Getting Married In Thailand
07 Feb, 2021
Joy Jirawati
The Process and What's Required
Thailand is a incredibly beautiful, exotic destination which provides you with a paradise environment for your forthcoming wedding. Your crystal clear waters of the seas and lagoons, your stunning hills and the lush green jungle locations can captivate your own attention and leave you yearning to tie the knot in this incredible destination. You may have big plans to get married at one of Thailand’s most popular beach resorts, with a magnificent waterfall in the background or in some other extraordinary location in Thailand. However, before you go forward with your options to wed here, you might be asking yourself what the requirements are to be lawfully married in Thailand. Thankfully that many foreign countries legally permit their citizens to get married here. However, it is wise for foreigners preparing a marriage in Thailand to fully explore and follow the prerequisites to ensure which their wedding is lawfully binding. Many countries have specific requirements that happen to be unique to their citizens, so a more detailed look at every country’s prerequisites is needed.
Getting Married In Thailand Legal Requirements
If you are preparing to get legally married in Thailand, it is significant to understand more details on Thailand’s prerequisites as a initial step. Regardless of whether you are a foreigner getting married to another foreigner or you are getting married to a Thai citizen, the country’s prerequisites are the same. You should follow these actions:
1. Obtain an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry. This record may be available through the consulate in Bangkok or through your embassy if you are a foreign citizen. Each country may have specific requirements that its citizens must meet, and each individual wishing to get married should acquire their own Affirmation. This is a special legal document that basically states that you are legally permitted to get married by your country. For foreigners, you typically must present your passport. If you have previously been married, documents attesting to your legal termination of which marriage may also be needed. Thai citizens generally want to give their House Registration Record and their National Identification Card to their consulate.
2. Translate your Affirmation of Freedom to Marry record. If you have obtained an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry record from your home country’s embassy, it most likely is in your own native language. It should be translated into the Thai language as your next step. There are various services which you can use throughout your country that can finish this step for you.
3. Take Your Affirmation document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your own translated Affirmation of Freedom to Marry document must be legalized by the Thai government. This is carried out at your Ministry of Foreign Affairs office.
4. Register your marriage with the amphur. Your amphur is the office that legally records marriages, and this task means that your marriage to your own spouse is lawfully binding. To register the marriage, you simply submit your own documents to your amphur. Your amphur will issue a marriage certificate in Thai. You usually should pay a translator to translate this record into your native language.
5. Certify your marriage with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After you have properly registered your marriage, you will again visit your Ministry of Foreign Affairs to file your own translated document. This legally documents your marriage.
6. You should also report your own marriage to your home country. If you are a foreigner, you will take your documents to your own embassy. If you are a Thai resident, you will take your own documents to the consulate. This task finalizes your marriage in Thailand.
Getting Married In Thailand For US Citizens
If you are an American citizen interested in getting married in Thailand to another American, a Thai citizen or a citizen from another country, you might be thinking what particular steps you want to take to complete the process. Your United States generally recognizes marriages of its citizens in Thailand, provided proper steps are followed. Personnel at the U.S. embassy are not allowed to perform marriages. Instead, these steps should be followed:
1. Visit your U.S. Embassy in Bangkok to acquire a notarized Marriage/Divorce Affidavit. This is available via the American Citizen Services unit. You will need to schedule an appointment and arrive at your office with your proper fee for your notarized record.
2. Use a professional translation service to translate this affidavit into the Thai language.
3. Visit your Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok to have the marriage document legalized. There is a nominal fee for this process as well.
4. Foreigners getting married in Thailand will also want to register their marriage with your amphur. You will present your own translated documents to your amphur, and they will register the marriage and issue a marriage certificate. Your amphur might also require your identity documents, such as your own passport, as well as your own documents showing that prior marriages have been legally terminated. Your marriage certificate will be in the Thai language, and you usually will want to use professional translation services to translate this record into your own language.
5. Take your translated marriage certificate to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Your Ministry officials will certify which your marriage is legal in Thailand.
6. You must then register your own marriage in your United States in order for your own home government to acknowledge the marriage. This is not done through the embassy. Instead, you will want to contact the Attorney General in your home state for their particular registration requirements. Many states will require a copy of your registered marriage certificate in order to validate your marriage in your United States.
Is A Thai Marriage Recognised In The UK?
A Thai marriage is recognized in the U.K., provided you adhere to your specific rule and requirements that have been established by both the Thai and U.K. governments. First, keep in mind that a religious ceremony in Thailand is not lawfully binding. If you want for your marriage to be legally binding, you must adhere to all marriage requirements that Thailand has set up. Second, note that your British Embassy is not legally authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies. Third, remember that your British government will only acknowledge the marriage as lawfully binding if your Thai government recognizes it. With this in mind, you should follow a few critical steps to complete your marriage process.
1. As a first step, you will want to obtain an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry. This is obtainable through the British Embassy in Thailand. To obtain this document, you will need to bring your own passport and any documents you have proclaiming to your termination of previous marriages you have been in. Original document should be provided. Copied documents will not be accepted. Your affirmation record can be downloaded from the Internet and completed prior to your arrival. A small fee is charged for this document.
2. You will need to use a private translation service to translate your Affirmation into the Thai language. This service is not provided by the embassy, but there are many translators which offer this service in Bangkok.
3. British foreigners getting married in Thailand will then need to authenticate your Affirmation. Take your translated record in your Thai language to the British Consular's office for an official certification and signature. Thai registrars will not accept the document until it has been authenticated in this way.
4. Once you have finished this step, take your own translated and authenticated document to your registrar, or amphur. The amphur will legally register the marriage and prepare a marriage certificate for you in your Thai language. You may need to get this certificate translated into your own own language. Only use a service which offers a “sworn translation” service via a translation bureau. This is a requirement if you want to use the marriage certificate in the United Kingdom.
5. Bring your own translated marriage certificate to your Consular Section so that it can be recorded by your U.K. government. You are not lawfully required to take this. However, it is useful for statistical purposes, and it is necessary if you want to regenerate a copy of your certificate at a later date.
6. If you are getting married to a foreign national, take note which which individual does not automatically gain U.K. citizenship via marriage. He or she will want to obtain the proper legal requirements, such as a visa, to relocate into your United Kingdom. This process can take up to three months to complete, so you should plan ahead when requesting your relocation visa.
Getting Married In Thailand For Australians
If you are an Australian citizen planning to get married in Thailand, you may be thinking how your marriage process varies from other countries. Australians must adhere to a few specific steps when getting married in Thailand if you want your marriage to be valid in your own home country. The Australian embassy can only give assistance with helping its residents learn about the foreign marriage process in Thailand, and it cannot assist with marriage planning in any way. Keep in mind that you must carefully follow every of these steps fully in order for your own marriage to be legally binding in both Thailand and Australia. Foreign marriages of Australian citizens have been legally recognized by the Australian government since 1995. If you want to get lawfully married in Thailand, follow these actions.
1. Visit your own Australian embassy in Bangkok to complete a pro-forma Statutory Declaration. This form may also be completed at your Australian Consulate-General’s office in Phuket or in a Chiang Mai consular office. There is a fee required at your time this form is finished. Remember that your “Single Status Certificate” will not be accepted. If you have formerly been married, you must provide proof that your previous marriages have ended, such as by providing divorce documentation or a death certificate. Some Thai registration offices also require passports of Australian citizens to be certified by the Embassy. There is a fee for this service, so you may which to check with your registration office that you plan to use to determine if this is required by their office. If so, certify your passport at the time you complete your Statutory Declaration.
2. Australian foreigners getting married in Thailand should also translate their Statutory Declaration document through a private translator into your Thai language. This process might take one to two business days, so plan ahead when completing this step.
3. After your own record has been translated into the Thai language, it will need to be authenticated via your Thai Department of Consular Affairs. There is a fee for this that is payable to the Thai government. This in the process might take an additional two to three business days to complete. There are a variety of offices in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other cities that offer this service.
4. Once your own document has been authenticated, you can visit a District Office, or amphur, to register this marriage. This is a step that legally binds your own marriage in Thailand. You will be issued a marriage certificate by the amphur. Amphurs do not give translation services, so you might need to bring a translator with you to complete this process. Some amphurs also require an appointment.
5. If you plan to relocate with your foreign spouse to Australia after getting married, your own spouse will want to obtain a visa. The Consular Services Section at the Australian embassy can assist with this process. Applying for a visa may take several weeks to complete, so you should plan ahead to obtain a visa in a time frame that is suitable for your plans.
Getting married in a gorgeous and exotic setting like Thailand can be a dream come true. However, your marriage process dictated by your Thailand government and your own home country’s government must be carefully followed if you wish for your marriage to be legally binding. You may also need to plan ahead when trying to get your own foreign spouse into your home country by applying for a visa very early in your process. By following these steps, you can plan for the perfect wedding in Thailand.
Getting Married In Thailand Legal Requirements
If you are preparing to get legally married in Thailand, it is significant to understand more details on Thailand’s prerequisites as a initial step. Regardless of whether you are a foreigner getting married to another foreigner or you are getting married to a Thai citizen, the country’s prerequisites are the same. You should follow these actions:
1. Obtain an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry. This record may be available through the consulate in Bangkok or through your embassy if you are a foreign citizen. Each country may have specific requirements that its citizens must meet, and each individual wishing to get married should acquire their own Affirmation. This is a special legal document that basically states that you are legally permitted to get married by your country. For foreigners, you typically must present your passport. If you have previously been married, documents attesting to your legal termination of which marriage may also be needed. Thai citizens generally want to give their House Registration Record and their National Identification Card to their consulate.
2. Translate your Affirmation of Freedom to Marry record. If you have obtained an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry record from your home country’s embassy, it most likely is in your own native language. It should be translated into the Thai language as your next step. There are various services which you can use throughout your country that can finish this step for you.
3. Take Your Affirmation document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your own translated Affirmation of Freedom to Marry document must be legalized by the Thai government. This is carried out at your Ministry of Foreign Affairs office.
4. Register your marriage with the amphur. Your amphur is the office that legally records marriages, and this task means that your marriage to your own spouse is lawfully binding. To register the marriage, you simply submit your own documents to your amphur. Your amphur will issue a marriage certificate in Thai. You usually should pay a translator to translate this record into your native language.
5. Certify your marriage with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After you have properly registered your marriage, you will again visit your Ministry of Foreign Affairs to file your own translated document. This legally documents your marriage.
6. You should also report your own marriage to your home country. If you are a foreigner, you will take your documents to your own embassy. If you are a Thai resident, you will take your own documents to the consulate. This task finalizes your marriage in Thailand.
Getting Married In Thailand For US Citizens
If you are an American citizen interested in getting married in Thailand to another American, a Thai citizen or a citizen from another country, you might be thinking what particular steps you want to take to complete the process. Your United States generally recognizes marriages of its citizens in Thailand, provided proper steps are followed. Personnel at the U.S. embassy are not allowed to perform marriages. Instead, these steps should be followed:
1. Visit your U.S. Embassy in Bangkok to acquire a notarized Marriage/Divorce Affidavit. This is available via the American Citizen Services unit. You will need to schedule an appointment and arrive at your office with your proper fee for your notarized record.
2. Use a professional translation service to translate this affidavit into the Thai language.
3. Visit your Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok to have the marriage document legalized. There is a nominal fee for this process as well.
4. Foreigners getting married in Thailand will also want to register their marriage with your amphur. You will present your own translated documents to your amphur, and they will register the marriage and issue a marriage certificate. Your amphur might also require your identity documents, such as your own passport, as well as your own documents showing that prior marriages have been legally terminated. Your marriage certificate will be in the Thai language, and you usually will want to use professional translation services to translate this record into your own language.
5. Take your translated marriage certificate to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Your Ministry officials will certify which your marriage is legal in Thailand.
6. You must then register your own marriage in your United States in order for your own home government to acknowledge the marriage. This is not done through the embassy. Instead, you will want to contact the Attorney General in your home state for their particular registration requirements. Many states will require a copy of your registered marriage certificate in order to validate your marriage in your United States.
Is A Thai Marriage Recognised In The UK?
A Thai marriage is recognized in the U.K., provided you adhere to your specific rule and requirements that have been established by both the Thai and U.K. governments. First, keep in mind that a religious ceremony in Thailand is not lawfully binding. If you want for your marriage to be legally binding, you must adhere to all marriage requirements that Thailand has set up. Second, note that your British Embassy is not legally authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies. Third, remember that your British government will only acknowledge the marriage as lawfully binding if your Thai government recognizes it. With this in mind, you should follow a few critical steps to complete your marriage process.
1. As a first step, you will want to obtain an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry. This is obtainable through the British Embassy in Thailand. To obtain this document, you will need to bring your own passport and any documents you have proclaiming to your termination of previous marriages you have been in. Original document should be provided. Copied documents will not be accepted. Your affirmation record can be downloaded from the Internet and completed prior to your arrival. A small fee is charged for this document.
2. You will need to use a private translation service to translate your Affirmation into the Thai language. This service is not provided by the embassy, but there are many translators which offer this service in Bangkok.
3. British foreigners getting married in Thailand will then need to authenticate your Affirmation. Take your translated record in your Thai language to the British Consular's office for an official certification and signature. Thai registrars will not accept the document until it has been authenticated in this way.
4. Once you have finished this step, take your own translated and authenticated document to your registrar, or amphur. The amphur will legally register the marriage and prepare a marriage certificate for you in your Thai language. You may need to get this certificate translated into your own own language. Only use a service which offers a “sworn translation” service via a translation bureau. This is a requirement if you want to use the marriage certificate in the United Kingdom.
5. Bring your own translated marriage certificate to your Consular Section so that it can be recorded by your U.K. government. You are not lawfully required to take this. However, it is useful for statistical purposes, and it is necessary if you want to regenerate a copy of your certificate at a later date.
6. If you are getting married to a foreign national, take note which which individual does not automatically gain U.K. citizenship via marriage. He or she will want to obtain the proper legal requirements, such as a visa, to relocate into your United Kingdom. This process can take up to three months to complete, so you should plan ahead when requesting your relocation visa.
Getting Married In Thailand For Australians
If you are an Australian citizen planning to get married in Thailand, you may be thinking how your marriage process varies from other countries. Australians must adhere to a few specific steps when getting married in Thailand if you want your marriage to be valid in your own home country. The Australian embassy can only give assistance with helping its residents learn about the foreign marriage process in Thailand, and it cannot assist with marriage planning in any way. Keep in mind that you must carefully follow every of these steps fully in order for your own marriage to be legally binding in both Thailand and Australia. Foreign marriages of Australian citizens have been legally recognized by the Australian government since 1995. If you want to get lawfully married in Thailand, follow these actions.
1. Visit your own Australian embassy in Bangkok to complete a pro-forma Statutory Declaration. This form may also be completed at your Australian Consulate-General’s office in Phuket or in a Chiang Mai consular office. There is a fee required at your time this form is finished. Remember that your “Single Status Certificate” will not be accepted. If you have formerly been married, you must provide proof that your previous marriages have ended, such as by providing divorce documentation or a death certificate. Some Thai registration offices also require passports of Australian citizens to be certified by the Embassy. There is a fee for this service, so you may which to check with your registration office that you plan to use to determine if this is required by their office. If so, certify your passport at the time you complete your Statutory Declaration.
2. Australian foreigners getting married in Thailand should also translate their Statutory Declaration document through a private translator into your Thai language. This process might take one to two business days, so plan ahead when completing this step.
3. After your own record has been translated into the Thai language, it will need to be authenticated via your Thai Department of Consular Affairs. There is a fee for this that is payable to the Thai government. This in the process might take an additional two to three business days to complete. There are a variety of offices in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other cities that offer this service.
4. Once your own document has been authenticated, you can visit a District Office, or amphur, to register this marriage. This is a step that legally binds your own marriage in Thailand. You will be issued a marriage certificate by the amphur. Amphurs do not give translation services, so you might need to bring a translator with you to complete this process. Some amphurs also require an appointment.
5. If you plan to relocate with your foreign spouse to Australia after getting married, your own spouse will want to obtain a visa. The Consular Services Section at the Australian embassy can assist with this process. Applying for a visa may take several weeks to complete, so you should plan ahead to obtain a visa in a time frame that is suitable for your plans.
Getting married in a gorgeous and exotic setting like Thailand can be a dream come true. However, your marriage process dictated by your Thailand government and your own home country’s government must be carefully followed if you wish for your marriage to be legally binding. You may also need to plan ahead when trying to get your own foreign spouse into your home country by applying for a visa very early in your process. By following these steps, you can plan for the perfect wedding in Thailand.
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