How to Notarise Vietnamese Documents in Australia

Table of contents

Vietnamese documents are proved in Viet Nam, not by an Australian notary. Australian bodies usually want the original or an official extract copy of the record, a NAATI-certified English translation, and sometimes a certified copy. Since 11 September 2026, as of our last check, Viet Nam issues apostilles, so where authentication is asked for, the process is shorter.

Key takeaways

A Vietnamese extract copy issued from the civil status register is an official record in its own right. A certified photocopy is a different, weaker thing.
Everything in Vietnamese, including stamps, needs an English translation. In Australia, use a NAATI certified translator.
The Apostille Convention came into force for Viet Nam on 11 September 2026. Austria, Czechia and Germany objected to Viet Nam's accession; Australia did not. Check the HCCH table on the day.
DFAT cannot apostille a Vietnamese document. Only Vietnamese authorities can authenticate Vietnamese records.
A power of attorney for Viet Nam can be notarised here and apostilled by DFAT, or certified at a Vietnamese consulate. The Vietnamese office decides which it accepts.

Do Vietnamese documents need to be notarised in Australia?

Usually not. An Australian notary can certify that a copy matches a Vietnamese document they have sighted, but cannot confirm what a Vietnamese register records. For Australian uses, what matters is holding the right Vietnamese document and a proper translation of it.

For a visa, the Department of Home Affairs generally asks for colour scans, English translations, and sometimes certified copies. A Justice of the Peace or another authorised person can usually certify those copies, often for free. A notary is the right choice when a copy is going overseas, or when the receiving body names one.

The other limit is DFAT's. Its guidance says each government can legalise only documents issued in its own country, and its list of documents it can legalise excludes all foreign education documents, even if notarised in Australia. So a Vietnamese degree or birth record cannot be apostilled in Australia.

What changed when Viet Nam joined the Apostille Convention?

Until recently, a Vietnamese document used abroad usually needed consular authentication by Viet Nam's foreign affairs authorities and then legalisation by the receiving country's embassy. On our last check of the HCCH status table, Viet Nam acceded on 31 December 2025 and the Convention entered into force for it on 11 September 2026. Between Viet Nam and most member countries, including Australia, a single apostille from the Vietnamese side now replaces that chain.

Three countries lodged objections to Viet Nam's accession: Germany, Austria and Czechia. The Convention does not operate between Viet Nam and those three, so a Vietnamese document going to Germany still follows the older route. Australia is not among them.

Because the change is so recent, practice on both sides may take time to settle. Documents legalised the old way before the change do not need redoing if the receiving body is satisfied, and many Australian uses never needed authentication at all. Ask the receiving body what it wants before ordering anything.

Dates as shown on the HCCH status table at our last check. The objections mean the older route still applies with those three countries.

Original, extract copy or certified photocopy?

Vietnamese civil records come in forms that do not map neatly onto Australian ones, and mixing them up is the most common cause of a request for more documents.

The original certificate is the document issued when the event was registered, such as the birth certificate given to your parents.
An extract copy (bản sao trích lục) is issued later by the registering authority from the civil status register. It is an official record, and many bodies treat it like the original.
A certified photocopy (bản sao chứng thực) is a photocopy stamped by an authority to confirm it matches what was shown. It proves the copy is faithful, not that the record is current.

If the original is lost or damaged, an extract copy from the registering authority is usually the answer, rather than a photocopy of whatever survives. An Australian certified copy of an extract copy is fine for most Australian uses, but it is only as good as the Vietnamese document behind it.

An extract copy comes from the register itself; a certified photocopy only confirms a copy matches what was shown.

Which Vietnamese documents do people most often need?

Vietnamese document	Issued by	Common Australian use
Birth certificate or extract copy	The local People's Committee that registered the birth	Visas, citizenship, children's passports
Marriage certificate	The authority that registered the marriage	Partner visas, name changes
Certificate of marital status	The local authority where you reside or last resided	Showing you are free to marry
Judicial record certificate	Viet Nam's judicial records authorities	Police certificate for visas
Divorce decision	The Vietnamese court	Proving an earlier marriage ended
Residence confirmation	Local police, from the national database	Evidence of address and household

Household registration books. Many older checklists and relatives still mention the household registration book. Viet Nam stopped using those books from the start of 2023, and residence details are now held in a national population database, from which a residence confirmation can be issued. Keep an old book, because it can help show family relationships and past addresses. But where an Australian body wants current evidence of residence, the translated confirmation is the safer thing to provide.

Police certificates. When we last checked, Home Affairs' general rule was a police certificate from each country where you spent 12 months or more in total in the last ten years since turning 16. For Viet Nam that is a judicial record certificate, which comes in two forms showing different levels of detail. Check which one the Home Affairs instructions name for your visa before applying, through a representative in Viet Nam or the Vietnamese embassy or consulate, depending on the current process. It needs an English translation but no Australian notary.

How should Vietnamese documents be translated?

Every page in Vietnamese needs an English translation, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. When the translation is made in Australia, use a translator credentialled by NAATI. Home Affairs accepts translations made outside Australia when they show the translator's full name, address, telephone number and qualifications; other bodies can set stricter rules. See NAATI translation with notary.

Names deserve special care. Vietnamese names are written family name first, and passports usually drop the diacritics, so "Nguyễn Thị Hồng" becomes "NGUYEN THI HONG". Tell the translator exactly how your passport spells and orders each name, so the translation does not introduce a third version.

How do you prepare Vietnamese documents for an Australian application?

Read the receiving body's checklist and note whether it wants originals, certified copies or colour scans.
Check names and dates against your passport, including name order and spelling without diacritics.
Order what must come from Viet Nam, such as an extract copy, a certificate of marital status or a judicial record certificate.
Get a Vietnamese apostille only if the receiving body asks for one.
Arrange a NAATI translation of every page, stamp and seal.
Certify copies through an authorised person if copies are requested, and keep the originals.

How do you sign a power of attorney for Viet Nam in Australia?

A power of attorney, or a consent, is how many Vietnamese Australians let a relative deal with land, an inheritance or a bank account in Viet Nam. The Vietnamese body that will rely on it decides the form. Traditionally, many people had their signature certified at the Vietnamese embassy or consulate in Australia. The other route is to sign before an Australian notary and have DFAT authenticate it.

With the Convention now in force between Viet Nam and Australia, a document notarised here and apostilled by DFAT should normally be enough, without Vietnamese consular legalisation. Vietnamese land offices and banks may still be adjusting, so ask the office, bank or Vietnamese lawyer which route they accept before you sign, and get the wording from them, ideally in Vietnamese and English. If it is only in Vietnamese, you need to understand it before signing; see notarising a document in a language you do not read. For the legal effect over land, ask a Vietnamese lawyer.

Both routes can work. Which one the land office or bank accepts is its decision, so ask before signing.

Our guides to apostilles for Viet Nam from Australia and overseas inheritances cover the Australian side in more detail.

Here is an illustration, not a real case

Linh lives in Sydney and is applying for a partner visa. Her parents also want to transfer a house in Đà Nẵng, and the family needs her consent. For the visa she orders an extract copy of her birth record, because her original is water-damaged, and a judicial record certificate. Both are translated by a NAATI certified translator, who spells her name exactly as her passport does. For the house, the family's lawyer in Viet Nam sends the consent wording and confirms in writing that the land office will accept an apostilled document. Linh signs before a notary in Sydney and DFAT adds the apostille.

In short

Vietnamese documents are proved in Viet Nam: an original or an extract copy from the register, a judicial record certificate for police checks, and, since 11 September 2026, a Vietnamese apostille where authentication is asked for. DFAT cannot legalise them. In Australia you add a NAATI translation and a certified copy where requested. A notary helps when you sign a power of attorney or consent here for use in Viet Nam. See document notarisation.

People also search for

Not sure what your Vietnamese paperwork needs? Send us the instructions you were given, and we will explain each step before you book.

Frequently asked questions

Can an Australian notary notarise my Vietnamese birth certificate?

An Australian notary can certify that a copy matches the original they have seen, but cannot confirm what the Vietnamese register records. Most Australian bodies want the original or an extract copy, a NAATI translation, and sometimes a certified copy.

Does Viet Nam issue apostilles now?

Yes. As of our last check, the Convention entered into force for Viet Nam on 11 September 2026. Germany, Austria and Czechia objected to its accession, so check the HCCH status table and ask the receiving body.

Can DFAT apostille my Vietnamese document?

No. DFAT legalises only Australian public documents and accepts no foreign education documents, even if notarised here. A Vietnamese record is authenticated by Vietnamese authorities.

What is an extract copy of a Vietnamese birth record?

An official copy issued by the registering authority from the civil status register, usually treated like the original. It differs from a certified photocopy, which only confirms a copy matches what was shown.

Do I still need my household registration book?

Viet Nam stopped using the books from 2023, and residence details are now held in a national database. An old book can still show past family details, but for current evidence ask for a residence confirmation and have it translated.

Which Vietnamese police certificate does Home Affairs want?

A judicial record certificate. It comes in two forms with different levels of detail, so check which one the Home Affairs instructions name for your visa. It needs an English translation but no Australian notary.

Can a JP certify copies of my Vietnamese documents?

For Australian purposes, usually yes. A JP copy is not accepted overseas and cannot be apostilled, and NSW JPs are not authorised to witness documents for use overseas, so use a notary for copies going to Viet Nam.

Can I sign a power of attorney for Viet Nam in Australia?

Yes. You can usually sign before an Australian notary and have DFAT apostille it, or have your signature certified at the Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Ask the Vietnamese office which route it accepts before you sign.

My name has no diacritics in my passport. Is that a problem?

It is common and usually fine, but the documents must be linked clearly. Tell your translator exactly how your passport spells and orders each name, and give a statutory declaration if asked.

My documents were legalised before the apostille change. Do I need to redo them?

Not necessarily. Documents legalised under the earlier process are not made invalid by the change. If the receiving body accepts them, there is no need to redo them.