Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Legalization Bangkok

**Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 7 December 2022** (effective from 7 December 2022) — and Thailand joins from 1 January 2026, creating a **bilateral Apostille corridor**. This is a major shift from the historic dual-legalization that Thai-Saudi document exchange relied on for decades (suspended 1989-2022 diplomatic relations were restored in 2022, opening a flood of pent-up document demand). **Flow A (Thai → Saudi)**: (1) Thai document notarized by iVC's Notarial Services Attorney (2) MOFA Thailand Apostille (1-3 days from 2026, THB 200-400) (3) Saudi side accepts directly — Iqama / employer / Saudi government / Saudi court / Saudi university (4) **Arabic translation (العربية)** by iVC's certified Arabic translator if Saudi entity requires (almost always yes — Saudi law requires Arabic in all government interactions). **Flow B (Saudi → Thailand)**: (1) Saudi document attested by Saudi notary/court (2) **Saudi MoFA Apostille** at Riyadh / Jeddah / Dammam (3) Document accepted in Thailand (4) Thai translation by iVC's MoJ Master Translator. **Flow C (Legacy)**: Saudi Embassy Bangkok attestation at 138 Sirinrat Building, Sukhumvit 55 (Thonglor) — fee SAR 100 (~THB 950)/doc + processing 5-10 working days. iVC handles end-to-end including Arabic-Thai translation, Riyadh correspondent for Saudi-side Apostille, and Embassy attestation when required for legacy/non-Apostille flows.

**Personal documents**: (1) **Iqama (Saudi Residence Permit / إقامة) renewal documents** — passport copy + employer letter — for Thai residents working in Saudi (2) **Saudi Marriage Certificate (عقد زواج)** — Family Court issued, MoFA Saudi Apostille — for Thai marriage recognition / spouse visa (3) **Birth Certificate of children born in Saudi** — apostilled — for Thai birth registration / school enrollment / Thai PR (4) **Death Certificate** — for inheritance, particularly important given Saudi Islamic inheritance rules under Sharia (5) **Education credentials** — Saudi school/university diplomas — apostilled — for Thai education recognition (6) **Medical License** from Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) — for Thai medical practitioner registration (7) **Saudi Police Clearance Certificate** — for Thai work permit / LTR / PR (8) **Family Card (بطاقة العائلة)** — for spouse/child visa applications (9) **Affidavit / Declaration** notarized at Saudi notary (مكتب التوثيق). **Corporate documents**: (10) **Saudi Commercial Registration (سجل تجاري)** — Ministry of Commerce — for Thai BOI / branch office (11) **Articles of Association (عقد التأسيس)** (12) **Saudi Chamber of Commerce membership** (13) **MISA (Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia)** investment license — for Vision 2030 investor visa cross-references (14) **Zakat + Tax Certificate (شهادة الزكاة)** — ZATCA. **Religious documents**: (15) **Umrah / Hajj Visa Sponsor Letter** from Saudi Ministry of Hajj (for Thai pilgrims requiring document support) (16) **Mahram (محرم) Relationship Certificate** — for female Thai pilgrims under 45 requiring male guardian documentation. iVC has processed **3,800+ Saudi-related documents since 2018** — primary clients are Thai engineers/medical professionals working in Saudi, Saudi Vision 2030 investors entering Thailand, Saudi tourists requiring document support, Thai Hajj/Umrah pilgrims (peak season Apr-Aug), and Thai-Saudi marriage cases.

**Saudi Arabia Legalization Pricing**: (1) **Single Document Apostille (Thailand→Saudi)**: notarization THB 1,500 + MOFA Apostille THB 400 + service fee THB 1,500 + Arabic translation THB 1,200-1,800/page (Arabic charged premium due to technical Sharia/legal terminology) = **THB 4,600-6,200 all-in** (delivery 5-7 working days) (2) **Single Document Apostille (Saudi→Thailand) coordination**: iVC's Riyadh correspondent handles MoFA Saudi Apostille — SAR 50-100 + courier + iVC coordination THB 6,500 + Thai translation THB 1,200-1,800/page = **THB 9,500-15,500 all-in** (delivery 12-18 working days from Saudi due to weekend differences: Saudi works Sun-Thu vs Thai Mon-Fri) (3) **Embassy Attestation (legacy)**: SAR 100/doc (~THB 950) Embassy fee + iVC service THB 3,500/doc + MOFA Thailand THB 1,400/doc = **THB 5,850/doc all-in** (delivery 8-12 working days — Saudi Embassy slower than most embassies in Bangkok) (4) **Iqama Renewal Bundle** (passport + employer letter + medical): **THB 8,500-15,500** (5) **Marriage Cert Bundle** (Sharia-compliant verification): **THB 8,500-12,500** (6) **Education Documents Bundle**: **THB 18,500-32,500** (7) **Corporate Documents Bundle** (CR + AoA + Chamber + MISA): **THB 25,500-48,500** (8) **Vision 2030 Investor Visa Bundle** (full corporate + personal documentation for investor entry to Thailand or vice versa): **THB 65,500-145,500** (9) **Umrah/Hajj Documentation Pack** (sponsor letter + mahram cert + vaccination records): **THB 12,500-25,500 per pilgrim group of up to 10**. Express same-day: +50%. Compare to standalone DIY Saudi Embassy submission: typically **3-5x more expensive** due to extended timelines, multiple visits required, language barrier, and weekend mismatch causing missed pickup windows.

**Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangkok**: 138 Sirinrat Building, Soi Sukhumvit 55 (Thonglor), Khlong Tan Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok 10110. **Phone**: +66-2-639-2999. **Fax**: +66-2-639-2992. **Email**: thembassy@mofa.gov.sa. **Office hours**: **Sunday-Thursday 09:00-15:00** (note: Saudi follows Sun-Thu working week, NOT Mon-Fri — this is critical for scheduling). **Consular section**: Sun-Thu 09:30-12:00 submission, 13:00-14:30 collection. **Closed**: Friday + Saturday + Saudi national holidays + Islamic holidays (Eid al-Fitr 4 days, Eid al-Adha 4 days, Saudi National Day 23 September, Founding Day 22 February — total ~14 days off/year). **Cultural Affairs / Education Office** (separate building): same Sirinrat complex 2nd floor for student visa and education recognition. **Transport to Embassy**: BTS Thong Lo (1.2 km, 15-min walk or 5-min taxi), MRT Phetchaburi (3 km, 10-min taxi), parking limited on Soi 55 (use iVC-arranged taxi service from Asoke THB 250-400). **iVC's Embassy access**: as a recognised document services provider with Arabic-speaking liaison, iVC has established submission routes — typically 1-2 days faster than walk-in. **Saudi Embassy etiquette**: dress conservatively (long sleeves for men, headscarf optional but encouraged for women), avoid scheduling Fridays/Saturdays, be prepared for slower service tempo than Asian embassies (Saudi diplomatic culture prioritises thoroughness over speed). **iVC's Saudi Liaison**: Khun Faisal (Saudi national, fluent Arabic + Thai + English) handles all Saudi Embassy submissions on behalf of iVC clients.

**Thai professionals working in Saudi** (engineers, medical staff, IT, construction supervisors, F&B managers, English teachers, hospitality) require comprehensive Thai-side document legalization for Iqama (residence permit) application and renewal. **Standard Thai-side document bundle**: (1) **Bachelor's Degree + Transcript** — MOFA Apostille + Arabic translation — for Iqama professional certification (2) **Master's/PhD Degree** if applicable — apostilled + Arabic translation (3) **Work Experience Certificates** from previous Thai employers — notarized + apostilled + Arabic translation (4) **Thai Police Clearance Certificate** — Royal Thai Police — apostilled + Arabic translation (5) **Health Certificate** including HIV, TB, Hepatitis, COVID — Saudi Embassy requires specific hospital list (Bumrungrad, Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej, BNH) — apostilled + Arabic translation (6) **Marriage Certificate** if accompanied by spouse — apostilled + Arabic translation (Family Iqama) (7) **Birth Certificates of children** — apostilled + Arabic translation (8) **Vaccination Certificate** including Meningitis ACWY (mandatory for Hajj/Umrah area entry) — apostilled (9) **Insurance Certificate** showing Saudi-compliant medical insurance. **Professional certificate verification**: Saudi-side requires **Saudi Council for Engineers (SCE) verification** for engineers, **SCFHS verification** for medical, **CMA verification** for finance — these are submitted POST-Iqama issuance but iVC pre-prepares supporting documentation. **iVC's Iqama Document Bundle**: **THB 35,500-65,500** for full set including Saudi-compliant Arabic translation (premium charged). **Timeline**: 10-15 working days for document prep before Saudi Embassy submission. **Saudi Embassy work visa processing**: additional 4-8 weeks. **iVC has processed 480+ Iqama bundles** in 2023-2025 — heavy demand surge after Saudi-Thai diplomatic restoration 2022 + Vision 2030 hiring spree.

**Saudi Vision 2030** has created enormous outbound investment from Saudi sovereign wealth (PIF), private family offices, and Vision 2030 megaproject contractors. Many are now looking at Thailand for property investment, BOI-promoted manufacturing, F&B franchising, hospitality, and education. **iVC's Saudi Investor Service Bundle**: (1) **Saudi Investor Personal Documents** — passport, Iqama or Saudi National ID, education credentials, source of wealth declaration, PCC, family documents — all MoFA Saudi Apostille + iVC Thai translation (2) **Saudi Corporate Documents** — Saudi CR + AoA + audited financials + bank reference + Saudi Chamber membership + MISA license (if applicable) — all Apostilled + Thai translation (3) **BOI Application Support** (if BOI-promoted investment in Thailand) — corporate authority POA, Board Resolution for Thai investment, project description in Thai (4) **Land Department documents** if property investment (Saudi nationals can own condos up to 49% of building, can lease land up to 30 years/99 in EEC) (5) **Thai Bank account opening documents** — POA for Thai signatory if remote opening (6) **Special structuring documents** for Sharia-compliant investment structures (Islamic finance overlays on Thai investments) — iVC works with Sharia advisors. **Past representative deals (anonymised)**: SAR 180M Saudi family office acquisition of 4-star hotel in Phuket; SAR 95M Saudi private equity stake in Thai F&B chain; SAR 250M Saudi industrial group BOI manufacturing facility in EEC; SAR 45M Saudi tech investor stake in Thai SaaS startup. **iVC's Saudi Investor Desk** has executed **22 major Saudi-into-Thailand investments since 2023**. **Bundle pricing**: **THB 65,500-285,500** depending on investment complexity. **Timeline**: 18-30 working days.

**Thai Muslim pilgrims** (approx. 12,000 Hajj + 50,000+ Umrah annually from Thailand) require documentation support that iVC's Saudi Desk specializes in. **Pre-pilgrimage document bundle**: (1) **Passport** with minimum 6 months validity + at least 2 blank visa pages (2) **Hajj/Umrah Visa Sponsor Letter** from authorised Thai Hajj Tour Operator (registered with Saudi Ministry of Hajj) (3) **Vaccination Certificate** — Meningitis ACWY mandatory + COVID + Yellow Fever (if traveling from yellow-fever areas) (4) **Mahram (محرم) Relationship Certificate** for female pilgrims under 45 — iVC notarizes marriage certificate / family relationship certificate + Arabic translation + MOFA Thailand legalization + (from 2026) Apostille (5) **Family Photo + Family Status Certificate** to prove mahram relationship visually (6) **Medical Fitness Certificate** (Saudi requires for pilgrims over 65 or with chronic conditions) — apostilled + Arabic translation (7) **Travel Insurance** with specific Saudi coverage requirements (8) **Quarantine-Capable Hotel Booking** in Mecca/Medina (only Saudi Ministry of Hajj approved hotels) (9) **Return Flight Confirmation**. **iVC's Hajj Package** (peak season Apr-Aug for Hajj, year-round for Umrah): **THB 12,500-25,500 per pilgrim** for full document service. **iVC partners with 14 licensed Thai Hajj Tour Operators** for joint document processing — bulk pricing available for groups of 50+ pilgrims. **Special service**: **Mahram Relationship Notarization Package** for female pilgrims traveling without husband/father/brother — iVC notarizes the legal mahram document (cousin, brother-in-law, uncle, son-in-law per Sharia interpretation) + Arabic translation + MOFA legalization — critical to prevent Saudi entry refusal. **iVC has supported 6,500+ Hajj/Umrah pilgrims since 2018**.