How To Register Marriages Between Foreigners In Thailand

Foreigners must first comply fully with the following three (3) main requirements before their marriage can be registered: a) eligibility requirements; b) marriage documentation; and c) the registration proper.

With respect to eligibility requirements, it is essential that both foreigners are at least seventeen (17) years of age, except for those younger couples who secured a court order; both are not insane; both should not have any blood relations either in the direct ascending or descending line; both must not have the same adoptive parents; and both should be single at the time of marriage. In cases of either a widow or a divorced woman, she must as a general rule, wait for the lapse of three hundred ten (310) days from her husband’s death or from the termination of her marriage, respectively. This rule is however subject to certain exceptions.

As regards the marriage documentation required to be presented for registration, foreigners must produce these documents, namely: his/her passport; arrival cards from their respective embassies; and Affirmation of their Freedom To Marry under Thailand laws.

The procedure for marriage registration involves the following steps:

Step 1. Procurement of the affirmation document. Secure the affirmation document from the Thai embassy or through their website.

Step 2. Completion of affirmation document. Fill out all the details required in the affirmation document and attach other required documents, to wit: 2.1) income statement; 2.2) if divorced or widowed, copy of the divorce order or the spouse death certificate, as the case may be; 2.3) names of children and their corresponding ages; and 2.4) names of two other Thai nationals who will act as references. Thereafter, submit all the above documentation to the embassy.

Step 3.  Collection of the validated affirmation document from the embassy. Secure the duly signed affirmation document from the embassy.

Step 4. Translation of the affirmation document as well as the divorce order or the death certificate to Thai language. This requirement is optional but is usually required by small Amphurs.

Step 5. Authentication by the consular official.  The affirmation document along with its attached documentation and copies of the passport, also accompanying translations if applicable, must be sent to the Legalization Division of Consular Affairs Department. The Consular Official therein shall then authenticate said documents with his signature.

Step 6. Collection of the authenticated documents. The duly authenticated documents in step 5 may either be collected after a few hours or after two (2) days at the Thai Consular Affairs office.

Step 7. Registration in the “Amphur.” Finally, all the authenticated documents must be taken to the  Amphur, also known as the local District Registrar. The marriage in Thailand shall be registered therein and the corresponding Thailand marriage certificate issued.

Article Tags: Affirmation Document From, Affirmation Document, Document From, Authenticated Documents

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR