Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What Vietnam Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Vietnam's rules changed in September 2026, and offices are still adjusting. Nothing on this page replaces confirming the position with the Vietnamese body that will receive your document.

Until September 2026, every Australian document bound for Vietnam went through a three-step chain ending at the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate-General. That has changed. Vietnam has joined the Apostille Convention, and for most documents a DFAT apostille now replaces Vietnamese consular legalisation. Much of the advice you will find, including from agents, still describes the old chain.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. On the HCCH status table as we read it, Vietnam acceded on 31 December 2025 and the Convention entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026. Three states objected to Vietnam's accession, so the Convention does not apply between Vietnam and them: Germany, Austria and Czechia. Australia is not among them. Confirm this on the day you start.

The chain now

For a document covered by the Convention:

1. Notarise in Australia, if it is a private document such as a power of attorney, a declaration or a copy of a degree
2. DFAT apostille
3. Vietnamese translation, certified as Vietnamese law requires

Registry certificates, police checks and university documents may go to DFAT directly, without a notary. Confirm with DFAT.

The Vietnamese missions' published notice on the change says that, from 11 September 2026, they stop accepting consular legalisation for public documents within the Convention's scope, and that a document with a valid apostille is used in Vietnam without any further certification.

What the change does not cover

Three points from the Vietnamese notice and the Convention itself are worth knowing before you start.

Some documents still need the old chain. The Convention does not cover documents issued by diplomatic or consular agents, or administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations. The Vietnamese notice says the missions will continue to legalise documents outside the Convention's scope, and that whether a document is within scope is decided by the law of the country where it was issued. For export paperwork such as a certificate of origin, ask DFAT whether it will apostille it. If not, the older route of DFAT authentication followed by legalisation at a Vietnamese mission still applies.

Documents legalised before the change remain valid. The notice says documents legalised before 11 September 2026 continue to be valid in Vietnam and do not need to be redone with an apostille. It also says apostilles issued before that date are accepted. If you already hold a legalised document, you should not need to pay again.

Translation is unchanged. The notice says a document not in Vietnamese must have a Vietnamese translation that is notarised or certified in accordance with Vietnamese law. The apostille replaces the legalisation step only. Ask the receiving body:

• Must the translation be certified in Vietnam, or will you accept one certified elsewhere?
• Must the apostille and the notarial certificate be translated as well?

If the answer to the second question is yes, translate after the apostille, not before.

Expect some unevenness at first

The change took effect in September 2026. A provincial department, employer or bank that has handled legalised documents for years may still ask for the old stamp. If a Vietnamese office rejects an apostilled document, ask it to confirm its position against Vietnam's accession. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published guidance, and Vietnam's Ministry of Justice has announced the accession. Where you can, confirm the receiving office's requirement in writing before you start.

Already in Vietnam?

The Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City provides legalisation of Australian public documents, attaching an apostille or an authentication certificate according to what the receiving authority requires. Ask whether the Embassy in Hanoi offers the same service if you are in the north. They legalise originals issued by Australian government agencies or educational institutions, and copies notarised by Australian notaries. A private document still has to be notarised by an Australian notary first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra? For a document within the Convention's scope, no. You may still need a Vietnamese mission for documents outside it, and for visas, which are a separate matter.

I paid for legalisation in August. Do I have to start again? According to the Vietnamese notice, no. Documents legalised before 11 September 2026 remain valid.

My document is Vietnamese and I need it in Australia. Can DFAT help? No. A Vietnamese document is apostilled in Vietnam. Vietnam has designated its Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the competent authority, through the Consular Department in Hanoi and the Department of External Relations in Ho Chi Minh City.

How long does it take? The apostille route is shorter than the old chain. Actual timeframes depend on DFAT and the translator. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.