Embassy Sworn Translator — Recognised by 11 European Missions in Thailand
A sworn (assermenté / vereidigt / giurato / jurado) translation is a translation whose translator is enrolled on a court of appeal, tribunal or ministerial register in the destination country. When you file a Long-stay visa, PACS, family reunion, marriage or study permit application at the French, German, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch, Austrian, Swiss, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish embassy in Bangkok, the consulate rejects standard commercial translations and demands the sworn stamp. Thai Notary Law works directly with sworn translators registered at each destination-country court, delivers to the Bangkok mission and — where required — chains Ministry of Foreign Affairs (นิติกรณ์) legalisation and Apostille certification for you.
Why Thai Notary Law
- Court-registered sworn translators
- Every deliverable is signed by a translator enrolled at a French Cour d'appel, a German Landgericht, an Italian Tribunale, a Spanish MAE list, a Dutch Wbtv register or a Nordic authorised translator roster — the exact certification embassies check.
- 11 embassies, one supplier
- France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark. Single point of contact, single invoice, single delivery.
- Delivery to the consulate
- We can hand-deliver the sworn translation directly to the embassy visa desk in Bangkok, or courier the sealed envelope to any Thai address.
- Full MFA + Apostille chain
- Where the destination requires an Apostille (Hague Convention) we chain Ministry of Foreign Affairs → sworn translation → embassy legalisation on the same file.
- Flat, transparent pricing
- ฿700–฿1,000 per standard document depending on language pair and document type. Same-day rush available on request.
- PDPA-secure workflow
- Encrypted file exchange, audit trail, and mandatory shredding of drafts after delivery — required by every embassy's data-protection compliance.
Which embassies actually require a sworn translator
The French, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Swiss and Luxembourg consular sections in Bangkok will not accept a translation stamped only by a Thai commercial translation vendor. Their instruction sheet explicitly states 'traduction par un traducteur assermenté' — a translator who has taken the professional oath before a court of appeal in the destination country. The same principle applies to the German (öffentlich bestellte und beeidigte Übersetzer), Austrian (allgemein beeideter und gerichtlich zertifizierter Dolmetscher) and Dutch (Wbtv) systems. Sweden uses auktoriserad translator, Norway statsautorisert translatør, Denmark translatør, all with equivalent legal standing.
Thai Notary Law maintains standing engagements with sworn translators for each of these jurisdictions and receives the signed originals in Bangkok inside a 3-to-5 day cycle. The signed original is what the consulate stamps; scans, notarised copies of translations or apostilled translations do not substitute.
How the sworn translation workflow runs
Step 1 — Intake. Send the source document by LINE, email or in-person drop-off. We confirm the destination country, visa or purpose, and required document types inside 15 minutes on business days.
Step 2 — Sworn translation. The registered sworn translator drafts, certifies, signs and applies their court seal. Where the destination is inside the European Union we can additionally issue the translation in the EU format (translator's declaration + Apostille of the translator's signature).
Step 3 — Legalisation chain (optional). If required, we route the source Thai document through Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication before translation, and Apostille the sworn translator's signature at the destination-country foreign ministry via our partner network.
Step 4 — Delivery. We hand-carry the sealed sworn package to the embassy visa section, or courier it to your Thai address with tracking. All originals are logged in our chain-of-custody register for 7 years.
Documents we handle most frequently
Personal — birth certificate, ID card, house registration, passport, name change, marital status certificate. Family — marriage certificate (Kor.Ror.2), divorce certificate (Kor.Ror.6), child-legitimation (Por.Kor.14), parental travel consent, custody orders. Education — transcripts, diplomas, school certificates. Employment — employment letter, payslip, bank statement, company affidavit. Legal — Power of Attorney, will, police clearance certificate, land title deed. Medical — medical certificate, vaccination record.
Every one of these can be delivered as a sworn translation into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish, with the destination-country embassy's exact format requirements pre-verified.
FAQ
Is a Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs certified translator the same as a sworn translator?
No. An MFA-certified Thai translator is registered inside Thailand and works into Thai. A sworn translator is enrolled at a court of appeal or ministerial register in the destination country (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc.) and works into that country's official language. European consulates require the latter.
How long does a sworn translation take?
Standard turnaround is 2–5 business days. Rush service (24–48 hours) is available for most language pairs at a 50% surcharge, subject to the sworn translator's availability.
Can you handle the embassy submission for me?
Yes. We hand-carry the sealed sworn envelope to the visa section, obtain a submission receipt and courier it to you the same day, or we can attend the visa appointment as an accompanying representative.
Do I still need MFA (นิติกรณ์) certification?
For French, German, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch, Austrian and Swiss files the sworn translation is usually sufficient. For Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland the destination often asks for MFA authentication of the underlying Thai document before the sworn translation is prepared. We confirm the requirement embassy by embassy.
How much does it cost?
฿700 to ฿1,000 per standard document depending on language pair and document type. Multi-document packages receive volume pricing. All quotes are fixed before work begins — no hidden fees.
Are your translations accepted for citizenship, PACS and marriage?
Yes. Our sworn translations are routinely accepted for PACS filings in France, marriage registrations at town halls across Germany, Italy, Spain, family reunion procedures in Belgium and the Netherlands, and citizenship dossiers at Scandinavian ministries.
Need a sworn translation for a European embassy?
Call 094-895-8999 · LINE @thainotarylaw · free written quote within 15 minutes on business days.
All 11 embassy sworn-translation destinations
All 30 document types we handle as sworn translations
- Birth Certificate
- ID Card
- House Registration
- Passport
- Name Change Certificate
- Surname Change Certificate
- Certificate of Single Status
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Certificate
- Death Certificate
- Child Legitimation (Por.Kor.14)
- Parental Travel Consent
- Child Custody Order
- Academic Transcript
- Diploma / Degree Certificate
- School Certificate
- Employment Certificate
- Payslip
- Bank Statement
- Company Affidavit
- Medical Certificate
- Police Clearance Certificate
- Driver License
- Land Title Deed
- Will & Testament
- Power of Attorney
- Kor.Ror.2 Marriage Register
- Kor.Ror.6 Divorce Register
- Tor.Ror.14 House Register
- Recommendation Letter