Thailand is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. A U.S. document going to Thailand needs legalization instead: certification by the state that issued it, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, and then legalization by Thailand’s embassy or a consulate in the U.S.
Thailand has 4 missions in the U.S., and each legalizes documents only from the states in its district. The mission is decided by the state that issued or notarized the document, not the state you live in.
At a glance
Which mission takes your document
| Mission | States it covers |
|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. Royal Thai Embassy |
Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia |
| New York Royal Thai Consulate General |
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Los Angeles Royal Thai Consulate General |
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming |
| Chicago Royal Thai Consulate General |
Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin |
From the mission’s own published information, checked October 2026. For federal documents such as an FBI check, we confirm the mission before submitting.
Documents we legalize most for Thailand
| Document | Usually for |
|---|---|
| Affirmation of freedom to marry, birth certificate | Marriage at a district office. See marriage abroad |
| Diploma, FBI check | Work permits and teaching |
| Power of attorney | Property and banking |
Things worth knowing
- Thailand joins the Apostille Convention on 28 February 2027. Until then, legalization is required, and the embassy will not accept an apostille in its place.
- Each mission only legalizes documents from its own states.
- Thai translation is needed for most uses, usually certified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
How it works
Step 1
Notarize if needed
Private documents only. Vital records and court records skip this.
Step 2
State certification
By the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents skip this.
Step 3
U.S. Department of State
Federal authentication in Washington, D.C.
Step 4
Thailand embassy or consulate
The mission for your document’s state.
Thailand Embassy Legalization: common questions
Can I get an apostille for Thailand instead?
No. Thailand is not in the Apostille Convention, so it needs the legalization chain ending at its embassy or consulate.
Does it matter which consulate I use?
Yes. Missions only legalize documents from the states in their district, decided by where the document was issued or notarized. Use the consulate finder.
How long does it take?
The state and federal stages take one to three weeks together, and the embassy stage adds its own time, which varies. Plan for several weeks in total, and longer around holidays.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
Thailand mission in the U.S.
Ready to get started?
Tell us the document and its state, and we will run the whole chain to the right Thailand mission.
Related: Embassy legalization · Non-Hague countries · Country checker · Translation requirements