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Vietnamese consular legalization of foreign documents
Vietnamese consular legalization of foreign documents is the process of certifying the authenticity of foreign documents for them to be recognized and used legally in Vietnam.
A specimen of the Vietnamese Consular Legalization Stamp
Except for the four cases in which Vietnam exempts documents from consular legalization, all foreign documents, regardless of their purpose – personal or business – MUST be legalized at the consular level prior to being used in Vietnam.
The primary purpose of Vietnamese Consular Legalization is to authenticate the legality of a document issued by a foreign jurisdiction and to prevent fraud in such documents. This ensures the integrity of documents used for official purposes.
In thele.blog’s experience all foreigners who visit, return to, or reside long-term in Vietnam have most likely undergone consular legalization at least once during their time in Vietnam or elsewhere. Common documents for which foreigners may need Vietnamese consular legalization for, include:
Marriage, Birth, Adoption, and Death Certificates
Enterprise Registration Certificates, Company Charters, Board of Directors’ Decisions, Licenses, etc.
Certificates and Certifications, Diplomas, Degrees, and Transcripts.
Bank balance confirmations, Vehicle titles, and house, land, or real estate deeds.
4 Common Documents Require Vietnamese Consular Legalization
For example, when setting up a foreign-invested company in Vietnam, foreign investors must prepare a series of documents as part of the required checklist. Certain documents, such as proof of the investor’s financial capacity, must undergo Vietnamese consular legalization.
This proof may include a bank confirmation letter verifying that the investor has arranged and deposited a specified amount of funds or a guarantee from the bank to provide a certain amount of financing when needed.
These documents must be consular legalized to be legally recognized and valid for the incorporation process.
The same requirement applies to a spouse who was legally married in the United States to a Vietnamese citizen and now wishes to file for divorce in Vietnam. In this case, the marriage certificate issued in the United States must be consularly legalized before it can be properly submitted to a Vietnamese court.
But how can the above documents undergo Vietnamese consular legalization? Let’s explore this in more detail below.
5 Steps to Complete Vietnamese Consular Legalization
The process of Vietnamese Consular Legalization largely depends on the geographical location of the document - either in the country where the document was issued or in Vietnam.
However, the typical procedure to obtain Vietnamese Consular Legalization is outlined in the following five steps:
5 Steps to Complete Vietnamese Consular Legalization
Let’s take a closer look at each step below
Step 1. Preparation of foreign documents
As a general guideline, investors should first determine whether the original documents were issued by government authorities, as the type of document will influence the next steps in the process.
In most cases, original government-issued documents can proceed directly to Step 2. However, if the documents are copies, non-government-issued, computer-generated, or commercial in nature, they typically need to be certified or notarized by a public notary in the country of issuance before moving to Step 2.
It is important to note that this categorization is based on our experience and may vary depending on specific circumstances. Not all original documents can automatically move to Step 2 without additional certification. For instance, a marriage registration certificate, despite being an original government-issued document, may still require notarization in some countries before proceeding.
Conversely, not all copies, non-government-issued, computer-generated, or commercial documents necessarily require notarization before moving to Step 2.
a Notarial Certificate in China
Step 2. Certification by the foreign diplomatic authority
Following Step 1, the documents need to be certified by the foreign diplomatic authority of the country where they were issued to ensure their authenticity and validity in the receiving country.
Step 2: Certification by the foreign diplomatical authority serves several key purposes:
A foreign diplomatic authority confirms that the document was legally issued by the appropriate authority in the country of origin.
This verification ensures that the document is not forged or altered and that it is genuine and legally binding.
Foreign diplomatic authorities authenticate that the signature, seal, or stamp on the document was made by a recognized official in the issuing country.
This step verifies that the person or institution that issued the document had the legal authority to do so.
Many countries require foreign documents to be certified by a diplomatic mission to ensure they meet the legal and procedural requirements of the receiving country.
This helps avoid disputes about the document’s legitimacy or admissibility in legal, financial, or administrative matters.
Certification by a foreign diplomatic authority ensures that the document is recognized internationally.
This step is especially important for official documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, commercial contracts, or powers of attorney, which need to be valid and enforceable across borders.
a seal of ministry of foreign of Japan
Website links to the authentication services provided by the foreign diplomatic authority in some countries: Singapore, USA, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippine.
Notes: Vietnam is not a signatory to the Hague Convention. After obtaining Apostille stamps, the foreign documents must be legalized by a consular section of Vietnam to be used in Vietnam.
Step 3. Consular legalization by Vietnam Diplomatic Authority
This process certifies the authenticity of the foreign document, making it legally acceptable for use in Vietnam’s legal, administrative, and business systems.
To complete this step, foreign investors may choose to complete the process overseas (typically in the issuing country) or in Vietnam, depending on their circumstances.
Option 1: Legalize documents in overseas
Once the document has been certified by the foreign diplomatic authority, it must be presented to the Vietnamese embassy or consulate in the country of origin for further legalization.
The embassy or consular verifies the document’s authenticity and stamps it with a consular seal.
An authenticated document with stamp
The individual registering for a Vietnam consular may:
Come in person to the Vietnam Embassy or Consular in the country of origin to legalize documents; or
Fill out the required requested documents on your own then use a regular courier or shipping company to deliver the documents to the Vietnamese Consular of your country. You must include return shipping envelops and money in the form of a check in most cases. Finalise and authenticated documents will be mailed back to you in a few weeks.
A dossier should have:
- An application form for legalization of documents
- Document(s) requested for consular authentication (the result of Step 2) + 01 its copy
- A photocopy of the requester’s ID or passport
- A translation of documents into Vietnamese and English (if required).
Option 2: Legalization documents in Vietnam
After your documents have been authenticated by the foreign diplomatic authority (as the result of Step 2), the document can be sent physically to Vietnam for consular legalization. The procedure will be divided into 2 sub-steps as follows:
Step 3.1. Documents need to be consular certified by the foreign Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam
The Embassy of Consulate in Vietnam of the issuing country will verify the authenticity of its Ministry of Foreign Affair (MOFA) stamp (This is the result of Step 2). However, not all embassies/consulates provide document authentication services. For example, the Chinese embassy/consulate in Vietnam currently does not offer this service.
It’s recommended that you contact the relevant embassy or consulate directly to confirm their services before proceeding with consular legalization in Vietnam.
Step 3.2. Documents are consular authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam
The dossier is the same as in Step (a). The requesters may choose one of these places:
In Hanoi: Consular Department – Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Address: 40 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
In HCMC: Foreign Affairs Department of Ho Chi Minh City – Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Address: 6 Alexandre de Rhodes, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh.
A Consular Legalization by Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Step 4. Notarized translation of foreign documents into Vietnamese
Foreign documents in a foreign language must be translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator and notarized in Vietnam before submitting to the competent Vietnamese authorities.
Step 5. Recognition by Vietnamese Authorities
Total fee and processing times for Vietnam consular legalization can vary depending on the specific country involved. It typically takes at least 2 weeks.
After the foreign document has been legalized, it can be recognized and used by various Vietnamese governmental agencies, courts, and other institution for official purposes.
Thele.blog’s consular legalization services in Vietnam
Navigating the Vietnam consular legalization process for foreign documents can be lengthy and challenging. That’s why thele.blog is here to help. We offer streamlined consular legalization services in Vietnam for foreign documents already stamped and certified by foreign diplomatic authorities.
Our process typically takes just from 5 working days. Simply email your documents to hi@thele.blog, and we’ll promptly review them and provide you with a competitive service quotation.
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