Degree Legalization for Teaching in Thailand
Legalization Introduction
Legalizing documents involves officially affixing, sealing, and signing them with either apostille certificates (for countries that are signatories to the Apostille Convention) or with a Certificate of Authentication. Apostille certificates are essential for the degree attestation process, as they verify the validity of UK documents, such as degree certificates, for official use abroad. However, it is important to note that Thailand is not a signatory to the Apostille Convention.
Please note the following important information regarding document legalization:
1. Laminated documents will not be accepted for legalization purposes.
2. If your document is in a language other than English, it must be translated into English and stamped as a true translation.
3. The English translation must clearly include the word “Bachelor,” as the Thai government requires proof of a bachelor’s degree.
4. A copy of the degree in its original language can then be fully legalized.
Thank you for ensuring these requirements are met.
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:
To have your degree certificate notarized, make sure to use a notary commissioned by the state, rather than one commissioned by your local county. If you do have a notary from the county certify your degree certificate, you will need to take it to the clerk of the court in that county to obtain their stamp. For more information, please refer to the U.S. Department of State Authentication.
Be sure to scan a clear copy of your degree and use this scanned copy to get your degree legalized. Do not legalize the original document. You will need both the original degree and the legalized copy when traveling to Thailand for your work permit.
Important: If you need to go through the New York Thai Consulate or the Los Angeles Thai Consulate for Step 5, remember to have a notarized copy of your passport as well, as indicated 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:
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
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
Legalizing and authenticating documents can be a lengthy process, typically taking 12 to 16 weeks. It is essential to provide the correct address for where the document should be sent to ensure proper handling. To expedite this process, you might consider using an expediting service, which can easily be found online through a simple search. These services typically charge around $125 per document to manage each step of the process.
One recommended expediting service is Monument Visa; however, please note that they currently cannot expedite the authentication step. As a result, the overall timeline for this step still averages between 10 to 14 weeks.
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)
To verify your degree, please submit it to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). You can visit their website Once on the site: (SAQA Site)
1. Navigate to “Verifications of South African Qualifications.”
2. Click on “Individual Verification Letters.”
3. Look for the “Verification Letter Procedure” for instructions on how to submit your degree 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:
Scroll down to “Tertiary Qualifications” for instructions.
Submit The Following to DIRCO:
Please provide the original SAQA letter that has been stamped, in addition to a stamped copy of your degree from SAQA.
Include a covering letter addressed to the Legalization Section, specifying the country for which you need the document. Be sure to include your contact information, including your email 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.
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, where they should be signed in the Notary's presence. For notarial certified copies, the original documents should be presented to the Notary. The Notary will then attach an authentication certificate or stamp to the documents, which will include 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.
Expediting Services
The process of legalizing and authenticating documents can often be time-consuming, sometimes taking several weeks to complete. To expedite this process, participants may want to consider using an expediting service. One option is Hague Apostille, which can be found at the link here. Please keep in mind that other express services are also available.
Degree from Ireland
Step One: Have your degree notarized
The documents must be presented to an Irish Notary Public and signed in their presence. For notarial certified copies, the original documents should be shown to the Notary. The Notary will attach an authentication certificate or stamp to the documents, which will include their signature, stamp, and seal.
Step Two: Have the Degree Authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
After an Irish notary has notarized your documents, you need to send them to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This department can authenticate documents that were created in Ireland for use in other countries. All documents to be authenticated must have an original signature, seal, or stamp from an Irish practicing public official or organization.
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:
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 verifies the authenticity of the signature, the title of the official, and the seal on a certified document. You can apply for authentication either in person or by mail. Be sure to have all necessary documents ready for this process.
The location where you can obtain authentication depends on your residence. Please refer to the information below to determine where you need to have your document authenticated.
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 is responsible for verifying the signature and seal of the authentication office. To have your authenticated degree verified and legalized for use in Thailand, you will need to mail it to the Thai Consulate or Embassy, or you can drop it off in person.
If you choose to apply in person, the process typically takes about 2 days. The fee for this service is CAD $30.00.
Please refer to the jurisdiction of the consulate and embassy 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 process of legalizing and authenticating documents can be time-consuming, often taking several weeks to complete. To speed up this process, you may want to consider using an expediting service. These services are readily available online with a quick search. One example is Capital Authentication, which you can find by following the link below. Please keep in mind that there are other express services available as well.
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 reach out to your university’s student administration center to arrange this, inform them that the document needs to be signed for the Department of Foreign Affairs.s.
For public universities:
The verification process can be conducted by an Australian Notary Public, who will confirm the authenticity of the document under their signature and seal. This means that the graduate or student does not need to attend the verification process in person. If your university does not have an online verification register, the Notary will reach out to the university via email to request verification, expecting a response by email. A written authorization from the graduate or 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
For more information on requesting authentication services in Australia, follow the link below:
https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/consular-services/notarial-services/documents-in-australia
Step Four: Obtain Embassy/Consulate Authentication of Foreign Government
After the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has authenticated your degree, you need to bring or mail the documents to a Thai embassy in Australia for final authentication.
Please submit the following items:
A completed application for legalization form, which can be found on the Embassy’s website.
The original document that bears the DFAT seal and the signature of an authorized DFAT officer.
A photocopy 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 process of legalizing and authenticating documents can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to complete. Because of this timeline, you might consider using an expediting service to speed up the legalization process. You can easily find these services online with a quick search.rch.
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 need to be brought to a notary public and signed in their presence. For notarially certified copies, the original documents should be shown to the notary. The notary will provide an authentication certificate for the documents, which will include their 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 first be authenticated by the Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit. After authentication, they will be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for verification. Once verified, your authenticated documents will be accompanied by a covering page that features an MFAT stamp. The documents will be neatly tied together with a ribbon and will have an official embossed seal. Finally, they will be sent to the address specified in 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 MFAT authenticates and verifies the original documents, they must be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy in Wellington for the next step of the process. More details can be found on the Royal Thai Embassy's website.
Degree from Europe
Step One: Have your degree notarized
The documents must be presented to a Notary Public in the country where the degree was obtained and signed in their presence. For notarially certified copies, the Notary will need to see the original documents. An authentication certificate will then be attached to the documents, including the Notary’s signature, sta’s signature, stamp, and seal.
Step Two: Authentication
Once the document is notarized, it must be authenticated. The process can vary depending on the country where the degree was issued. You can find instructions and details on how to authenticate documents on your government’s website or by visiting the website of your local Thai embassy.
Step Three: Have the document legalized by the Thai Embassy
After you have legalized the original document(s), send them to the Royal Thai Embassy for processing. Once the Thai Embassy affixes the attestation stamp to your document, the process will be complete. Before mailing or submitting your documents for legalization, please visit the Thai Embassy's website for contact details and a list of required documents.
Expediting Services
Legalizing and authenticating documents can be a lengthy process, often taking several weeks. As a result, participants might consider using an expediting service to handle the legalization for them. Such services are readily available online with a quick 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.