentication.aspx
Yukon
The Corporate Affairs
Societies Clerk, Corporate Affairs Territorial
Third Floor, Law Centre
2130 – 2nd Ave
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6
Phone: (867) 667-5314
Toll free (in Yukon): 1-800-661-0408 local 5314
Email: corporateaffairs@gov.yk.ca
Website: www.community.gov.yk.ca/corp/index.html
Quebec
Chambre des Notaires du Quebec
1801, avenue McGill College
Bureau 600
Montreal, Quebec H3A 0A7
Tel. (514) 879-1793
Other locations
Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Documents Authentication Officer
Authentication & Service of Documents Section
Legal Affairs Bureau
Lester B Pearson Tower C-7
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1G OA2
Tel. (613) 995-0119 or (613) 944-4000
Step Three: Legalize Your Degree
The Thai Embassy in Canada verifies the signature and seal of the authentication office. You will need to mail your authenticated degree to the Thai Consulate or Thai embassy to have it verified and legalized to be used in Thailand or drop it off in person.
If you apply in person, the process takes about 2 days. The fee for this process is CAD $30.00.
Please see the consulate and embassy’s jurisdiction below:
British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon
Royal Thai Consulate-General, Vancouver
1040 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC V6Z 2R9
Tel. 604-687-1143
Email: info@thaiconsulatevancouver.ca
Website: http://www.thaiconsulatevancouver.ca/legalization/
Other locations
Royal Thai Embassy Ottawa
180 Island Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 0A2
Tel. 1 (613) 722-4444
Email: contact@thaiembassy.ca
Website: https://ottawa.thaiembassy.org/en/page/authentication-of-documents?menu=5f213b81e8afd1740229c225
Degree Legalization Process Cost
Notary
$8 - $40
Authentication
$0 – 150$
Thai Embassy Legalization
$30
Total (per document)
$38 - $220
Expediting Service
The legalizing and authentication of documents can be a timely process and can take several weeks to complete. Due to this, you may wish to use an expediting service to complete the legalization process for you. These services can be found online with a simple search. One such company is Capital Authentication who can be found by following the link below. Please note that other express services are available.
https://www.capitalauthentication.com/
Degree from Australia
Step One: Obtain the Degree Certificate / Verified by University
If you do not already have your original degree, you must contact the issuing university as soon as possible to obtain a copy. Your degree must be verified and signed as a ‘true and accurate record’ by the central student administration office of your university, unless that institution has a public online verification register. When you contact your university’s student administration centre to arrange this, let them know that your document needs to be signed for the Department of Foreign Affairs.
For public universities:
the verification process may be undertaken by an Australia Notary Public who verifies the authenticity of the document under his/her signature and seal without the graduate or student having to attend to the verification process personally. If your university has no online verification register, your Notary will contact the University by email seeking verification by return email. A written Authority from the graduate/student is required for this process.
For private universities:
Documents issued by an Australian accredited private University or College will need to be certified and sealed by an Australian notary public. Verification is not necessary.
Step Two: Notarize Your Degree
Find a notary to notarize your degree from the following site:
https://www.notarylocator.com.au/notaries-explained.php
The notarial certificate should state the record has been verified with the issuing institution. A statement by a Notary that the document is a ‘true copy’ does not satisfy the verification requirement.
Step Three: Obtain Authentication from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Follow the below link for more information on how to request authentication services in Australia:
https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/consular-services/notarial-services/documents-in-australia
Step Four: Obtain Embassy/Consulate Authentication of Foreign Government
Once the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has authenticated your degree, bring or mail the documents to a Thai embassy in Australia where they will do the final authentication.
Please submit:
A completed application for legalization form requesting legalization services of your documents from the Embassy’s website
The original document bearing the DFAT seal and the signature of an authorized DFAT officer
A copy of every page of the original document
A copy of your passport or driver’s license
You can apply to the Thai embassy in Canberra or Sydney:
Degree Legalization Process Cost
Verification from University
Free
Notary
$100 - $200
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
$87
Thai Embassy Legalization
$25
Total (per document)
$212 - $312
https://canberra.thaiembassy.org/legalization/ or Sydney.
This process can take about 10 days, but processing times may vary.
Expediting Services
The legalizing and authentication of documents can be a timely process and can take anywhere from 4 – 6 weeks to complete. Due to this, you may wish to use an expediting service to complete the legalization process. These services can be found online with a simple search.
Degree from New Zealand
Degree Legalization Process Cost
Notary
$75 - $120
Authentication
$65 for the first document and $31 for any additional documents
Thai Embassy Legalization
$30
Total (per document)
$170 - $246
Stage One: Have your degree notarized
The documents must be taken to a notary public and signed in his/her presence, or in the case of notarially certified copies, the original documents are displayed to the notary. The notary will attach an authentication certificate to the documents which certificate will bear the notary’s signature, stamp and seal. https://notarypublic.org.nz/find-a-notary/
Stage Two: Contact the Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit, and then sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for verification.
Your documents will be authenticated by the Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit, and then sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for verification. Your authenticated documents will have a covering page on top with a stamp from MFAT. The documents will be tied together with a ribbon and get an official embossed seal. They are then sent to the address you included on your application form.
You can visit the following website for more information and the application:
Stage Three: Have the document legalized by the Thai Embassy in Wellington
Once the original document(s) have been authenticated and verified by the MFAT the document(s) must be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy in Wellington for the next stage of the process. Further information can be found on the Royal Thai Embassy website:
Degree from Europe
Step One: Have your degree notarized
The documents must be taken to a Notary Public in the country where the degree was obtained and signed in his/her presence, or in the case of notarially certified copies, the original documents are displayed to the Notary. The Notary will attach an authentication certificate to the documents, which will bear the Notary’s signature, stamp and seal.
Step Two: Authentication
Once the document has been notarized it must then be authenticated. This step will vary depending on the country where the degree was obtained. You should be able to find instructions and information on authentication of documents on your government website or by checking out your local Thai embassy website.
Step Three: Have the document legalized by the Thai Embassy
Once the original document(s) have been legalized, it must be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy for the next stage of the process. Once your document has been given the attestation stamp from the Thai embassy, the process is complete. Please check the Thai Embassy website for contact information and the necessary documents before mailing or handing in your documents for legalization.
Expediting Services
The legalizing and authentication of documents can be a timely process and can take several weeks. Due to this, participants may wish to use an expediting service to complete the legalization process for them. These services can be found online with a simple search.
Relevant
kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/savankhet-laos-thai-visa-application-form-guidelines to read the guidelines for completing the visa application form.
kidsenglishthailand.org/blog//understanding-thai-visa-categories-employment-document-process to read about the various categories of Thai visas and information for teaching in Thailand.
kidsenglishthailand.org/teacher-training-program-thailand to read about Meaningful Work and Travel Teaching Positions starting in May 2023 with teacher training in April 2023.
kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/lantern-festival-loy-krathong-lamphun-thailand to read about Teacher Olga's experience in Lamphun Province Thailand during Loy Krathong Festival 2022.
kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/seasons-in-thailand-explained to read about the seasons and climate in Thailand.
kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/the-thai-school-calendar to read about Thailand's school year and how it differs from most other countries.
kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/loy-krathong-lantern-yipeng-2022 to read about Loy Krathong and Yi-Ping/Ye-Peng Festivals in Thailand.