Translating Thai adoption records for overseas submissions
Quick answer
A claim based on an adoptive relationship normally needs the Thai adoption registration (KorRor 14) together with the court order or approval that authorised it, certified in translation. The translation must carry the names of every party, the effective dates, and the case number in full, so the reviewer can trace each statement back to the source document.
Adoption files are read more closely than most document sets because a minor's rights sit behind them. That means the set has to tell a complete legal sequence — approval, order, registration — with no missing link. Below is what to gather and where these sets usually fall short.
What to prepare
- The adoption registration (KorRor 14), most recent issue from the district registrar
- The court order or authorising decision, every page including the endorsement page
- The child's birth certificate
- Identity documents for the adoptive parents and the birth parents
- The house registration showing the household entry, where the receiving body asks for it
How the process runs
- 1Assemble the legal sequence in order — Arrange the documents chronologically, from the authorising decision through to the registration date, so the reviewer sees an unbroken chain rather than isolated certificates.
- 2Fix the spelling of every party's name — Take each spelling from the relevant passport and give all of them to the team up front, so every document in the set renders the same person the same way.
- 3Translate every page, endorsements included — Court orders carry a final page recording the date the order became final along with the certified-copy stamp. Those pages belong in the translation as much as the body of the order.
- 4Confirm the legalisation step before submitting — Check with the receiving body whether an additional authentication is required and whether it applies to the source document or the translation, so the order of work is right the first time.
What reviewers check first
- Whether the effective date of the order lines up with the registration date
- Whether the child's name matches across the birth certificate and the registration
- Whether any page of the order is missing from the submitted set
- Whether the certified-copy stamps appear in the translation
Certified copies must come from the issuing office
Court orders and registrations have to be certified copies issued by the originating office, not photocopies made at home. A translator has no authority to vouch for the authenticity of a source document — only that the translation corresponds to the document supplied.
Let us sequence the whole file for you
Adoption matters usually cross several offices and several stages. Our team will assess which documents need reissuing, what should be translated first, and where the certification step belongs, so you are not resubmitting later. Send the full set through LINE @NAATI for an initial review before anything is commissioned.
Things to watch
- Do not submit a court order with pages missing, especially the stamped final page
- Do not use self-made photocopies where a certified copy is required
- Do not mask or redact parts of a document before scanning it
- Do not let the translation state a legal conclusion the source does not state
Frequently asked questions
Does the whole court order need translating, or just the operative part?
Normally the whole document as submitted. Translating extracts leaves the file incomplete and invites a follow-up request, unless the receiving body has defined the scope in writing.
Do the registration and the birth certificate both need to be submitted?
Many bodies ask for both: the birth certificate records the birth parents, while the registration evidences the legal relationship created afterwards.
Can I use documents issued some time ago?
It depends on the recency window the receiving body sets. Where one applies, request fresh copies before translation so the translation does not expire alongside the source.
How long does it take?
It varies with page count and how many orders are involved. A file with several court documents takes longer than one with a registration alone.
Can a translator certify that a court order is genuine?
No. A translator certifies only that the translation corresponds to the document received; authenticity of the source rests with the issuing authority.
Let our team handle the whole set
We work as an adviser as well as a translation provider. Send your scans and the receiving body's checklist on LINE and we will review the set, map the order of every step, and tell you what still needs to be obtained before anything is lodged.
Ask us on LINE @NAATIRelated services
Related articles
Content reviewed August 2026. This article describes general process and is not legal or migration advice. Confirm current requirements with the receiving body.