Legalization

Currently, many people are still unfamiliar with the consular legalization procedure. We would like to provide information to explain what consular legalization is and guide the procedure for consular legalization.

What is consular legalization?

According to Article 2 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP, “Consular legalization” refers to the process by which the competent authorities of Vietnam certify the legal validity of documents issued by foreign agencies, so that these documents are recognized and can be used in Vietnam (and vice versa).

When is consular legalization required in Vietnam?

In order for personal and business documents issued abroad to be recognized and used in Vietnam, these documents must undergo consular legalization, except in cases specified in Article 9 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP.

Where to legalize documents?

In Vietnam:
Submit the consular legalization application to the local Foreign Affairs Office authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive consular certification/legalization applications.

Abroad:
Submit the application to the Vietnamese diplomatic missions, consular offices, or other authorized agencies performing consular functions, which have the authority to certify or legalize documents abroad.

Submit documents for Consular Legalization in Vietnam:

• Consular Legalization in Hanoi:
  • Consular Department: 40 Tran Phu, Dien Ban, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
• Consular Legalization in Ho Chi Minh City:
  • Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs: 6 Alexandre de Rhodes, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
• Consular Legalization Abroad:
  • Vietnamese diplomatic missions, consular offices, or other authorized agencies performing consular functions abroad. Typically, this will be the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in the foreign country.

In addition to submitting documents directly, consular legalization applications can also be processed online or sent by postal mail to the Consular Department or the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs.

Processing Time
The time limit for consular legalization is specified in Clause 5, Article 11 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP.

Specifically, the processing time for consular legalization is 1 working day from the date the competent authority receives a complete and valid application.

However, if the application contains 10 or more documents, the processing time may be extended, but it will not exceed 5 working days.

Can Consular Legalization be done by someone else on your behalf?
According to Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP on consular certification and legalization issued by the Government:

1. Organizations, agencies, and individuals can request consular certification or legalization of their own documents or those of others without requiring a power of attorney.
2. Organizations, agencies, and individuals may submit their applications directly to the competent authority for consular certification or legalization, or through an authorized foreign affairs agency as outlined in Clause 1, Article 5 of this Decree, or by postal mail.

►Therefore: It is possible for someone else to submit documents for consular legalization or certification on your behalf.

Consular Legalization procedure

According to Article 5 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP, two authorities are authorized to carry out consular legalization:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Vietnamese Diplomatic Missions (representative agencies abroad)

The procedures for consular legalization at these two authorities are stipulated in Articles 14 and 15 of the same Decree, respectively.

Procedure Steps

Step 1: Submit the Application

The applicant prepares one set of documents consisting of the following and submits them either in person or by postal mail to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

• One Consular Legalization Application Form
• Personal identification document:
  • If submitting in person: Present the original document
  • If submitting by post: include one photocopy
• Documents to be legalized that have already been certified by the competent authority, along with one photocopy
• One translated version of the documents to be legalized into either Vietnamese or English, along with one photocopy

Step 2: Conduct Consular Legalization process

Upon receiving the application, the competent authority will proceed with the consular legalization by verifying the signature, seal, and title in the certification issued by the foreign authority against the specimen signature, seal, and title previously provided by that country to the competent Vietnamese agency.

If necessary, the officer receiving the application may request the applicant to present the original documents and submit a copy for record purposes in order to verify the authenticity of the documents submitted for consular legalization.

In cases where the specimen seal, signature, or title of the foreign authority has not been officially provided, or if further verification is deemed necessary, the competent Vietnamese authority may request the relevant foreign authority to confirm the authenticity of the documents.

As soon as the verification result is received, the competent authority will process the legalization and return the result to the applicant.

Procedure for Consular Legalization of foreign documents

Below are the four steps in the consular legalization process for foreign documents.

Why do companies choose not to Handle Consular Legalization by themselves?

• As previously mentioned, the process of consular legalization is quite complicated due to the following reasons:
• It involves multiple complex steps;

• Legal regulations frequently change, requiring continuous updates and a thorough understanding of the law;

• Applications submitted by foreigners are often rejected because the provided documents are incomplete or do not meet the requirements set by Vietnamese authorities;
• It requires significant time and effort to prepare all necessary documents for submission, re-submission to the relevant authorities as required.

Advantages of choosing Expat Service Solutions for Consular Legalization services for foreign nationals

• Nearly 20 years of experience;
• Optimized process to save clients’ time and effort;
• Ensuring client information confidentiality;
• Competitive pricing to minimize costs;
• On-time result delivery.

If you require consular legalization services, please leave your information so we can provide consultation tailored to your specific case.

Additionally, we also offer other services. If you are interested, please contact our company. Thank you.

• Support for Medical Checkups for Work Permits: service fee covers appointment booking, detailed guidance, and sending the result to client’s office or residence.
• Support for obtaining a Vietnamese Criminal Record (Police check): includes form preparation the form, coordination with landlords for temporary residence registration, detailed guidance, and an accompany by an EES staff to the HCM Police to get your Police check done.
• Support for Birth/Marriage Certificates in Vietnam: includes form preparation, detailed guidance, and an accompany by an EES staff to the authority.
• Support for Driving License Application: includes form preparation, detailed guidance, and an accompany by an EES staff to the authority.

By using the services of Expat Service Solutions, you will obtain the your documents quickly and correctly for usage, ensuring your satisfaction while saving time and effort.

Contact us directly for support:

Tel: 0903 232 581 (Ms. Thao)

Email: Ms. Thao, thao.le@expatss.com Web: https://expatss.com

Thank you very much!
It is an honor to serve you.

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