From Idaho to Thailand: How We Legalized Divorce and Marriage Certificates for an Expat 

By Jim Allen— Updated December 2025 

When you live overseas, paperwork doesn’t feel small. It can decide whether you move forward with your life plans or hit a wall you can’t see around. That’s where Darren and his wife found themselves: living in Thailand, holding Idaho divorce and marriage records that needed to be fully legalized for Thai authorities. From 13 hours ahead and thousands of miles away, they were trying to sort out a process that involved Idaho, Washington, D.C., and Thailand—all without stepping foot in the U.S.

They needed someone in Idaho who could own the process from start to finish. That’s how they ended up in my inbox.

The Situation: U.S. Vital Record Documents, Thai Rules, and a Long Distance

Darren’s first email was simple but loaded.

He and his wife were in Thailand.
Their divorce decree and marriage license were issued in Idaho.
Thai authorities needed those documents authenticated and legalized.

On top of that, a foreign office required a “Form for notary public to notarize Applicant’s signature.” That form needed to be notarized correctly in a way the foreign government would accept.

From where they were sitting, the process looked like this vague mountain of steps:

• Idaho Secretary of State
• U.S. Department of State
• Thai consular or embassy rules
• A notary requirement they’d have to handle from overseas

They didn’t know which order things had to happen in, which office needed what, or how to get a U.S. notary form signed while living in Thailand. They reached out asking not just for notarization, but for guidance.

Why These Idaho Documents Mattered to Their Life in Thailand

When Darren and his wife emailed from Thailand, this wasn’t about making documents look fancy with extra stamps. Their Idaho divorce decree and marriage records were tied directly to their legal standing, their relationship status, and their ability to move forward with important processes in Thailand.

If the documents weren’t legalized the right way, Thai authorities could reject them, forcing the couple into delays, extra costs, and more waiting from another country. Getting it right meant protecting their time, their money, and their peace of mind while building a life far from Idaho.

The Challenges: Mail, Government Layers, and Time Zones

A few big hurdles popped up right away.

1. Multiple government offices

Their documents needed to pass through:

• The Idaho Secretary of State for state-level apostilles
• The U.S. Department of State for federal-level apostilles
• Then on to Thailand for authentication

Each step has its own rules, fees, and timelines. Guessing is expensive.

2. Unknown foreign requirements

Darren sent an example of what the final, fully legalized documents should look like and asked me to research what Thailand needed. Every country has its own twist; Thailand is no exception.

3. Remote Online Notarization from 13 hours away

That special form for the foreign government had to be notarized while the signer was physically in Thailand. This is where Remote Online Notarization (RON) came into play—but that also meant identity checks, tech readiness, and scheduling across a 13-hour time difference.

Our Solution: One Point of Contact in Idaho

We started by confirming something simple but important: yes, we can help.

From there, we built a clear plan.

Step 1: Estimate and Options

I sent Darren a detailed estimate that covered:

• Apostille services for:
  • One Idaho divorce decree
  • One Idaho marriage license
• Total cost
• An optional expedite path to shorten processing time
• A note that shipping back to Thailand would be billed separately

Darren chose to expedite, which helped us aim for a much faster turnaround.

Step 2: Secure the Documents

Once he shipped the certified copies, we watched the tracking with him. When USPS couldn’t deliver and the post office was closed, I waited until it reopened and picked up the package myself. From there, I emailed Darren to confirm his documents were in hand and safe.

Step 3: State-Level Apostilles in Idaho

Next stop: the Idaho Secretary of State.

I submitted the divorce decree and marriage license for apostille. Before that, I had reviewed scans of the documents to make sure the formats would work for the Thailand legalization process and for what Thailand would expect. If there had been a problem, we could have fixed it before losing time in transit.

Step 4: Federal and Thailand Requirements

With Idaho’s part underway, we moved to the U.S. Department of State level and planned the Thailand authentication step.

Darren’s request was clear:

“Please do the research if necessary to get the documents legalized for Thailand.”

So I did the homework on:

• Which documents needed which kind of apostille
• How those tied into Thailand’s process
• The sequence needed to mirror the example he sent

Along the way, I kept him updated in plain language, not legal jargon. No surprises, no mystery steps.

Step 5: Remote Online Notarization for the Foreign Form

The final piece was the “Form for notary public to notarize Applicant’s signature.”

We handled this with Remote Online Notarization:

• I explained how the platform works and what IDs they’d need.
• Darren was worried about not having current U.S. credit history for identity questions, so I clarified what kind of information is used and how we could work with previous addresses.
• We collected email addresses for both Darren and his wife, along with their Thai phone numbers.

Then came the timing. They were 13 hours ahead, so Darren suggested 9 PM Thailand / 8 AM Idaho for the Remote Online Notarization call—a perfect example of RON making real life easier.

The Outcome: Progress Without a Plane Ticket

By the time we were done:

• Their documents had been processed through the Idaho Secretary of State for apostilles.
• The path through the U.S. Department of State and Thailand authentication was mapped and underway.
• The RON session was prepared so the foreign-government form could be signed and notarized while they stayed in Thailand.

Most importantly, Darren and his wife no longer felt like they were guessing. They had one person in Idaho tracking their documents, researching the rules, solving delivery problems, and meeting them online when needed.

Their emails shifted from anxious and confused to thankful and steady. They knew someone on the ground in Idaho had their back.

What You Can Learn If You’re Living Abroad

If you’re a U.S. citizen overseas, there’s a good chance you’ll run into similar paperwork someday.

 Here are a few lessons from Darren’s case:

• You don’t have to figure out every rule alone. Let someone who lives in the state—and understands apostilles—handle the moving pieces.
• Always start with scans. A quick review of your documents before shipping can save weeks.
• Expediting can be smarter than waiting. When your life plans depend on paperwork, time has value.
• Remote Online Notarization is made for expats. You can sign U.S. notary forms from another country without flying back.
• Clear communication beats guesswork. Knowing where your documents are and what’s next is worth a lot of peace of mind.

If you’re abroad and need Idaho documents apostilled, legalized, or notarized online, you don’t have to wrestle with it alone from another continent. That’s exactly what I help people with every week.

If you need a Apostille Services for Thailand, call us today.

We’re here to help. Contact Us to experience the difference our dedicated service makes.

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