Notary attorneys
End-to-end preparation of the supporting-document bundle required by the Thai Immigration Bureau to issue an A
ABTC supporting documents — Notarised, Apostilled, Embassy-legalised — accepted by all 19 APEC economies + transitional US/CA
End-to-end preparation of the supporting-document bundle required by the Thai Immigration Bureau to issue an APEC Business Travel Card, plus the parallel notarial, MFA-Apostille (post-28 February 2027 HCCH accession), and destination-embassy legalisation of employment letters, corporate resolutions, and tax-clearance certificates that non-Thai APEC economies increasingly ask ABTC applicants to submit during the pre-clearance vetting round.
The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is a 5-year multi-entry travel document that grants pre-cleared business travellers fast-track immigration lanes and visa-free (or visa-on-arrival) entry into all 19 fully participating APEC economies. For Thai passport holders and long-term-resident foreign executives working in Thailand, the ABTC eliminates the need to obtain separate business visas for China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and 14 other economies — provided each destination pre-clears the applicant during the initial application round.
The choke-point is not the physical card (Thai Immigration Bureau issues the card itself in 4–6 weeks) — it is the pre-clearance round. Each of the 18 other APEC economies runs its own background check on the applicant and can withhold pre-clearance without disclosing reasons. Applications where the supporting documents (Employment Verification Letter, Corporate Resolution, Tax Clearance, and — since 2024 — Thai criminal-record check) are weak, undated, or not properly notarised and legalised are quietly parked in a 'pending' queue for months.
Since Thailand's HCCH Apostille accession took effect 28 February 2027, the legalisation route for 18 of the 19 APEC economies (all except Papua New Guinea, which is not a Hague member) collapsed from Notary → MFA → destination embassy → Immigration to Notary → MFA Apostille → Immigration. This alone shortens the documentary preparation by 3–4 weeks per economy.
End-to-end preparation of the supporting-document bundle required by the Thai Immigration Bureau to issue an A
Provinces · 50+77
16,168+ clients · 60+ nationalities
Employment Verification + Corporate Resolution + Tax Clearance + Notarisation + MFA Apostille — 7–14 working d
2025–2026 policy updates
How long does the ABTC take end-to-end?
5–8 months total elapsed. Thai Immigration issues the physical card in 4–6 weeks after receiving the documentary bundle; parallel APEC-economy pre-clearance takes 8–16 weeks per economy. The card is issued with only the pre-cleared economies stamped on the back; those still pending are stamped later.
Can a foreign national holding a Thai work-permit apply?
Yes — provided the applicant holds a valid Thai work-permit + Non-Immigrant B visa in force ≥ 12 months and is employed as director / senior executive / senior professional of a DBD-registered Thai company. Government fee is THB 8,000 (higher than Thai nationals THB 5,000).
What is the minimum annual turnover for the employing company?
THB 30 million is the guideline; not a rigid cut-off. Immigration considers the applicant's role, international-travel necessity, and the company's overall standing. Start-up companies with lower turnover but strong international-business necessity have been approved.
Does the ABTC give visa-free entry to the USA and Canada?
No — the US and Canada are 'transitional members'. ABTC gives access to the APEC fast-track lane at CBP/CBSA airports but a valid US B1/B2 or Canada TRV visa is still required. The card itself does not replace those visas.
What documents need Apostille?
Employment Verification Letter, Corporate Resolution, DBD Certificate, PND 50 (corporate tax), and PND 91 (personal tax) — all must be notarised and Apostilled by MFA Thailand. The criminal-record check from Royal Thai Police is a native government document and does not require notary but does require MFA Apostille for onward transmission to some economies.
My previous ABTC was refused by one economy — can I still use the card?
Yes — the card is issued regardless. Refused economies simply do not appear on the back of the card, and the applicant needs a separate business visa for those destinations. Common refusals are China (background check), Australia (s501), and Peru (bilateral consular quota).
Can I add a new economy after the card is issued?
Yes — a supplementary pre-clearance request can be filed with Thai Immigration to add a previously refused economy after 6 months. The applicant may need to submit updated Employment Verification and Corporate Resolution documents.
What happens if I change jobs during the 5-year validity?
The card is voided and must be surrendered to Immigration within 30 days. A new ABTC application must be filed by the new employer with a fresh Corporate Resolution, DBD Certificate, and full documentary bundle. There is no partial-transfer procedure.
ลูกค้าจริง 60+ สัญชาติทั่วโลก ใช้บริการ Notary, แปลรับรอง, MFA และสถานทูตกับเรา
"ทีมงานช่วยจัดเตรียมหนังสือมอบอำนาจสำหรับใช้ที่ออสเตรเลียได้รวดเร็วมาก พร้อมประสานงาน NAATI ครบจบในที่เดียว"
"Very professional notary service. Document was certified, translated and ready for the UK embassy in two business days."
"ใช้บริการรับรอง Affidavit + รายชื่อผู้ถือหุ้นเพื่อจดทะเบียนสาขาที่สิงคโปร์ ทีมงานละเอียดและตอบกลับไว"
Employment Verification + Corporate Resolution + Tax Clearance + Notarisation + MFA Apostille — 7–14 working days.
Document and legalization advisers with 15+ years of practice
Before we start, we read your actual documents and confirm the legalization route matches what the receiving authority asks for. During the work we report progress, and after delivery we still answer questions about how to submit the file.
We prepare documents to the requirements of the receiving authority. Any approval decision remains at that authority's discretion.
Send your documents on LINE for a preliminary review, a recommended legalization route and a written quote.
General guidance, not a case-specific determination. Requirements change with agency notices — confirm with the receiving authority before you act.
Sources: กรมการจัดหางาน กระทรวงแรงงาน (Department of Employment) · สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง (Thai Immigration Bureau) · กองสัญชาติและนิติกรณ์ กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ · Last reviewed: 2026-08-04
Practical answers from real ABTC files: company evidence, proof of cross-border trade, certified translations, and why pre-clearance from each economy runs on its own clock.
It lets a business traveller enter the APEC economies that have pre-cleared them without applying for a separate business visa each time, and it opens the APEC fast-track lane at many airports. It is not a work permit and not a guarantee of entry — the immigration officer at the border still decides each arrival on its own merits.
Broadly, Thai business people holding an executive or authorised position in a company engaged in international trade or investment, with no criminal record. Applications in Thailand are handled by the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce. The finer eligibility rules and the business categories accepted are revised from time to time, so confirm the current criteria before you assemble the file.
Typically the latest company affidavit, shareholder list, evidence of cross-border trade or investment such as contracts, customs entries or international payment records, a letter confirming the applicant's position, a passport copy, and a police clearance certificate when requested. Thai-language documents shown to overseas counterparties usually need a certified English translation as well.
Pre-clearance is granted economy by economy, each applying its own checks on its own timetable. The card prints only the economies that have already approved you. If one is slow, you can still travel to those already listed, and the rest are added as their approvals come through.
It depends on the receiving party. The common route is a certified English translation, legalisation at the Department of Consular Affairs, then the destination embassy where required. Where a director signs, a notarial services attorney can authenticate the signature before the chain starts. Ask the recipient for their requirement in writing first so nothing is redone.
The part we control — preparing, translating and certifying documents — is measured in working days. Multi-economy pre-clearance takes considerably longer and is outside any provider's control. Our team reviews the file, sequences each certification step and runs the chain for you, advising what to do first. Speak to our staff by phone, LINE or email for an assessment of your case.
Sources: กรมการค้าต่างประเทศ กระทรวงพาณิชย์ — บัตรเดินทางนักธุรกิจเอเปค (ABTC) · APEC Business Travel Card — official scheme information · Last reviewed: 2026-08-11
These are illustrative composites of common visa and work-permit document workflows, not individual applicant files, and not a guarantee of any embassy, immigration bureau, or labour department decision. Durations are approximate working-day ranges excluding official queues.
Illustrative scenarios, not individual client records · Last reviewed 2026-08-09
Written from real client files and grounded in the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 and the Royal Decree on Managing the Work of Foreigners B.E. 2560/2561. No fees are quoted here — ask our staff by phone, LINE or email.
It gives pre-cleared short-stay business entry to the participating economies that approved you, plus use of the APEC lanes at many airports. Validity is five years, but the card is only as useful as the list of economies printed on the back. An economy that has not cleared you gives you no benefit at its border.
Each participating economy screens the applicant independently against its own criteria, so a mixed result is normal rather than an error. Approvals also arrive at different times, which is why the printed economy list can grow after issuance. Nobody can guarantee a particular economy's clearance, and you should not plan travel around one before it appears.
No. It is intended for short-term business travel by bona fide business people — meetings, negotiations, conferences and similar. It does not confer the right to work or reside, and it does not replace a work permit or a long-stay visa in any economy. Using it for the wrong purpose risks refusal at the border and later applications.
Usually proof that you are a genuine business person: company registration and affidavit showing your position, a letter from the company describing your travel need, evidence of trade or investment with APEC economies, and a clean record declaration. Foreign-issued items generally need certified translation, and Thai corporate records may need consular legalisation depending on where they are read.
The card is granted on the basis of your role in a specific business, so a change of employer normally requires notification and, in most cases, a fresh application rather than a simple amendment. Continuing to travel on a card that no longer reflects your position is a compliance risk. Confirm the procedure with the issuing authority before your next trip.
Treat pre-clearance as the pacing item, not the printing of the card. Because each economy screens separately and returns its decision on its own schedule, the useful economy list can keep filling in for months after you apply. Applying several months before a travel season is the practical approach; we cannot promise a date for any single economy.
No. A visa exemption entry is granted for tourism-type purposes and does not carry the right to work. Employment of a foreigner is regulated separately by the Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers' Employment B.E. 2560, and the employer normally has to support a Non-Immigrant B entry before a work permit application can proceed. Ask our staff by phone, LINE or email which entry category fits your job offer.
A visa is issued abroad by a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate and lets you request entry. Permission to stay is the stamp the Immigration officer gives you at the border, and its expiry date is the one that actually matters day to day. Many people overstay because they read the visa validity instead of the admitted-until stamp. Check both dates every time you enter.
Yes, unless you buy a re-entry permit before departure. Without it, the permission to stay ends the moment you exit, and a valid multi-entry visa is not a substitute for it. Single and multiple re-entry permits are available from Immigration and at the airport counters before check-in. Plan for this before booking any short trip out of the country.
The house master, owner or possessor of the residence — in practice your landlord, condo juristic person or hotel — must notify Immigration that a foreigner is staying there. Hotels file it automatically; private landlords often forget, and the gap surfaces later when you apply for an extension or a re-entry permit. Keep the TM.30 receipt with your passport copy set.
The 90-day report under section 37 of the Immigration Act counts continuous stay inside Thailand. Every time you leave and re-enter, the count restarts from the new entry date, so frequent travellers rarely file one. If you stay put, file within the window Immigration prints on your receipt — online, by post, by an authorised representative, or in person, depending on what your office accepts.
File it late in person at your Immigration office. Late filing is treated as a reporting offence and a fine is normally assessed at the counter; the amount and handling are set by the office, so we do not quote a figure. Bring your passport, TM.6 or arrival record if you have one, and your TM.30 receipt. Do not simply skip to the next cycle.
Short answer: ABTC files stall when corporate extracts are older than the accepting authority allows, business-need evidence for member economies is thin, police clearance is started too late, or the passport does not have enough validity to survive the multi-economy approval cycle. Assemble a fresh, complete bundle.
We do more than lodge forms: our advisors pre-assess your corporate and commercial evidence so the file is less likely to attract requests for further information.
Durations are working-day estimates excluding agency queues, and are not a guarantee of any authority's decision.
Sources: APEC Business Travel Card — APEC Secretariat · กองสัญชาติและนิติกรณ์ กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ · Last reviewed: 2026-08-11

Statements on this page follow the authorities below. Confirm current requirements with the authority before filing. Last reviewed 2026-07-29.
Fees are not published online — ask our team by phone, LINE or email for a scope-based quote.