Vietnam consular legalization: how to certify foreign documents

Vietnam consular legalization is the step that lets a foreign paper be recognized and used in Vietnam. A Vietnamese agency checks the stamp, signature and title on the paper. It does not check what the paper says. The check covers stamps, signatures and titles only.

Sources: Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, Articles 2 and 3 and 4 (English text on hanoi.eregulations.org).

What the rule says

Decree 111/2011/ND-CP was signed on 5 December 2011 and covers consular certification and legalization. The decree sorts the work into two parts. Consular certification is for Vietnamese papers that will be used abroad. Consular legalization is for foreign papers that will be used in Vietnam.

As a rule, foreign papers must be legalized before Vietnam will recognize them. The decree lists exceptions. Papers are exempt if a treaty between Vietnam and the other country says so, or on the basis of reciprocity. Papers passed directly between Vietnamese and foreign agencies, or through diplomatic channels, are also exempt. Vietnamese law can add more exceptions.

Sources: Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, Articles 2, 4 and 9 (English text on hanoi.eregulations.org).

Who does the work

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the competent body. Under the circular, the Consular Department and the Service of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City are the offices that carry out the work. The Ministry can also let provincial foreign affairs offices receive files and pass on the results.

Anyone may apply, whether a company or a person. You can apply for your own papers or for someone else's, and no authorization letter is needed. You can file in person, through an authorized local office, or by post. Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG, issued on 20 March 2012, says postal files may be handed in at any Vietnam Post office. A postal file must include an envelope with the return address.

Sources: Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, Articles 5 and 6; Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG, Articles 1, 6 and 9 (English text on hanoi.eregulations.org).

The steps for a foreign document

The file you hand in has five main parts under Article 14 of the decree.

• One declaration form for consular legalization.
• Your identity paper if you file in person, or a copy of it if you file by post. The circular says an identity card, a passport or a passport substitute is accepted, and the copy need not be certified.
• The papers to be legalized. They must first be certified by a foreign embassy, consulate or another foreign agency allowed to perform consular work.
• A Vietnamese or English translation of each paper that is not already in one of those languages.
• One copy each of the papers and of the translations, kept on file by the Ministry.

So the usual path has two stages. First, the paper is certified by a foreign embassy, consulate or another foreign agency allowed to do consular work. Second, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam legalizes it. The Ministry compares the stamp, signature and title on the foreign certification with the samples that the other country has officially sent to it. If the samples have not been sent, or need checking, the Ministry may ask the foreign agency to verify them.

A paper with two or more pages must be stamped across every two adjoining pages, or tied and sealed, so the pages cannot be swapped. Officers may also ask to see originals and keep copies.

Sources: Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, Article 14; Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG, Article 9.

Translations and languages

The languages of consular legalization in Vietnam are Vietnamese and English. If your paper is in any other language, you attach a translation into Vietnamese or English. The circular says this translation does not need to be certified. The person who files takes responsibility for its accuracy, so use a careful translator.

Files handed in at a Vietnamese mission abroad follow a slightly different rule. Papers in Russian, French, Spanish, Chinese or German can go without a translation at the Vietnamese missions in Russia, France, Spain, China and Germany. Other languages can also go without one if the officer at that mission understands them.

Sources: Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG, Articles 2 and 9; Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, Article 15.

Time, fees and papers that are refused

The time limit is one working day after a complete and valid file is received. If the file has 10 or more papers, the limit can be longer but not more than five working days. The applicant pays a fee set by the Ministry of Finance. For postal files, the applicant also pays postage both ways.

Some papers cannot be legalized. These include papers with changes or erasures that were not properly corrected, and papers with details that contradict each other. Forged papers are refused, as are papers with copied signatures or stamps. The circular explains that a copied stamp or signature, in any form, does not count as original. Papers with content that harms the interests of the Vietnamese state are also refused.

Before you send a file, check three things. Is the paper original and unaltered? Does every page carry the right seal? Is the translation attached? A complete file is usually the fastest route.

Sources: Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, Articles 8, 10 and 11; Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG, Article 4.

Where to check the latest rules

The Ministry runs a consular web portal at lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn. The circular says the list of local offices that may receive files is kept there. Rules can change, so confirm the current forms and fees with the Consular Department before you file.

Sources: Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG, Article 1.

Sources

• Decree 111/2011/ND-CP of 5 December 2011 on consular certification and legalization, English text: hanoi.eregulations.org (archived 4 July 2022 by the Wayback Machine).
• Circular 01/2012/TT-BNG of 20 March 2012 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, English text: hanoi.eregulations.org.