Consular Legalization of Vietnam Documents for Use Abroad

Consular legalization of Vietnam documents is the process through which competent Vietnamese authorities and the foreign consular authority of the destination country certify the authenticity of the seals and signatures on documents, so that the documents are recognized in the destination country.

At present, Vietnam is not a member of the Apostille Convention (Hague Convention of 1961). Therefore, Vietnam-issued documents intended for use abroad may be required to undergo consular legalization procedures, rather than Apostille procedures, depending on the requirements of the destination country, in order to be recognized and accepted by the competent authorities.

However, in certain countries, foreign authorities may exempt some specific Vietnamese documents from consular legalization requirements, pursuant to applicable international treaties or reciprocal arrangements.

Documents issued in Vietnam that may require consular certification generally fall into 2 types:

Government-Issued Documents: Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Criminal Record Certificates, Court Judgments and Decisions, Enterprise Registration Certificates, Investment Registration Certificates, etc.
Non-Government Documents: Powers of Attorney, Contracts and Agreements, Company Resolutions and Minutes, Financial Statements, Employment Confirmation Letters, Medical Certificates, Bachelor’s degree, etc.

In this guide, Nova Law will walk you through the step-by-step process for getting your Vietnamese documents consular certified for use abroad.

Content

Step 1. Certification of true copies by a Vietnamese public notary office

1. For certification of documents

Original documents issued by the Vietnamese government can consular certified directly by the Consular Department – Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vietnam (MOFA). Therefore, you may skip this step and proceed directly to Step 2.

Other documents such as non-government documents, and photocopies must first be certified as true copies at a public notary office in Vietnam.

Notes:

For certain government-issued documents, if the issuing official’s signature is not yet registered with MOFA Vietnam, a signature introduction letter may be required.
Not all public notaries have their signatures and seals registered with the MOFA Vietnam for the purpose of consular legalization.
During the process, some documents, including original government-issued documents, may need to be translated into English and certified as true copies before further processing.

Whether your documents fall into the above cases depends on the document type and the country of use. Therefore, we recommend sending your documents to Nova Law for review so we can advise you accordingly.

Processing time: from 1 business day.

Notarization fee: Depending on the number of documents and the notary office you choose, the fee may vary.

Outcome: Documents that have been certified as true copies or notarized translations.

Certify a true copy of a Vietnamese document

2. Signature Certification

Certain types of documents, such as Powers of Attorney, are required to undergo signature notarization in Vietnam before being used abroad, as follows:

The signatory must sign the document directly in the presence of a competent notary public.
Valid identification documents of the signatory must be presented (e.g. passport).
A foreigner attending a notary office is required to be accompanied by a certified translator.

Step 2. Consular certification by MOFA Vietnam

After completing Step 1 (if required), documents need to be submitted to MOFA Vietnam for consular certification of the signature and seal of the public notary office or the original signature and seal of the issuing government authority.

Dossier for requesting Vietnamese consular certification:

An application form for consular certification documents (Form LS/HPH-2012/TK)
For direct submission: presentation of the original personal identification document;
For submission by post: A copy of the personal identification document;
The documents and materials requested for consular certification, enclosed with 01 copy of such documents and materials for filing at the competent domestic authority.

In cases where the authenticity of documents submitted for consular legalization needs to be verified, the officer receiving the application may request the applicant to present additional original copies of the relevant documents or papers and submit one photocopy of these documents or papers.

Documents not eligible for consular legalization:

Papers or documents that have been altered or erased without proper correction in accordance with the law.
Papers or documents determined to be forged by a competent authority, or that are improperly prepared, issued, or certified beyond the proper authority, or falsified, as concluded or verified by the issuing or certifying authority or its superior state management authority.
Papers or documents bearing signatures or seals that are not original signatures or original seals, in the case of non-electronic documents, unless otherwise permitted by relevant laws.
Papers or documents containing content that infringes upon the interests of the State of Vietnam.
Electronic versions of papers or documents that do not bear a digital signature of the competent authority or person, or that fail to ensure data integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation in accordance with regulations on electronic transactions, digital signatures, and electronic documents.

Submission to MOFA Vietnam for consular certification at:

Consular Department – MOFA Vietnam in Hanoi:

Address: 40 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh Ward, Hanoi City.
Phone number: 024 3799 3133 – 024 3799 3124
Email: cuclanhsu@mofa.gov.vn

Department of Foreign Affairs in Ho Chi Minh City:

Address: 6 Alexandre de Rhodes Street, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
Phone number: 028 3822 4224 – 028 3825 1436
Email: sngoaivu@tphcm.gov.vn

Consular certification working hours

From Monday to Friday, and Saturday mornings:

Morning: 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Afternoon: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Processing time: from 2 to 5 business days

Government fee: VND 30.000, equivalent to 1,5 USD per document

Required result: A Vietnamese consular authentication stamp affixed to the back of the document

Step 3. Consular legalization at the diplomatic mission where the documents will be used

After obtaining the consular certification stamp from MOFA Vietnam, the documents must be submitted to the diplomatic mission of the country where they will be used for consular legalization. At this stage, there are 3 possible scenarios, depending on the country where the documents will be used.

Option 1. Consular legalization at the relevant embassy or consulate in Vietnam

Documents can be submitted to the embassy or consulate in Vietnam of the country where they will be used if consular services are available, which may help save time and costs.

For example: Documents for use in the UAE can be submitted to the UAE Embassy or Consulate in Vietnam for consular legalization.

Consular legalization of Vietnamese documents for use in the UAE

Option 2. Consular legalization in the destination country

If the relevant country does not have an embassy or consulate in Vietnam, or if consular legalization services are not available, the documents must be taken to the competent diplomatic authority in the country where they will be used for further consular legalization.

Option 3. Consular legalization in a third country

In certain special cases, where the country in which the documents will be used does not have an embassy or consulate in Vietnam, and Vietnam also does not have a diplomatic mission of that country, the documents must be processed in a third country. In such cases, the documents must be submitted in a third country where both a Vietnamese embassy and an embassy or consulate of the destination country are present for consular legalization.

Processing time: Depends on the diplomatic mission where the documents will be used.

Government fees: Depend on the diplomatic authority of each country and the type of documents.

Required result: The documents are affixed with a certification stamp of the country where the documents are to be used.

The total time for consular legalization of Vietnamese documents may range from a few days to several weeks, depending on the country where the documents will be used. Once the documents are consular legalized at the diplomatic mission of the country where they are to be used, they may be used abroad for official purposes.

Vietnamese documents eligible for use abroad generally require at least two certification stamps: one from Vietnam and one from the country where the documents will be used.

Nova Law Legalization Services

Navigating the consular legalization process for Vietnamese documents intended for use abroad can be complex and time-consuming. To save time and avoid unnecessary complications, let Nova Law assist you. With extensive experience in handling consular legalization for Vietnamese documents used in many foreign countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Peru, Spain and other complex cases, Nova Law delivers reliable and compliant solutions.