Notary Public for Company Documents Used Abroad: Common Questions

A lawyer licensed as a notarial services attorney can certify a signatory's signature, certify copies as true, certify translations in certain forms, and attest to facts occurring in their presence. What they cannot do is certify that the content of a document is true — that is a different thing from certifying a signature.

Four questions: does it need to be an original or a certified copy, which form of certification is required, is Consular Department and embassy legalisation needed, and how many days of validity will they accept. Those four answers set the whole sequence and the total time required.

For signature certification, yes: the certification confirms the person signed in the attorney's presence, with valid identification produced. Certifying copies can sometimes be handled by an authorised representative, depending on the document type and what the destination requires.

If the destination cannot read Thai, a translation is always needed, and the usual order is to translate first and then certify the original and the translation together, avoiding a second round. Check that personal and company names are spelled exactly as they appear in the passport and the company certificate.

Start with a freshly issued DBD certificate within whatever validity the destination accepts, then certify the copy together with its translation. Where required, Consular Department and embassy steps follow. The process should therefore begin with requesting a new certificate rather than reusing a filed one.

They can be certified as a true copy of what was filed, or by certifying the signature of the director who signs them — but not as confirmation that the figures are correct, which is the auditor's role. Most overseas banks therefore ask for the auditor's report and the signature certification together.

List the powers granted item by item, name the attorney exactly as in their passport, state the period and where it will be used, and say whether sub-delegation is allowed. Wording that is too broad tends to be rejected on arrival; wording that is too narrow forces a fresh document midway.

The set banks commonly ask for is the company certificate, the shareholder list, a board resolution approving the account and the signatories, directors' passports and proof of address, all certified and translated. Ask the bank for its list in writing first, because the details differ from one institution to another.

Thailand does not issue an Apostille in the way convention member states do. Documents for overseas use normally pass through the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the destination country's embassy. If the receiving side asks for an Apostille, check whether they accept the Thai legalisation route instead.

Signature certification can be done the same day when the papers are complete. The Consular Department and embassy stages depend on each queue and can run from several working days to a fortnight. If you have a fixed submission date, plan backwards from the slowest step.

The certification itself carries no expiry, but the receiving party usually accepts documents issued within three to six months, particularly company certificates and proof of address. Time the certification close to the actual submission date rather than far in advance.

Ask for the reason in writing, because the cause is usually the wording or a missing link in the chain rather than the document itself. Once the reason is clear, it is normally fixed by adding the missing step or adjusting the certification wording, without redoing the whole set.

Yes: they sign before a notary where they live, then the document is legalised locally and by the Thai embassy there before it is used here. Check the wording and the spelling of names against whatever will be filed in Thailand before it leaves, because corrections from abroad are slow.

Yes — passport copies, academic records and income letters among them — but confirm first which form the institution or embassy wants. Some accept only certification by the issuing body itself, in which case a lawyer's certification cannot substitute.

Usually the chair's or signing director's signature is certified, along with a true copy of the resolution and the company certificate showing signing authority. Draft the resolution with the agenda item, meeting date, attendees and the exact approval given, because the receiving side reads only what is written.

Work backwards from that registry's own checklist, because jurisdictions differ widely in which certifier they accept. Typically you need identity evidence for shareholders and directors, proof of address, and a status document for any corporate shareholder, all certified and translated as specified.

Book ahead so the draft can be reviewed before you come in, which shortens the visit considerably. A single signature certification is quick once the paperwork has been checked; larger bundles need extra time to verify names and dates on every sheet.

It is assessed on the number of documents, whether translation is needed, and which onward legalisation steps we handle for you. We quote per case once we have seen the document list and the destination's requirements, separating professional fees from agency charges.

We can, where the agency allows a representative to file with a power of attorney and full identification. Some embassies require the document owner to attend personally, and we check that condition before taking the work on.

They are separate. Certification is self-contained and needs no case behind it. If matters develop into a dispute requiring court action, the file goes to our affiliated litigation lawyers together with the already-certified bundle so it can be used straight away.