Certified Translations

[meme]

My husband will be applying for a perminant residence visa for Canada.

He has had everything translated by an office that the Cdn embassy refered.

Now I am reading that the translations have to be certified at the MFA but the documents we have do say "certified correct translations" and the women who did the translations reassures us that we do not have to.

Do we still need to take them to the MFA?

[Mario2008]

At the ministry of Foreign Affairs they legalize documents. It seems the embassy didn't ask for that, they only want a transalation and reffered you to a company for that. The company certifies that the translation is correct.

In doubt, just call the Canadian embassy

[meme]

At the ministry of Foreign Affairs they legalize documents. It seems the embassy didn't ask for that, they only want a transalation and reffered you to a company for that. The company certifies that the translation is correct.

In doubt, just call the Canadian embassy

Thanks for the reply Mario,

I got the information from the embassy website. We are actually not dealing with them we are dealing with immigration Canada. I am assuming that the translations have to be legalized, I just wonder if the MFA are the only people who can do that or if our translater was good enough.

[Mario2008]

Legalisation can only be done by the Thai MFA. It is basicly a statement that they confirm that the documents you submit are indeed real official documents from the Thai government and not forgery.

[Mercury]

There can be no harm in having it done at the MFA. The alternative is to produce documents which have been "translated" by someone with a desk in a shophouse next to a go-go bar who has a rubber stamp. Possibly ok, but perhaps not.

[Mario2008]

There can be no harm in having it done at the MFA. The alternative is to produce documents which have been "translated" by someone with a desk in a shophouse next to a go-go bar who has a rubber stamp. Possibly ok, but perhaps not.

Legalisation and translation are 2 different things. The Thai Ministry of Foreign affairs doesn't do translations, you always have to provide a translation (by a translation agency) yourself.

[fred2007]

There can be no harm in having it done at the MFA. The alternative is to produce documents which have been "translated" by someone with a desk in a shophouse next to a go-go bar who has a rubber stamp. Possibly ok, but perhaps not.

You quiet correct go to the MFA and have it done there it only cost you 800 baht and you will have no hassels

[Mario2008]

There can be no harm in having it done at the MFA. The alternative is to produce documents which have been "translated" by someone with a desk in a shophouse next to a go-go bar who has a rubber stamp. Possibly ok, but perhaps not.

You quiet correct go to the MFA and have it done there it only cost you 800 baht and you will have no hassels

The Thai MFA only legalises a document, first you have to get a translation yourself. The MFA doesn't provide any translation services. Thay only confirm that a document is an official document.

[7by7]

Don't know about Canada or other countries, but as far as the UK is concerned there is no need to have translations certified by the MFA.

The only translation we took to the MFA was my AFM, and that was only because Thai law required it. All Thai documents we had translated (birth certificates, our marriage certificate etc.) were certified as correct translations by the agency that translated them.

This was acceptable for my wife and step-daughter's visa applications and once in the UK for their ILR and naturalisation applications. They were also accepted by the DVLA for my wife's driving licence application, HMRC for tax credit and child benefit applications, the DWP for NI number applications and any other purpose where we have needed them in the UK.

But, as I said, this is for the UK, other countries may have different rules, so check with your embassy.

[mmcsusnret]

May not help, but for the US none of my wife's docuements for her IR-1 visa had to have MFA and as 7x7 stated the only document we ever had to take to the MFA was the AFM.