Vietnam is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. A U.S. document destined for Vietnam therefore cannot be handled with a single apostille: it goes through the full legalisation chain, ending with consular legalisation at a Vietnamese mission in the United States.
Quick facts
People who have dealt with other countries in this region often assume an apostille will do. It will not, and a document carrying one but no consular legalisation is refused in Vietnam.
The chain, step by step
| Step | Who does it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | U.S. notary public | For private documents |
| State certification | Secretary of State | Of the issuing state |
| Federal authentication | U.S. Department of State | Where the chain requires it |
| Consular legalisation | Vietnamese embassy or consulate | Final step before use |
| Translation into Vietnamese | Certified translator | Where the receiving office requires it |
Fees are charged at each stage, so the total for a single document is considerably higher than an apostille would be. Budget for the whole chain rather than the last step.
How to prepare a document for Vietnam
- Ask the office in Vietnam that will receive it what it requires and how recent it must be.
- Order a certified copy, or have the private document notarised.
- Obtain the state certification, then the federal authentication where needed.
- Submit to the Vietnamese mission covering the relevant area for consular legalisation.
- Arrange the Vietnamese translation where it is required.
- Keep the whole set together, since each stamp refers to the one before it.
Required documents
- Original document, intact and unaltered.
- Completed legalisation request form from the mission.
- Copy of the applicant’s identification.
- Payment in the accepted form.
- Prepaid return envelope for postal filings.
What missions do
They legalise documents, issue passports and travel documents, register births and marriages abroad, confirm nationality status, receive naturalisation and restoration applications and draw up powers of attorney.
Additional notes
Documents from Vietnam
Records issued in Vietnam are legalised there by the foreign ministry and then by the receiving country’s mission, mirroring the chain in reverse.
Budget for the whole chain
Three or four separate fees and several rounds of postage add up. Plan the sequence before ordering the first document.
Translations
Some Vietnamese offices insist the translation be produced locally. Confirm before commissioning one here.
Order two copies
Vietnamese offices retain what they receive, and repeating the chain is expensive.