Certificate of Freedom to Marry in Thailand for Belgians, Dutch and French Citizens (2026 Guide)

To marry a Thai partner legally, you register the marriage at a Thai district office (Amphur or Khet). A ceremony at a temple or a hotel has no legal value on its own. Before the district office registers you, it wants proof from your own country that nothing prevents you from marrying. This guide explains which document Belgian, Dutch and French citizens need in 2026, how to get it, and what to do with it afterwards.

1. Why Thailand asks for this document

Thai district offices register marriages under Thai law. For a foreign partner, they cannot check your civil status themselves, so they rely on a document from your country. It confirms that you are single (never married, divorced or widowed) and that your own law allows the marriage.

The document comes from your country, but the district office needs to read it. That is why it must be translated into Thai and legalised by the Department of Consular Affairs of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your Thai partner brings their ID card and house registration, and divorce or name change documents if relevant.

2. Belgium: the CNEM (certificate of no impediment to marriage)

The CNEM (French: certificat de non-empêchement à mariage; Dutch: attest van geen huwelijksbeletsel) certifies that, under Belgian law, there is no legal objection to your marriage. It is governed by articles 69 to 71 of the Belgian Consular Code and is issued by the Belgian embassy or consulate in the country where you will marry. For a wedding in Thailand, that is the Belgian Embassy in Bangkok.

General rules (Belgian consular posts)

• It confirms there is no impediment under Belgian law. It is not a civil status certificate.
• It is issued in French, Dutch or German.
• Other Belgian posts state it is valid for 6 months.
• The application is usually based on your Belgian national register data, a sworn declaration and copies of both partners’ passports or ID cards.
• Usually issued within a few working days. If the embassy sends the file to the public prosecutor for review, it can take several weeks or months.

Important: the Belgian Embassy in Bangkok does not publish its current CNEM procedure online. Ask the embassy for its document list and appointment rules before you book flights, or ask us: we prepare CNEM files for Belgian–Thai couples regularly.

After the wedding

A marriage concluded abroad is not sent automatically to the Belgian national register. You have it transcribed by your Belgian municipality (commune / gemeente). The FPS Foreign Affairs and the embassies cannot do this for you. The Thai marriage certificate (Kor Ror 2/3) must first be legalised and translated. To live together in Belgium afterwards, see our family reunification guide.

3. Netherlands: marriage declaration and civil status statement

According to the Dutch government, you do not need a certificate of marital capacity (verklaring van huwelijksbevoegdheid) to marry in Thailand. You do need these documents from the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok:

1. Marriage declaration (huwelijksverklaring): fill in the application form and book an appointment at the embassy. It must be translated into Thai and legalised by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. Civil status statement (verklaring omtrent de burgerlijke staat): proves that you are not married.
3. Witness and income form: lists two Dutch witnesses, who do not need to attend the wedding. You sign it at the embassy, which legalises your signature. It must also be translated into Thai and legalised by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Passport: a valid passport or a legalised copy. An ID card is not accepted.

• Book online, category “verklaring omtrent de burgerlijke staat”.
• Your non-Dutch partner does not need to come to the appointment.
• You cannot marry at the Dutch embassy; you marry at a Thai district office.

After the wedding

Living in the Netherlands? You must register the marriage with your municipality, using a legalised marriage certificate. Living abroad? You can have it converted into a Dutch certificate by the municipality of The Hague; this is optional but makes later extracts easier.

4. France: the CCAM (certificate of capacity to marry)

For a French citizen, the Thai district office asks for three documents from the French Embassy in Bangkok:

• the CCAM (certificat de capacité à mariage), issued after you file an application with the embassy’s civil status service and the banns are published;
• a certified copy of your passport;
• a sworn statement of single status, with your signature certified by the embassy or an honorary consul.

Then: translation by a translator known to the embassy, certification of the translation by the embassy or an honorary consul, and legalisation by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Book the CCAM appointment online.

• A certified passport copy made in France, or a single-status certificate from your French town hall, is not accepted by Thai authorities.
• Two French citizens not living in Thailand can send the CCAM file by post, at least 3 months before the wedding (originals only, no scans). Both must still come in person for the passport copy and the signature certification.
• The French embassy does not marry Franco-Thai couples: you marry at a district office, then ask for transcription into the French civil register.

For transcription, the embassy needs the Thai marriage certificate (Kor Ror 2), legalised by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated by a translator known to the embassy.

5. Comparison table

	Belgium	Netherlands	France
Main document	CNEM	Marriage declaration + civil status statement	CCAM (after publication of banns)
Issued by	Belgian Embassy, Bangkok	Dutch Embassy, Bangkok	French Embassy, Bangkok
Extra documents	Ask the embassy for its current list	Witness and income form; passport	Certified passport copy; sworn statement of single status
Thai partner at appointment	Ask the embassy	Not required	Ask the embassy
Before the district office	Thai translation + Thai MFA legalisation	Thai translation + Thai MFA legalisation	Translation + embassy certification + Thai MFA legalisation
After the wedding	Transcription by your Belgian municipality	Registration with your municipality	Transcription at the French embassy

6. Step by step, for every nationality

1. Check the district office’s requirements (they can differ slightly between offices).
2. Get your certificate from your embassy in Bangkok (CNEM, Dutch declarations or CCAM).
3. Have it translated into Thai.
4. Have the documents and translations legalised by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. Register the marriage at the district office together, with two witnesses and an interpreter if needed. You receive the Kor Ror 2 and Kor Ror 3 the same day.
6. Register the marriage in your home country.

More details on the day itself, and on US, UK and Australian embassy documents, are in our marriage registration in Thailand guide.

7. Common mistakes

• Booking flights or a wedding date before the embassy confirms how long the certificate takes.
• Letting the certificate expire: many are only valid for a few months.
• Bringing a single-status certificate from your home municipality when your embassy’s document is required.
• Forgetting the Thai translation or the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalisation.
• Names spelled differently in the passport, the certificate and the translation.
• Not registering the marriage at home afterwards.

8. How Spoyzy can help

We have prepared more than 100 marriages for Thai–European couples, in Thai, English, French and Dutch:

• your embassy file (CNEM, Dutch declarations or CCAM) and the appointment;
• certified translations into Thai;
• legalisation at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• the interpreter and witnesses for your day at the district office;
• translation and legalisation of your marriage certificate to register it at home.

See our marriage in Thailand service.

Frequently asked questions

Is a certificate of freedom to marry the same as a single-status certificate?

Not always. The Belgian CNEM confirms there is no legal impediment under Belgian law; it is not a civil status certificate. The Dutch embassy issues a separate civil status statement. For French citizens, Thai authorities do not accept a single-status certificate from a French town hall.

How long is the certificate valid?

It depends on the country. Belgian posts state that the CNEM is valid for 6 months. Check the date on your certificate and plan the district office appointment well before it expires.

Does my Thai partner need to come to the embassy?

For the Netherlands, no. For Belgium and France, ask the embassy when you book: the French embassy requires both partners in person for some steps when both are French.

Can we marry at our embassy instead?

Not for a Thai–European couple. The Dutch embassy does not perform marriages, and the French embassy only marries two French nationals. You marry at a Thai district office.

Can same-sex couples get these certificates?

Yes. Thailand has allowed same-sex marriage since 23 January 2025, and Belgium, the Netherlands and France also allow it.

Do we need an apostille instead of legalisation?

Not yet. Thailand joins the Apostille Convention on 28 February 2027, and documents issued by an embassy are not covered anyway. See our apostille guide.

Related guides: Marriage registration in Thailand · Family reunification in Belgium · Apostille in Thailand from 2027 · Cohabitation visa Belgium