Consular Legalization of Singapore Documents for use in Vietnam is the process through which agencies of Singapore and the diplomatic agency of Vietnam certify the legitimacy of the seal and signature on the documents.

Documents issued in Singapore may require consular legalization for use in Vietnam. These documents typically include:

• Government-issued documents: Certificates of Confirming Incorporation of Company, Business Profile, Tax Documents from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Certificates of Clearance, Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Court Orders and Judgments, etc. 
• Non-government-issued documents: Work Experience Certificate, Appointment Decision, Powers of Attorney, Financial Statements, Company Constitution, Contracts, Invoices, Company-Issued Documents, Certificates of Origin, other private documents, etc. 

In this guide, Nova Law will walk you through the step-by-step process for getting your Singapore documents legalized for official use in Vietnam. 

Step 1. Notarization of Singapore documents 

Government-issued documents in their original text will be directly legalized by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), so you can skip this step and proceed directly to Step 2. 

Commercial documents (eg. Invoices, Bills of Sales, Certificates of Origin, Fumigation certificates, etc) should be certified by any of the four Chambers of Commerce (International, Chinese, Indian & Malay) or the Singapore Manufacturers’ Association.

Other documents, including photocopies or computer-generated of government-issued documents, non-government-issued documents, first require notarization by a notary public in Singapore 

For certifying true copy of documents: 

• Original documents must be produced (with wet signature, stamp).  
• For online/compute-generate documents, retrieval must be done in front of the Notary.  
• Bearer must be present for certifying a likeness to a photograph. 

For witnessing the signing of documents, such as a Power of Attorney: 

• Documents must be signed in front of the Notary/Commissioner for Oaths, with identification of the signer (e.g. Passport) provided.  
• Bring any signing instructions.  

Processing time: 0,5 to 1 business day

Outcome Required: A Notarial Certificate attached to the document. 

Step 2. Authentication of documents by the SLA 

After completing Step 1 (if required), documents need to be presented to the SAL for authenticating the signatures of Notaries Public. The cost for authenticating documents is $87.20 (including GST). 

Singapore Academy of Law: 

• Address: 1 Coleman Street, #08-06, The Adelphi, Singapore 179803 
• Tel: +65 6338 4388 
• Email: enquiries@sal.org.sg

Processing time: 0,5 to 1 business days 

Outcome required: An Apostille Stamp affixed to the back of the Notarial Certificate

 Note: Vietnam is not a party to the Hague Convention. After obtaining Apostille stamps from Singapore, the documents must be further legalized by a Vietnamese diplomatic agency for use within Vietnam. 

Step 3. Consular legalization by the Vietnamese Diplomatic Authority 

The Singaporean document authenticated by SAL can be legalized either by the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore, or by the Consular Department of MOFA in Vietnam to verify the stamp and signature of SAL. 

Option 1: Consular legalize documents in Singapore 

If you decide to consular legalize documents with the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore please bring the required documents for Vietnamese consular legalization (the result of Step 2), along with one copy of each, and plan your visit in the morning.

• Address: 10 Leedon Park, Singapore 267887 
• Phone number: (+65) 87259062 
• Email: vnemb.sg@mofa.gov.vn 

Processing time: From 3 to 4 business days. 

Required Result: A Vietnamese consular legalization stamp affixed to the back of the document. 

Result pickup: Available on-site.

Option 2: Legalize documents in Vietnam 

If you decide to consular legalize document in Vietnam, please courier SAL-authenticated documents to Vietnam, then follow these 2 sub-steps as follows: 

Step 3.1. Certified by the Singapore Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam 

The Embassy or Consulate of Singapore in Vietnam will verify the authenticity of SAL’s Apostille Stamp on the documents: 

• In Hanoi: Embassy of the Republic of Singapore. Address: 41-43 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh Ward, Hanoi 
• In HCMC: Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore. Address: The Saigon Centre Tower 2, #11-05 67 Le Loi Boulevard, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. 

Processing time: 0,5 to 1 business days 

Result: A Singapore Authentication Certificate attached to document 

Step 3.2. Legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam 

Finally, bring the dossier to MOFA Vietnam to obtain the Vietnamese consular legalization stamp to: 

• In Hanoi: Consular Department – Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Address: 40 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh Ward, Hanoi. 
• In HCMC: Foreign Affairs Department of Ho Chi Minh City – Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Address: 6 Alexandre de Rhodes, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. 

The dossier for requesting a Vietnamese consular legalization stamp includes: 

• An application form for legalization of documents (Form LS/HPH-2012/TK) 
• Documents requested for Vietnamese consular legalization (the result of step 2) and one copy 
• A photocopy of the requester’s ID or passport 

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. 

Processing time: from 3 to 5 business days 

Required Result: A Vietnamese consular legalization stamp affixed to the back of the document 

Step 4. Notarized translation into Vietnamese 

Legalized documents in English language must be translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator and notarized in Vietnam before submission to the competent Vietnamese authorities. 

Processing time: 2 business days 

Result: A Vietnamese notarized translation of document 

Conclusion 

Total processing times for Vietnam consular legalization may take at least 2 weeks if there are no delays. After the Singaporean document has been consular legalized and translated into Vietnamese, it can be recognized and used in Vietnam for official purposes. 

Navigating the consular legalization process for your Singaporean documents intended for use in Vietnam can be complex and time-consuming, involving coordination with multiple agencies in both countries.

To save time, let Nova Law assist you. We provide streamlined legalization services for Singapore documents, simply hand them over to us, and we’ll take care of the entire process from Singapore to Vietnam.

Please share your documents with Nova Law to: legal@novalaw.vn , we’ll review them and send you a service proposal.