A few months ago, Thailand officially deposited its instrument of accession with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to join the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. The convention will formally enter into force for Thailand on 28th February 2027.
In plain English: Thailand are joining the Hague Apostille Convention and their membership comes into effect on 28th February 2027.
Here’s what that actually means.
What is the Hague Apostille Convention?
First you’ll need to know what document attestation is – it’s at the core of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Document attestation is the process of taking a document issued in one country and making it legally recognised in another. In its most basic form this involves getting a small stamp (known as an Apostille) applied to the document by the issuing country’s authorities. Think of it like a little passport for the documents, confirming they’re legitimate.
Unfortunately attestation isn’t always that simple.
Different countries have different requirements for different documents – an Apostille alone is not always enough. Sometimes attestation requires further authentications and stamps and this can make the process quite long-winded and complicated.
The Hague Apostille Convention is an international treaty that simplifies document attestation. Member countries all agree to keep attestation processes between themselves as straightforward as possible, generally through an Apostille-only system. There are some exceptions to this rule, but on the whole that’s how the Convention works.
Thailand joining the Hague Apostille Convention!
As a current non-member, the process for attesting documents for use in Thailand can be quite complicated. An Apostille may not be the only requirement, which means it takes more time and can cost more money.
Once they officially join (28th February 2027) their attestation process will be simpler. In theory, it should be Apostille-only (although, as already mentioned, there are some exceptions to this rule). On the whole, though, it means a cheaper and less stressful process for anyone needing to present documents in Thailand.
If you need documents for Thailand attesting before the 28th February 2027 you will need to complete the full, current attestation process. Membership doesn’t come into effect until then. Check with whoever you are presenting your documents to exactly what they require before you begin any attestation.
Need help with attestation?
Whether you need documents attesting now or you’re planning ahead for after 28th February, our team can take care of it for you.
How we work
With our service you don’t need to worry about navigating embassies or working out complicated processes. You won’t need to stress about what Vietnam joining the Hague Apostille Convention means, because we’ll do it for you.
On your end all you need to do is send your documents to us. We have four offices; London, Batley, Dubai and Doha. Once we have them we’ll take them through the proper channels, have them stamped and attested, and send them back to you ready for use.
If that sounds like something that would take a lot of pressure off of you, get in touch!