How do you apostille and legalise documents for Vietnam in 2026?

If the issuing country is party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention and Vietnam accepts that route for the document type, obtain the Apostille from the competent authority in the issuing country before you translate. Vietnam became a party to the Apostille Convention, so many public documents from other member states can use that single-step authentication when the receiving desk agrees.

Non-Hague origins generally need consular legalisation paths that Vietnamese embassies or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs describe for that country. Marriage certificates, divorce decrees, birth certificates, and police clearances each follow the civil-status or criminal-records channel of the issuing state.

Decree 219/2025 expects a criminal-record document issued within six months before submission, plus category-specific qualification and experience proof for experts, managers, and technical workers. Documents issued abroad commonly need consular legalisation followed by Vietnamese translation and certification unless a narrow exemption applies.

Driving-licence exchange uses a different stack centred on the foreign licence and certified translation: Convert a driving licence. Do not reuse a work-permit translation packet for traffic police without checking Circular 12/2025.

Use certified translators or translation offices that Vietnamese authorities and your employer recognise. Keep originals, authenticated copies, and translation certificates together. Spell names exactly as they appear in the passport you will use for the temporary residence card.

Start legalisation months before the employer's 60-to-10-day filing window for a work permit. Courier delays and second-pass corrections burn that buffer quickly.