ฉบับภาษาไทย: อ่านหน้านี้เป็นภาษาไทย
Whose consent is needed to legitimate a child in Thailand?
Short answer
For registration of legitimation at a district office, the Civil and Commercial Code requires the consent of both the child and the mother, given before the registrar. Where either cannot or will not consent, legitimation is obtained by court judgment instead.
The starting point surprises many foreign fathers: a child born to unmarried parents is legally the child of the mother alone, and simply being named on the birth certificate does not create paternal rights. Until legitimation is registered or ordered, the father has no parental power, and that gap shows up when consent for travel, schooling or a visa application is required.
Where the mother cannot be located, is deceased, or refuses, the father petitions the court, which decides on the evidence — the relationship history, the birth records and, where relevant, DNA evidence. If the child is too young to express consent, the court route is likewise the correct one. Marriage of the parents after birth also legitimates the child by operation of law. Scope, turnaround and fees are confirmed by IVC staff by phone, LINE or email — this site does not publish prices.
Reviewed as of 2026-08-04. General guidance only, not case-specific advice and not a guarantee of outcome. Government fees, conditions and processing times are set by the responsible authority and can change. This site does not publish prices — please ask our staff.
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