Apostille
Issuing an Apostille
Apostille certifies that a given document was issued by the proper public office, and confirms the authenticity of a signature and stamp of a foreign official. Thanks to Apostille you can use a foreign official document in Poland.
As of September 11, 2026, Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party to the Hague Convention from October 5, 1961, on lifting the requirement for legalizing official foreign documents.
What follows, from that day on, the Polish Embassy no longer legalizes Vietnamese official documents, and their authentication is done in the form of an Apostille, which is issued by the appropriate Vietnamese authorities.
The consul does not mediate obtaining an Apostille.
If a foreign office requires an Apostille on a Polish document, please consult the official website of the Polish MFA.
Attention! Information regarding Apostille in the so-called transition period
Official documents of the states party to the Convention, which were legalized by the relevant Vietnamese authorities before September 11, 2026, remain legally valid and can still be used in Vietnam.
It is not necessary to obtain an Apostille for them.
Apostille certificates issued by the competent authorities of the Convention countries before September 11, 2026, are accepted and can be used in Vietnam.
Applications for the consular legalization of Vietnamese official documents that were properly submitted before September 11, 2026, will still be processed, and documents will be issued in accordance with the rules of consular legalization.
The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam also expressed the desire for Vietnamese official documents that have been legalized in accordance with the procedure in place before September 11, 2026, including documents issued based on applications submitted before that date, to continue being accepted in the countries that are parties to the convention.
The authority responsible for issuing Apostilles
The authority responsible for issuing Apostilles in Vietnam is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.
Apostille certificates are issued by:
- The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- The Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City.
An apostille is issued at the request of authorities, organizations, or individuals for Vietnamese official documents intended for use in countries that are parties to the Convention, with which Vietnam has relations regarding its application.
Apostille certifies:
- The authenticity of a signature on a document;
- The official position and the powers of the person signing;
- The authenticity of the seal or stamp on the document.
Apostille certifies neither the contents nor the form of a document
Official documents from the Convention countries, with which Vietnam applies the Convention, and bearing a proper Apostille can be used in Vietnam without additional legalization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.
Vietnamese authorities and organizations cannot require additional consular legalization for official documents that have a valid Apostille.
However, if the relevant international agreement provides for exemption from legalization or simpler rules for certifying and verifying documents, the provisions of that agreement apply. Documents covered by such regulations do not require an Apostille.
Translation and authentication of documents
Issuing an Apostille does not replace notarial acts or other forms of authentication required by Vietnamese law.
Official documents written in a language other than Vietnamese must be translated into Vietnamese. The translation must be certified or authenticated according to Vietnamese law, unless specific regulations state otherwise.
Documents not covered by the Apostille Convention
The Apostille Convention does not apply to:
- Documents prepared by diplomats or consular officials;
- Administrative documents directly related to commercial or customs operations.
- Those documents are still subject to consular legalization in accordance to Vietnamese law.
Receiving and processing applications for consular legalization will be conducted alongside the issuance of Apostille.
Verification of Apostille issued in Vietnam
Until the Apostille Information System is launched, the verification of Apostille certificates issued by the authorities in Vietnam is carried out based on the documentation kept by the authority that issued the certificate.
To verify the authenticity of an Apostille, please send a written request to the appropriate authority:
Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
40 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Phone number: 024 3799 3415
or
Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City
06 Alexandre de Rhodes, Ward Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City
Phone number: 028 3912 4224.
Documents
List of states party to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961.
Legal basis
Convention abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents, drawn up in The Hague on October 5, 1961
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of the European Parliament and of the Council of July 6, 2016 on promoting the free movement of citizens by simplifying the requirements for presenting certain official documents in the European Union and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012
The Act of June 25, 2015, Consular Law