Legalize U.s. Marriage License In Thailand

[mnbcm]

My wife (Thai/U.S. citizen) and I (U.S. citizen) were married in the United States. We are trying to get my wife's name changed in Thailand. We need to get our marriage license certified by the U.S. embassy. According to what I read here though, I have to send it to Washington DC first? Is that correct? I was planning on flying into Bangkok for an appointment next week, but if I have to send our marriage license to the U.S. it's not necessary to go to the Bangkok embassy yet. Has anyone else gone through this? Any idea how long it takes to get a document back?

[InterestedObserver]

The US Embassy in Bangkok will not certify a US marriage license because they cannot verify the authenticity of the original document. However, they can issue a notarized affidavit whereby the husband and wife affirm (swear an oath) that they are legally married. This may or may not be enough for your intended use. It is true that US origin documents can only be legalized in the US.

Edit: Read the full text of your link, under US Credentials for Use Abroad, there are several steps to getting a document legalized, not just sending the document to Washington. DC.

Edited July 30, 2009 by InterestedObserver

[salween]

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

Edited July 30, 2009 by salween

[mnbcm]

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

This sounds like what the embassy said. I wasn't aware you could call citizen services in Bangkok at 022054049 until after I posted this. They told me they can do what needs done for $30 and I don't need to send it to DC. I get so mixed up with the terminology and what needs authenticated/approved/whateveryoucallit. Just wait till we have kids documents to deal with too. Ahhh! If anyone has not yet been married, I encourage you to get married in Thailand, not your home country. Would have saved us lots of time and money.

[InterestedObserver]

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

This sounds like what the embassy said. I wasn't aware you could call citizen services in Bangkok at 022054049 until after I posted this. They told me they can do what needs done for $30 and I don't need to send it to DC. I get so mixed up with the terminology and what needs authenticated/approved/whateveryoucallit. Just wait till we have kids documents to deal with too. Ahhh! If anyone has not yet been married, I encourage you to get married in Thailand, not your home country. Would have saved us lots of time and money.

Forget "Legalization", all you need to do is get a certified affidavit from the US Embassy in Bangkok, then get the marriage license plus affidavit translated into Thai and have the translation agency get the documents certified with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp(s). Finished.

Edit: This is generally true of most documents dealing with everyday life in Thailand. If you were in a Thai court of law then the US origin documents could be required to be legalized.

Edited July 30, 2009 by InterestedObserver

[salween]

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

This sounds like what the embassy said. I wasn't aware you could call citizen services in Bangkok at 022054049 until after I posted this. They told me they can do what needs done for $30 and I don't need to send it to DC. I get so mixed up with the terminology and what needs authenticated/approved/whateveryoucallit. Just wait till we have kids documents to deal with too. Ahhh! If anyone has not yet been married, I encourage you to get married in Thailand, not your home country. Would have saved us lots of time and money.

Forgot to mention that if this is for visa purposes, particularly extending based on marriage, wife may need to take the certified copy to her Ampur along with house registration and id to change her status from single to married. I recently found out I needed this documentation as well when extending my visa using just the certified Marriage Certificate.

Yup, easier to just do it here, but we did it this way a while back because then all you needed was the certified copy for visa purposes, thus wife would not have to go to the Ampur and change her name. Now it's a non-issue as the laws have changed and women can retain their maiden names if they choose.

Edited July 30, 2009 by salween

[moonhunt]

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

This sounds like what the embassy said. I wasn't aware you could call citizen services in Bangkok at 022054049 until after I posted this. They told me they can do what needs done for $30 and I don't need to send it to DC. I get so mixed up with the terminology and what needs authenticated/approved/whateveryoucallit. Just wait till we have kids documents to deal with too. Ahhh! If anyone has not yet been married, I encourage you to get married in Thailand, not your home country. Would have saved us lots of time and money.

It is the headache for either ways.

I got married from Thailand, but I still have to translate and notarized Thai marriage certificate.

At least you can read yours, but I can not read dam_n thing from my marriage certificate since it is Thai language.

I don't know when I will learn Thai characters.

[psdone]

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

This sounds like what the embassy said. I wasn't aware you could call citizen services in Bangkok at 022054049 until after I posted this. They told me they can do what needs done for $30 and I don't need to send it to DC. I get so mixed up with the terminology and what needs authenticated/approved/whateveryoucallit. Just wait till we have kids documents to deal with too. Ahhh! If anyone has not yet been married, I encourage you to get married in Thailand, not your home country. Would have saved us lots of time and money.

It is the headache for either ways.

I got married from Thailand, but I still have to translate and notarized Thai marriage certificate.

At least you can read yours, but I can not read dam_n thing from my marriage certificate since it is Thai language.

I don't know when I will learn Thai characters.

I am going through the same thing today. All because I listened to the fockers in the US immigration that told me to get married in the states. It would be a great community service if one of the super posters who know this stuff should post a sticky on the pros/cons of getting married in Thailand vs. States/UK/Europe/etc.

Phil