Decree 196/2025/ND-CP amending Decree 111/2011/ND-CP on consular certification

DECREE

Amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 05, 2011 on consular certification and legalization

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Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated February 18, 2025;

Pursuant to the Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam dated June 18, 2009; the Law on Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam dated November 21, 2017;

At the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs;

The Government promulgates the Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 05, 2011 on consular certification and legalization.

Article 1. Amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 05, 2011 on consular certification and legalization

1. To add Clause 3 to Article 2 as follows:

“3. “Electronic version of a paper or document” is an electronic document granted, created, or promulgated by an agency or organization in accordance with law regulations on clerical work, or an electronic notice on result of administrative procedure handling by a competent agency in accordance with law regulations on handling of administrative procedures in the electronic environment, or an electronic notarized document in accordance with law regulations on notarization, or other types of papers and documents expressed and created in electronic data form with the electronic signature of an agency, organization, or a competent person as prescribed by law.”

2. To amend and supplement Clause 1 Article 4 as follows:

“1. Papers and documents of Vietnam shall be consularly certified upon the request or proposal of individuals or organizations.”

3. To amend and supplement Clause 1 and Clause 2 Article 5 as follows:

“1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is competent to carry out consular certification and legalization in Vietnam, and to decentralize the authority for consular certification and consular legalization in accordance with law regulations (hereinafter referred to as the competent domestic agency).

2. Overseas Vietnamese diplomatic missions, consular offices or other agencies assigned to perform the consular function (below referred to as representative missions) are competent to carry out consular certification and legalization overseas.”

4. To amend and supplement Clause 2 Article 6 as follows:

“2. Agencies, organizations and individuals shall submit dossiers to the agencies competent to carry out consular certification and legalization directly or via postal service, or online as specified in Article 15a of this Decree.”

5. To amend and supplement Article 7 as follows:

“Article 7. Languages and places of consular certification and legalization

1. The languages used for consular certification and legalization shall be as follows:

a) At the competent domestic agency, the languages are Vietnamese and English;

b) At the representative missions, the languages are Vietnamese and English. The representative missions may use the official language of  the country where the papers and documents concerned are used, as a substitute for English.

2. Places of consular certification and legalization are head offices of the competent domestic agency and overseas Vietnamese representative missions.”

6. To amend and supplement Article 8 as follows:

“Article 8. Consular certification and legalization expenses

1. Requesters for consular certification and legalization must pay fees in accordance with the law on charges and fees at the time of submission of their application dossiers.

2. In case of sending dossiers and receiving the notice on results via the postal service, requesters for consular certification and legalization shall pay postal charges.”

7. To amend and supplement Article 9 as follows:

“Article 9. Papers and documents exempted from consular legalization

1. Papers and documents exempted from consular legalization under treaties to which Vietnam and foreign countries concerned are contracting parties, or on the reciprocity principle.

2. Papers and documents delivered directly or via diplomatic channel between competent Vietnamese and foreign agencies.

3. Papers and documents exempted from consular legalization under Vietnamese laws.

4. Foreign papers and documents of which the consular legalization is not required by competent state agencies of Vietnam because such agencies can, on their own, ascertain the authenticity of such papers and documents.”

8. To amend and supplement Article 10 as follows:

“Article 10. Papers and documents prohibited from consular certification and legalization

1. Papers and documents containing modifications or erasures without proper correction as required by law.

2. Forged papers and documents as concluded by a competent agency, or those formulated, granted, or certified incorrectly or unduly, or falsified according to the verification or reply results from the agencies formulating, granting or certifying such papers or documents, or superior state management agencies of the formulating, granting or certifying agencies.

3. Papers and documents bearing non-original signatures or stamps, for papers and documents other than non-electronic versions, except for the cases that comply with relevant law regulations.

4. Papers and documents with contents infringing upon the interests of the Vietnamese State.

5. Electronic versions of papers and documents without the digital signature of a competent agency or individual, or that do not ensure data integrity, authenticity, or undeniability according to regulations on electronic transactions, digital signatures, and electronic documents.”

9. To add Article 10a after Article 10 as follows:

“Article 10a. Returning of dossiers in cases of unsuccessful verification

1. If, after 15 days from the date of sending a written request for verification, not receiving a response, the competent consular certification and legalization agency shall be responsible for urging the requested agency. After 30 days from the date of sending a written request for verification as specified in Clause 6 Article 11, Clause 4 Article 13, Clause 5 Article 14, Clause 5 Article 15, and Point dd Clause 3 Article 15a of this Decree, if not receiving a notice on verification result, the agency competent to carry out consular certification and legalization shall inform the requester about the verification process and return the dossier.

2. If receiving a notice on verification result after the time limit specified in Clause 1 of this Article and the dossier has already been returned, the agency competent to carry out consular certification and legalization shall notify the requester to resubmit the dossier in accordance with Chapter II of this Decree.”

10. To amend and supplement the title of Section 1 of Chapter II as follows:

“Section 1

ORDER AND PROCEDURES FOR CONSULAR CERTIFICATION ON PERSON OR VIA POSTAL SERVICE”

11. To amend the title of Article 11, amend and supplement Points b, c, d Clause 1 and Clauses 4, 5 Article 11 as follows:

a) To amend the title of Clause 11 as follows:

“Article 11. Order and procedures for consular certification at the competent domestic agency

b) To amend and supplement Points b, c and d Clause 1 Article 11 as follows:

“b) For cases of direct submission of dossiers: To produce the original or a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents, or produce the electronic identity;

c) For cases of submission of dossiers via postal service: To submit a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents. Copies of the documents defined in this Clause are photocopies of the originals and the certification of the copies is not required.

d) Papers and documents requested for consular certification, enclosed with one copy each for archives at the competent domestic agency.”

c) To amend and supplement Clause 4 and Clause 5 Article 11 as follows:

“4. Consular certification as specified in Clause 3 of this Article applies to papers and documents granted, notarized or certified by competent agencies and organizations of the Party and the State, and other organizations decentralized or authorized to perform public services.

5. The time limit for settlement is 1 working day after the date of receiving a complete and valid dossier, for a dossier comprising between 01 and 04 papers or documents. For a dossier comprising between 05 and 09 papers or documents, the time limit for settlement must not exceed 2 working days. For a dossier comprising 10 or more papers or documents, the time limit for settlement may be longer but must not exceed 4 working days.”

12. To amend and supplement Clause 3 Article 12 as follows:

“3. Dossiers, procedures and time limit for settlement comply with Clauses 1, 2 and 5, Article 11 of this Decree. For the cases defined in Clause 1, Article 10a of this Decree, if the requester has submitted a dossier defined in Article 11 of this Decree and has requested the implementation of the presentation certification procedure, they are not required to resubmit the dossier.”

13. To amend the title of Article 13, amend and supplement Points b, c and d Clause 1, Clauses 2 and 4 of Article 13 as follows:

a) To amend the title of Clause 13 as follows:

“Article 13. Order and procedures for consular certification at a representative mission”

b) To amend and supplement Points b, c and d Clause 1 Article 13 as follows:

“b) For cases of direct submission of dossiers: To produce the original or a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents, or produce the electronic identity or another personal paper as specified by law regulations of the host country;

c) For cases of submission of dossiers via postal service: To submit a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents or another personal paper as specified by law regulations of the host country. Copies of the documents defined in this Clause are photocopies of the originals and the certification of the copies is not required.

d) Papers and documents requested for consular certification, which have been certified by a competent domestic agency as defined in Article 11 of this Decree, or papers and documents made, issued, or confirmed by a representative mission in another country, accompanied by 01 photocopy of these papers and documents to be kept at the representative mission.”

c) To amend and supplement Clause 2 Article 13 as follows:

“2. The representative mission shall carry out the consular certification on the basis of comparing stamps, signatures and titles in consular certifications of competent domestic agencies or stamps, signatures and titles of Vietnamese representative missions in other countries on papers and documents with the specimens of stamps, signatures and titles officially notified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the verification results as specified in Clause 4 of this Article.”

d) To amend and supplement Clause 4 Article 13 as follows:

“4. When necessary to check the authenticity of stamps, signatures and titles on papers and documents requested for consular certification, immediately after receiving a dossier, the representative mission shall send a written request for verification to the competent domestic agency or the representative mission in another country. Within 2 working days from the date of receiving such written request, the requested agency shall issue written replies to the representative mission. Upon receiving such replies, the representative mission shall settle and notify results to the requesters for consular certification.”

14. To amend the title of Section 2 of Chapter II as follows:

“Section 2

ORDER AND PROCEDURES FOR CONSULAR LEGALIZATION ON PERSON OR VIA POSTAL SERVICE”

15. To amend the title of Clause 14 and amend and supplement Points b, c, d and e Clause 1 and Clause 3 Article 14 as follows:

a) To amend the title of Clause 14 as follows:

“Article 14. Order and procedures for consular legalization at the competent domestic agency”

b) To amend and supplement Points b, c and d Clause 1 Article 14 as follows:

“b) For cases of direct submission of dossiers: To produce the original or a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents, or produce the electronic identity;

c) For cases of submission of dossiers via postal service: To submit a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents. Copies of the documents defined in this Clause are photocopies of the originals and the certification of the copies is not required;

d) Papers and documents requested for consular legalization, which have been certified by a foreign diplomatic representative mission or consulate or another foreign agency authorized to perform the consular function;”

c) To amend and supplement Point e Clause 1 Article 14 as follows:

“e) Copies of papers and documents mentioned at Point d above, one copy each for archives at the competent domestic agency.”

d) To amend and supplement Clause 3 Article 14 as follows:

“3. The competent domestic agency shall carry out consular legalization on the basis of comparing stamps, signatures and titles in certifications of competent foreign agencies on papers and documents with the specimens of stamps, signatures and titles officially notified by the country concerned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

16. To amend and supplement Points b, c, d and e Clause 1 and Clause 3 Article 15 as follows:

a) To amend and supplement Points b, c and d Clause 1 Article 15 as follows:

“b) For cases of direct submission of dossiers: To produce the original or a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents, or produce the electronic identity or another personal paper as specified by law regulations of the host country;

c) For cases of submission of dossiers via postal service: To submit a copy of the citizen identity card/identity card/identity certificate or passport, valid entry/exit documents/international travel documents or another personal paper as specified by law regulations of the host country. Copies of the documents defined in this Clause are photocopies of the originals and the certification of the copies is not required;

d) Papers and documents requested for consular legalization, which have been certified by a the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or another competent foreign agency or an overseas representative mission in the country in which the representative mission is based or in charge;”

b) To amend and supplement Point e Clause 1 Article 15 as follows:

“e) Copies of papers and documents mentioned at Point d above, one copy each for archives at the representative mission.”

c) To amend and supplement Clause 3 Article 15 as follows:

“3. The representative mission shall carry out consular legalization on the basis of comparing stamps, signatures and titles in certifications of competent foreign agencies on papers and documents with the specimens of stamps, signatures and titles officially notified to the representative mission.”

17. To add Section 2a after Section 2 of Chapter II and add Article 15a after Article 15 as follows:

a) To add Section 2a after Section 2 of Chapter II as follows:

“Section 2a

ORDER AND PROCEDURES FOR ELECTRONIC CONSULAR CERTIFICATION AND LEGALIZATION”

b) To add Article 15a after Article 15 as follows:

“Article 15a. Receipt and handling of requests for consular certification and legalization in the electronic environment

1. A requester for consular certification or consular legalization shall submit a dossier online as follows:

a) Log in to the requester’s account on the national public service portal using the electronic identification account in accordance with the law on electronic identification and authentication; provide information according to the interactive electronic form; and upload electronic versions of the papers and documents requested for consular certification or consular legalization.

b) For a dossier of request for consular legalization, the requester must also upload electronic versions of the Vietnamese or English translations of the papers and documents requested for consular legalization, if such papers and documents are not made in these languages.

2. After completing the submission of dossier, the requester shall be provided with a code of administrative procedure dossier to track and search for the handling progress or to access and complete the dossier upon request by a agency competent to carry out consular certification and legalization. The requester shall be responsible for retaining and ensuring the confidentiality of the code of administrative procedure dossier.

3. Immediately on the same working day, upon receiving an online submitted dossier of request for consular certification or consular legalization, the agency competent to carry out consular certification and legalization shall verify the accuracy and completeness of the dossier.

a) If the dossier is incomplete or unsuitable, to request the requester to supplement and complete the necessary papers and documents using the form of written request for supplementation/completion of dossier;

b) If the dossier is complete as defined in Clause 1 of this Article and does not fall under the cases specified in Article 9, Article 10 of this Decree, to immediately send a charge payment notification to the requester via email or SMS, or through the national public service portal’s function of messaging the applicants.

c) The dossier shall only be officially accepted for processing and a notice on dossier receipt and appointment for results shall be issued via the method specified at Point b of this Clause after the dossier has been completed, supplemented, is complete and suitable, and the related charge has been paid according to regulations.

The time limit for settlement is defined in Clause 5, Article 11 of this Decree and is counted from the time the notice on dossier receipt and appointment for results or a message with the appointment for results is sent to the requester.

d) If the electronic versions of papers and documents fall under the cases specified in Article 9, Article 10 of this Decree, the dossier-receiving agencies shall send a notice to refuse to receive them, clearly stating the reason, using the form of notice on refusal to dossier processing to the applicant via the method specified at Point b of this Clause.

dd) In cases the result cannot be returned by the appointed time due to the implementation of verification or clarification or other reasons, the dossier-receiving agency shall send the form of notice on apology and rescheduling of results return via the method specified at Point b of this Clause. The dossier-receiving agency shall follow the corresponding verification process as defined in Clause 6 Article 11, Clause 4 Article 13, Clause 5 Article 14, Clause 5 Article 15 of this Decree.

4. Consular certification or consular legalization of an electronic paper or documents shall be carried out based on:

a) Verification of the authenticity of the electronic signature of Vietnam’s competent agency or organization on the electronic version of the paper or document requested for consular certification in accordance with laws related to electronic transactions, digital signatures, and digital certificates; or

b) Verification of the authenticity of the electronic signature of the overseas Vietnamese diplomatic mission, consulate or another foreign agency authorized to perform the consular function in Vietnam that has been officially notified and introduced through diplomatic channels on the electronic version of the paper or document requested for consular legalization at the competent domestic agency; or verification of the authenticity of the electronic signature of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or another competent foreign agency in the country in which the representative mission is based or in charge that has been officially notified and introduced through diplomatic channels on the electronic version of the paper or document requested for consular legalization at the overseas representative mission; or

c) The result of verification by a Vietnamese competent agency or organization confirming the authenticity of the digital signature on the electronic version of the paper or document requested for consular certification or the response from a competent foreign agency confirming the authenticity of the digital signature on the electronic version of the paper or document requested for consular legalization.

5. The requesters for consular certification and legalization in the electronic environment shall receive the results being the electronic version of the papers and documents bearing an electronic certification stamp and digital signature of the agency competent to carry out consular certification and legalization, sent via email, the individual's or organization's electronic data warehouse, or sent to a digital device, using the appropriate data transmission methods which ensure information safety and security.

6. The digital signing by the agency or person competent to carry out consular certification and legalization shall comply with with the law on specialized public service digital signatures.

7. The forms of notices on dossier receipt and appointment for results, written requests for supplementation/completion of dossier, notices on refusal to dossier processing, and notices on apology and rescheduling of results shall comply with the law on the implementation of the single-window and inter-agency single-window mechanism in the settlement of administrative procedures.”

18. To amend and supplement Point b Clause 3, Clause 4 Article 17, and add Clause 5 after Clause 4 Article 17 as follows:

a) To amend and supplement Point b Clause 3 Article 17 as follows:

“b) Consular certification and legalization dossiers not mentioned at Point 2, Clause 2 of this Article shall be preserved for 2 years.”

b) To amend and supplement Clause 4 Article 17 as follows:

“4. The agencies competent to carry out consular certification and legalization shall be responsible for providing information related to completed consular certification and consular legalization when so requested in writing by competent state agencies to serve the supervision, examination, inspection, investigation, prosecution, trial and judgment enforcement.”

c) To add Clause 5 after Clause 4 Article 17 as follows:

“5. The storage of dossiers for resettlement of consular certification and consular legalization procedures in the electronic environment shall comply with the law on storage of electronic administrative procedure dossiers.”

19. To add Points e, g and h after Point dd Clause 2 Article 18 as follows:

“e) Providing training and professional development to cadres, civil servants, and public employees of specialized agencies under the People's Committee of provinces and centrally-run cities, ensuring they are qualified to carry out the consular certification and consular legalization of papers and documents upon decentralization.

g) Issuing and guiding the use and management of sample books, sample papers, and the introduction of sample seals, sample signatures, and titles serving consular certification and consular legalization.

h) Managing, connecting, and sharing data on consular legalization with the national public service portal, the ministerial and provincial-level information systems for settlement of administrative procedures to utilize consular legalization results for relevant administrative procedures of individuals and organizations.”

20. To amend and supplement Clause 2 Article 20 as follows:

“2. Timely notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the sample stamps, sample signatures, and titles, as well as the authorization period of agencies, organizations, and competent persons who sign for issuance of, notarize or certify papers and documents, and immediately notify of any changes; annually review the sample stamps, sample signatures, and titles of agencies and organizations to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

21. To amend and supplement Point a Clause 1 Article 21 as follows:

“a) Take responsibility before the law for the purpose of use and for the content, authenticity, and legality of those papers and documents.”

Article 2. Replacing and repealing a number of provisions of the Government’s Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 05, 2011 on consular certification and legalization

1. The phrase “Ministry of Foreign Affairs” is replaced with “the competent domestic agencies” in Clause 2 and Clause 6 Article 11, Article 12, and Clause 2 and Clause 5 Article 14.

2. To repeal Article 19 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP.

Article 3. Effect and transitional provisions

1. This Decree takes effect on August 03, 2025.

2. Regulations on electronic consular certification and consular legalization shall apply from January 1, 2026.

3. If requesters for consular certification and consular legalization submitted their dossiers before the effective date of this Decree, the Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 5, 2011 of the Government, on consular certification and legalization shall continue to apply.

4. Local foreign affairs agencies that were authorized to receive dossiers of request for consular certification and consular legalization under Article 5 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 5, 2011 of the Government, on consular certification and legalization, may continue to perform these functions and tasks until regulations on decentralization of authority under Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decree are issued.

5. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces, centrally-run cities and related organizations and individuals shall implement this Decree.