Notarising Thai Documents for Japan — Attorney, MFA and Embassy

Notarisation by a Thai Notarial Services Attorney → translation into the required language (where needed) → legalisation by the MFA Legalisation Division (Chaeng Watthana) → attestation at that country's embassy or consulate in Thailand.

Japan is already a party to the 1961 Apostille Convention. Thailand deposited its instrument of accession on 30 June 2026 and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, after an eight-month objection period. Until then, Thai documents still require MFA legalisation followed by embassy attestation (sources: hcch.net and the Thai Department of Consular Affairs).

From 28 February 2027, when the Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand, Thai public documents used in this country will need only a single Apostille from the Thai competent authority — no further embassy attestation. Translation requirements set by the receiving body still apply.

Japanese authorities generally require a Japanese translation signed by the translator with contact details. Some corporate registrations additionally involve a shihō-shoshi in Japan.

Powers of Attorney for Japanese company or property registration · Status documents for marriage registration at a city office · Certified corporate documents for Japanese counterparties

Seal and signature formats that do not match Legal Affairs Bureau requirements. · Addresses spelled differently from the house registration or passport.

Yes. You must sign in front of the notarial services attorney and present your original passport or Thai ID card. Documents signed beforehand must be re-signed; for certified true copies the original must be shown.

Attorney fees depend on the number of documents and seals. MFA legalisation fees and embassy fees are charged at the official rates of those authorities, separately from our service fee. A written quote is provided before work starts.

No. Acceptance is at the discretion of the receiving authority. We check the format, notarial wording, name spelling against your passport, document age and legalisation sequence beforehand, and re-do the work at no charge if the error is ours.