Getting a certificate of life in Thailand
Are you a Dutch national living in Thailand and need to have a pre-printed certificate of life signed and stamped? Or do you need a certificate of life for another purpose? Read the step-by-step guide below to find out what you can do in your situation.
Step 1 : Gather the documents that you need
You will need the following documents in order to have a certificate of life drawn up or signed and stamped:
- A valid Dutch passport or Dutch identity card.
- Proof of address. This can be proof of registration with your municipality, for example.
If this is not available in your country, you can instead provide a bank statement, a telephone or utility bill from the past month bearing your name and address, or a rental contract bearing your name and address. - Official proof of your civil status issued by a government body in the Netherlands or elsewhere. This can be your marriage certificate, your divorce certificate or your spouse's death certificate, for example. It cannot be a self-declaration or a document drawn up by a notary.
Step 2: Make an appointment
Find out where and how to make an appointment:
Do you have your pre-printed certificate of life that you need to have signed and stamped? Or would you like to have a certificate of life drawn up by teh embassy in Bangkok?
Find out what you need to do in your situation.
I have a pre-printed certificate of life
You do not need to make an appointment to have your pre-printed certificate of life signed and stamped. You can visit the embassy on the following days and at the following times:
- Monday - Friday between 08:30 and 11:00
- Monday - Thursday between 13:30 - 15:00
First check which days the embassy in Bangkok is closed.
I need a certificate of life drawn up by the embassy
Sometimes you can have your pre-printed certificate of life of the SVB signed and stamped at your local Social Security Office. Check if you need an appointment.
If you have a pre-printed certificate of life from another pension authority, you will need to have your certificate signed and stamped at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok.
Step 3: Check whether you need to pay
You don't always need to pay for a certificate of life. Select where you want to have the certificate signed and stamped or drawn up to find out what applies in your situation:
- You can have a pre-printed certificate of life signed and stamped for free at the embassy.
- Having the embassy draw up a certificate of life costs €30.
Check with your local Social Security office to find out how much you need to pay to have a pre-printed life certificate from the SVB signed and stamped.
See the overview of consular fees in Thailand for information on how you can pay.
Step 4: Receive the certificate
Select your situation to find out how long it will take before you receive the certificate and in what language you will receive the certificate.
- The embassy will sign and stamp the certificate while you wait.
- If you want to have the local Social Security Office sign and stamp the certificate from the SVB, ask them how long it will take.
Having a certificate drawn up by the embassy takes 1 working day. You can collect the certificate the next working day.
What language will the certificate be in?
You will receive a multilingual standard form in Dutch, English, French and German.
If you need the certificate in another language, you will need to have it translated by a sworn translator. Ask the organisation requesting the certificate whether you need to have the certificate and/or the translation legalised.
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.