Not sure if this has been addressed before - my quick scan of the forum proved fruitless but maybe those are my search skills showing!

When applying for a retirement visa in Canada there's a note on the Thai embassy Ottawa's website about 'Authentication of Documents' through DFAIT. Anyone have any experience with it? Is it necessary to get the documents authenticated through DFAIT or will just a notary suffice?

Thanks!

Cannot answer that question as a fellow Canadian, I can tell you that it is much easier to do it here in a neighbouring country, such as Laos. You do not need a medical certificate or a police check.

The question is if one wants an O-A visa or simply a non-O visa. For a non-O visa inquire at a honorary consulate in Canada. The embassy and normal consulates only do O-A visas if I recall correctly.

I'm looking at an O-A visa, so if I get it here in Canada it's through the embassy, my local consulate pointed me to Ottawa. I was double checking everything on the website - I've got all the forms ready to go - and noticed the Authentication of Documents tab, really hope I don't have to get them authenticated through a notary and DFAIT as the website said it can take weeks, yikes!

Colabamumbai thanks for the advice, if I can't get things sorted here that's definitely on my radar.

Not quite sure of the details here, but I get my O-A (Retirement) Visa through the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Vancouver.

I ensure that all my documents are simply witnessed by a Commissioner of Oaths (usually a local bank official). I get signatures and stamps on everything, even the duplicates and photocopies, and even things that aren't listed for officialdom.

Never had a problem through Vancouver.

This is a common problem since Thai Embassies and Consulates are much like Immigration Offices, some adhere strickly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dictum that all documents be notorized and others don't:

- A letter of verification issued from the country of his or her nationality or residence stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification shall be valid for not more than three months and should be notarised by notary organs or the applicant’s diplomatic or consular mission).

- A medical certificate issued from the country where the application is submitted, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 (B.E. 2535) (certificate shall be valid for not more than three months and should be notarised by notary organs or the applicant’s diplomatic or consular mission).

- In the case where the accompanying spouse is not eligible to apply for the Category ‘O-A’ (Long Stay) visa, he or she will be considered for temporary stay under Category ‘O’ visa. A marriage certificate must be provided as evidence and should be notarised by notary organs or by the applicant’s diplomatic or consular mission.

Source: http://www.mfa.go.th...482.php?id=2493

For instance, in the US, The Thai Embassy in Washington and the Consulate in New York do not require the notorization but the Consulate in Los Angeles and Chicago do

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade ( DFAIT)

Info on authenticating documents here. http://international.gc.ca/about-a_propos/authentication-authentification_documents.aspx?view=d