Q1009. Where can I find professional Spanish and Portuguese translation services for investment and visas?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Spanish and Portuguese documents appear most often in Thailand in three contexts: investment from Spain, Portugal, or Latin America; marriage or family registration involving nationals of those countries; and academic credential evaluation. The translation chain is the standard third-language route: document legalised in the country of origin (Ministry of Foreign Affairs layer plus Royal Thai Embassy in Madrid, Lisbon, or the accredited embassy for Latin American states), then Spanish/Portuguese→English or Thai translation in Thailand, then MFA certification (200/quoted on request per stamp). Two practical complications are common. First, Latin American documents often carry an apostille, which Thailand does not recognise — the apostille does not replace Thai embassy legalisation, and the document must still go through the Thai embassy accredited to that country (for several South American states this is the embassy in Buenos Aires or Brasília, which adds courier time). Second, Portuguese documents from Brazil versus Portugal use different civil registry formats and different Thai embassy channels. Plan 4–8 weeks for the full chain including international post. Confirm the exact legalisation sequence with the receiving Thai office before dispatching originals.