This is the New Zealand Letter of Affirmation in Thailand. Getting married as a New Zealand national is much easier than with other nationalities. In order to get married in Thailand you need to ensure that you meet the requirements of marriage in Thailand. In order to start the registration process you need to start at the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok as you need a Letter of no impediment or Letter of Affirmation.
New Zealand Letter of Affirmation
The process starts at the Embassy where you have to complete a Statutory Declaration form to stat that you are single and able to get married. Note that if you have been married before then you need to provide an original death certificate of your late spouse and if you are divorced then you need to have the original divorce decree or what is also called an “Order Dissolving the Marriage”. Note that if you got divorced in Australia then you need to contact the Australian Embassy in Bangkok first to obtain a certified copy of your divorce decree. Only they will be able to certify the decree.
Once you have obtained your ‘Letter of Affirmation’ or ‘Letter if no Impediment’ then you need to have this translated into Thai and have it certified. Once this is complete you need to have the documents verified at the Thai Foreign Affairs Department in Bangkok. This normally takes about a day to complete depending on how busy they are. They will place a stamp on all the documents to show that the documents are authentic. See also the Royal Thai Embassy New Zealand and US Letter of Affirmation as well as the British: Letter of Affirmation.
Documents Needed
The documents would now be verified as well as translated. These documents now need to go to the local Amphurs office where the marriage registration takes place. Note that if you have a prenuptial agreement then it has to be registered together with the marriage. You cannot register this later. The following documents would be needed for this process. Note also that if you have children or a child born out of wedlock to speak to an attorney about the implications as well as the legitimisation of the child. Take legal advice on this before you try it on your own.
- 1. Your passport;
- 2. Your fiancée’s Tabian Baan;
- 3. Your fiancée’s Thai ID card;
- 4. Your divorce decree; (if applicable)
- 5. Your death certificate of your late spouse; (if applicable)
- 6. Birth certificates of any children you have together; (if applicable)
- 7. Prenuptial Agreement. (if applicable)
- 8. Certified and Verified ‘Freedom to Marry’ Affidavit
Depending on your circumstances these would be the documents needed. Note that you cannot register a prenuptial agreement later and that it has to be done together with the marriage registration itself. The process at the District Office should not take more than an hour and you will receive your marriage certificates.
The single page as well as the multi-page certificate. You can now also apply to stay in Thailand and have your current visa converted. Speak to a lawyer about the conversion process to a 12 month marriage visa. Most law firms in Thailand offer you a full service, prenuptial agreement, marriage registration as well as visa conversion for Thailand or a foreign visa to take your Thai wife back to your home country.
