In order to legally utilize your university degree, police check, marriage certificate, birth certificate, and other foreign documents in Vietnam, they must be certified by the diplomatic missions of your country in Vietnam and subsequently consular legalized in Vietnam.
The former procedure is called document authentication for use in Vietnam
The latter one is called consular legalization
1. What is Consular Legalization in Vietnam?
According to the Government Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP of December 5, 2011 on consular certification and legalization, consular legalization in Vietnam means the competent Vietnamese agencies’ certification of stamps, signatures and titles on papers and documents issued by foreign agencies for being recognized and used in Vietnam.
The consular legalization simply certifies stamps, signatures and titles on papers and documents, not certifying contents and forms of papers and documents.
2. Documents Exempted from Consular Legalization in Vietnam
According to article 9 of Decree No. No. 111/2011/ND-CP, the following 4 types of papers and documents will be exempted from consular legalization in Vietnam:
3. Requirements for Documents to Be Consular Legalized in Vietnam
First of all, to be consular legalized by the competent Vietnamese agencies, the papers and documents issued by the foreign agencies should satisfy the following requirements:
And then, before carrying out the consular legalization procedure, you must ensure that:
4. Where to Carry Out Consular Legalization in Vietnam?
In Vietnam, you may submit the application for consular legalization of your papers and documents to the following competent agencies:
You can submit your application and receive the result on weekdays, except public holidays.
5. How to Consular Legalize Documents for Vietnam
To get your papers consular legalized in Vietnam, you may have 02 options as follows:
The former procedure is called document authentication for use in Vietnam
The latter one is called consular legalization
1. What is Consular Legalization in Vietnam?
According to the Government Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP of December 5, 2011 on consular certification and legalization, consular legalization in Vietnam means the competent Vietnamese agencies’ certification of stamps, signatures and titles on papers and documents issued by foreign agencies for being recognized and used in Vietnam.
The consular legalization simply certifies stamps, signatures and titles on papers and documents, not certifying contents and forms of papers and documents.
2. Documents Exempted from Consular Legalization in Vietnam
According to article 9 of Decree No. No. 111/2011/ND-CP, the following 4 types of papers and documents will be exempted from consular legalization in Vietnam:
- Papers and documents exempted from consular legalization under treaties to which Vietnam and foreign countries concerned are contracting parties, or on the reciprocity principle. You can see the list here.
- Papers and documents delivered directly or via diplomatic channel between competent Vietnamese and foreign agencies.
- Papers and documents exempted from consular legalization under Vietnamese laws.
- Papers and documents not required of consular legalization by receiving Vietnamese or foreign agencies under relevant Vietnamese or foreign laws.
- Papers and documents delivered directly or via diplomatic channel between competent Vietnamese and foreign agencies.
- Papers and documents exempted from consular legalization under Vietnamese laws.
- Papers and documents not required of consular legalization by receiving Vietnamese or foreign agencies under relevant Vietnamese or foreign laws.
3. Requirements for Documents to Be Consular Legalized in Vietnam
First of all, to be consular legalized by the competent Vietnamese agencies, the papers and documents issued by the foreign agencies should satisfy the following requirements:
- They should not contain any modifications or erasures without proper correction as required by law.
- They should not contain contradictory details.
- They should not be forged or unduly issued or certified according to law.
- They should not bear non-original signatures or stamps.
- They should not contain contents infringing upon the interests of the Vietnamese state.
- They should not contain contradictory details.
- They should not be forged or unduly issued or certified according to law.
- They should not bear non-original signatures or stamps.
- They should not contain contents infringing upon the interests of the Vietnamese state.
And then, before carrying out the consular legalization procedure, you must ensure that:
- your paper or document comprising two or more pages must bear a seal appended on adjoining pages;
- your papers and documents must be first certified by overseas diplomatic missions, consulates or other authorized agencies of your country in Vietnam;
- your papers and documents must be translated into Vietnamese or English (if they are not prepared in those languages).
- your papers and documents must be first certified by overseas diplomatic missions, consulates or other authorized agencies of your country in Vietnam;
- your papers and documents must be translated into Vietnamese or English (if they are not prepared in those languages).
4. Where to Carry Out Consular Legalization in Vietnam?
In Vietnam, you may submit the application for consular legalization of your papers and documents to the following competent agencies:
- Hanoi: Consular Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at 40 Tran Phu street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi.
- Saigon: Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at 184 bis Pasteur, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
In foreign countries: Vietnam embassy/consulate general which are authorized to provide Vietnam consular legalization service.- Saigon: Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at 184 bis Pasteur, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
You can submit your application and receive the result on weekdays, except public holidays.
5. How to Consular Legalize Documents for Vietnam
To get your papers consular legalized in Vietnam, you may have 02 options as follows:
- Option 1: Authentication by MOFA of your country ► Consular Legalization by Vietnam Embassy in issuing country
- Option 2: Authentication by MOFA of your country ► Authentication by Embassy/Consulate General of your country in Vietnam ► Legalization by Vietnam MOFA
- Option 2: Authentication by MOFA of your country ► Authentication by Embassy/Consulate General of your country in Vietnam ► Legalization by Vietnam MOFA
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