Moving to Vietnam? You Can Forget About Apostilles

21 July, 2015 | Apostille World

Vietnam is not a member country of the Hague Convention on apostilles, and the Asian nation does not accept them. So for people moving to Vietnam and need to legalize their documents to obtain a visa, documents need to go through the embassy legalization process.

As Americans and Europeans head Vietnam in greater numbers for tourism and to do business, there are hundreds of people in need of this service. Document legalization services for all types of documents can be done in a number of different ways, including heading to the nearest embassy or consulate yourself. But, if you can’t or don’t want to bear the hassle yourself, then you can hire an apostille New York.

In the case of Vietnam, any document that is issued, certified or notarized by US authorities or notaries public must be legalized by Vietnamese authorities before bringing presented in Vietnam for use. Should you choose to attempt to do the document legalization yourself, then you can mail your documents to the nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate, including a letter of request for legalization.

For Americans, documents for use in Vietnam must first be authenticated by a relevant state-level Secretary of State or by the Office of Authentication. For apostille New York or anywhere else in the country (but embassy legalization, no apostilles, as mentioned above), documents which have not been authenticated will be considered as ineligible and returned, even if they have been issued, certified or notarized by a county clerk, court clerk, notary public or other US authorities.

Most government agencies, both US and Vietnamese, require you to send a prepaid return envelope – if the applicant wants the documents to be returned by mail. The Consulate recommends that an applicant use the US Postal Services’ express mail, or FedEx with the tracking numbers.

Processing time takes between 5 to 7 working days. In the case of urgency, the consulate can return the documents in 1 to 3 working days, but an additional fee is required.