freedom to marry letter

[BananaBandit]

Do you have to go to your country's consulate in person in regards to this document?

 

(If so, that's more of a hassle than the marriage itself, especially with COVID round 2.) 

 

Surely there must be some amphur buildings (in Isan would be preferable) that will do the marriage without this letter, no?

 

Would the more rural amphurs be easier? 

[bwpage3]

As I recall, even in the rural Amphur we still needed all the paperwork.

[ubonjoe]

Most embassie require that it be done in person. Check with your embassy about it.

No Amphoe would allow you to register your marriage without it.

Every Amphoe can have differents to do the registration than others.

Moved to this forum.

[BananaBandit]

30 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Most embassie require that it be done in person.

So if I'm American, that most likely means I have to physically go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai?

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, BananaBandit said:

So if I'm American, that most likely means I have to physically go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai?

If so keep in mind that the embassy is only doing emergency services at this time. They had opened up services in previous months, but they have backtracked obviously due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak. 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, BananaBandit said:

So if I'm American, that most likely means I have to physically go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai?

Yes 

You would be doing a affidavit that requires you sign it in front of a consular officer.

Info is here. https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/getting-married-in-thailand/

[Laza 45]

Might depend where you are from.. for Australia I was able to send in my divorce document in by post.. and got the Freedom to Marry by return mail..  Also.. because of Covid I was able to send in the translation to the Legalization Office by mail.. normally it has to be in person. I did turn out to be easier than a trip to Bangkok for us.. but.. it wasn't easy...  The translation into Thai is a legal document and has to be exactly as they want it.  No problem if you are using an agent.. they do this all the time and know how to present it.  The people I used to do our translation were not up to speed with the requirements.. it took 4 or 5 attempts to get it right. We would send in a translation and they would send it back with corrections needed... We finally got it right and received the certified document needed which we took to the Ampur.. Whoever does the translation must have the proper seals to  certify their translation.  

[Tanoshi]

@BananaBandit

The first thing to do is check with your local Amphur exactly what they require to register a marriage.

Apart from a certified, translated and legalised freedom to marry affidavit they may also want a certified, translated and legalised copy of your Passport.

 

Check your Embassies website for information on how to prepare an affidavit and what documents are requested. Embassies quite often have an affidavit template subject to your current status, i.e. single (never married), divorced, or widowed.

Apart from your Passport, proof of marital status (divorce or death certificate of previous wife) is also required and your intended wife's ID.

 

At your Embassy, they can take and certify a copy of your Passport and the affidavit.

These must then be translated into Thai.

The original and translations then need to be legalised by the legalisation department, Consular section of the MFA before being presented to the marriage office of your chosen Amphur.

 

In Bangkok, there is a translation service office in the same building as the MFA.

If you make a morning appointment at your Embassy for the affidavit, you can then get the translations and legalisation completed at the MFA Consular section.

To save hanging around, I recommend you pay for EMS return of the completed documents to your home address for an extra 100 baht.

It can all be completed very easily within the same day.

 

Your timing isn't good due to the Covid outbreak again, so keep checking your Embassies website for any changes in the procedure or restrictions.

[Laza 45]

On 12/30/2020 at 5:17 PM, Laza 45 said:

Might depend where you are from.. for Australia I was able to send in my divorce document in by post.. and got the Freedom to Marry by return mail..  Also.. because of Covid I was able to send in the translation to the Legalization Office by mail.. normally it has to be in person. I did turn out to be easier than a trip to Bangkok for us.. but.. it wasn't easy...  The translation into Thai is a legal document and has to be exactly as they want it.  No problem if you are using an agent.. they do this all the time and know how to present it.  The people I used to do our translation were not up to speed with the requirements.. it took 4 or 5 attempts to get it right. We would send in a translation and they would send it back with corrections needed... We finally got it right and received the certified document needed which we took to the Ampur.. Whoever does the translation must have the proper seals to  certify their translation.  

This looks like good news...  

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1199064-foreign-ministry-offering-free-translation-certification-of-docs/?fbclid=IwAR2nZm75DZDSDm400T246MemqJO0KMlYhdpU20trmsxmaFW2yxcbUFvRMD4

 

[BananaBandit]

As far as getting the letter of permission to marry and getting that letter translated....Can I do all that in Chiang Mai just as well as in Bangkok?

 

Or is there a particular step I'm missing where only Bangkok can suffice?

[Tanoshi]

12 hours ago, BananaBandit said:

As far as getting the letter of permission to marry and getting that letter translated....Can I do all that in Chiang Mai just as well as in Bangkok?

Depends on your nationality and if you have a Consulate in CM that can attest your affidavit of freedom to marry.

The affidavit should then be translated and contain the translators details, name, contact number.

 

The affidavit and translation can then be mailed to the legalisation dept of the MFA in Bangkok.

Details here: Procedure of Document Authentication by Mail - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand (mfa.go.th)

 

 

[BananaBandit]

50 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Depends on your nationality and if you have a Consulate in CM that can attest your affidavit of freedom to marry.

The affidavit should then be translated and contain the translators details, name, contact number.

 

The affidavit and translation can then be mailed to the legalisation dept of the MFA in Bangkok.

Details here: Procedure of Document Authentication by Mail - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand (mfa.go.th)

I'm American. 

 

If I go to Chiang Mai, do I still have to mail stuff to Bangkok?

[Tanoshi]

Just now, BananaBandit said:

If I go to Chiang Mai, do I still have to mail stuff to Bangkok?

Yes, the affidavit and translation still have to be legalised by the legalisation department of the MFA in Bangkok for the Amphur to accept them.

 

I would also check if your Amphur require a certified copy of your Passport photo page with translation and legalised by the MFA as well, which is quite common now.