Insights
Consular legalisation & notarised translation in Vietnam 2026
By Nguyễn Quốc Trung — Deputy General Director · Updated
Foreign documents used in a Vietnam work-permit file — a degree, an experience certificate, a criminal record — must usually be consular-legalised and translated before they are accepted. This is the step foreign hires underestimate most, and it drives the timeline. This guide explains what consular legalisation is, why Vietnam requires it rather than an apostille, which documents need it, and the cost and timing.
Key facts (2026):
- Vietnam is NOT in the Hague Apostille Convention — foreign documents need full consular legalisation, not an apostille.
- Degree, experience certificate and criminal record are legalised, then translated and notarised.
- Notarised translation from USD 260; larger for multi-country intra-corporate transfers; legalisation quoted.
What is consular legalisation, and when do you need it?
Consular legalisation is the official certification that a document issued in one country is genuine so it can be used in another. For a Vietnam work permit, documents issued abroad — degrees, experience letters, criminal-record certificates — generally must be legalised so Vietnamese authorities will accept them. It is needed whenever the supporting paperwork originates outside Vietnam, which is the norm for a foreign assignee.
Does Vietnam accept an apostille instead?
No — Vietnam is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not sufficient. Documents must go through full consular legalisation: certification in the issuing country and then legalisation at the Vietnamese diplomatic mission, or via the relevant foreign mission and Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is a common and costly misunderstanding for companies used to apostille-only countries, so plan for the longer legalisation chain from the start.
Which documents must be legalised for a work permit?
The documents that typically need legalisation are those proving the worker's qualifications and background. In practice this means the university degree matching the position, the work-experience certificate, and the criminal-record/judicial certificate issued abroad. Once legalised, each is translated into Vietnamese and notarised. Employer documents issued in Vietnam do not need legalisation, only the foreign-issued papers.
How does notarised translation work in Vietnam?
After legalisation, foreign documents are translated into Vietnamese by a qualified translator and the translation is notarised so it is officially recognised. The volume of translation is what varies most between cases: a single assignee under a standard work permit needs a modest set, while an intra-corporate transfer with corporate decisions and relationship evidence across several countries needs a much larger set — which is why translation is priced by the actual documents rather than as a flat fee.
How much does legalisation and translation cost?
The notarised translation service starts at USD 260 per employee for a standard file, inclusive of government fees and exclusive only of 8% VAT, and rises with volume — around USD 1,040 for a multi-country intra-corporate transfer set. Consular legalisation for an intra-corporate transfer is quoted after reviewing the dossier, because it depends on how many countries are in the chain. Each item is priced separately so you pay for what your file actually needs — see the full menu in PEO cost in Vietnam 2026.
How long does legalisation take?
Legalisation is usually the longest part of the whole immigration timeline, because it runs through offices in the issuing country before the file even reaches Vietnam. This is why the work permit's 10-working-day issuance clock — which only starts on a complete, valid file — can be misleading if legalisation has not been planned. Start the legalisation and translation of foreign documents first, in parallel with everything else, to avoid it becoming the bottleneck.
Why Nhân Kiệt
Nhân Kiệt Supplying Manpower Co., Ltd (tax code 0308022768, established 2009) holds a labour sub-leasing licence (No. 15/2019/SHCM) and an employment-services licence (No. 22139/2023/45/SLĐTBXH-VLATLĐ) issued in Ho Chi Minh City, and is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001. We coordinate legalisation and notarised translation as part of the work permit file under our PEO service, so the paperwork is ready when the application is filed. For a quotation, call +84 908 636 108 (Mr Trung) or +84 28 3505 4224. This is general information, not legal advice.
Call +84 908 636 108 or see labour compliance, payroll outsourcing, EOR Vietnam.