Decree 293/2026/ND-CP guidance on implementation of Apostille Convention

DECREE

Providing guidance on the implementation of the Hague Convention dated October 05, 1961, abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents (Apostille Convention)

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government No. 63/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Treaties No. 108/2016/QH15, amended and supplemented under Law No. 137/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam No. 33/2009/QH12, amended and supplemented under Law No. 19/2017/QH14 and Law No. 08/2026/QH16;

At the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,

The Government hereby promulgates the Decree providing guidance on the implementation of the Hague Convention dated October 05, 1961, abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents (Apostille Convention).

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Decree provides regulations on:

1. The competence, order, and procedures for issuing Apostilles for Vietnamese public documents.

2. The receipt and use in Vietnam of public documents bearing Apostilles issued by a Contracting State to the Hague Convention dated October 05, 1961, abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents (hereinafter referred to as the Apostille Convention).

3. Verification of Apostilles and state management of the implementation of the Apostille Convention.

Article 2. Subjects of application

This Decree applies to:

1. Agencies, organizations, and individuals requesting the issuance of Apostilles.

2. Vietnamese agencies competent to issue Apostilles.

3. Agencies, organizations, and individuals receiving and using in Vietnam public documents bearing Apostilles issued by a Contracting State to the Convention.

4. Other agencies and organizations involved in the issuance and verification of Apostilles, state management thereof, and international cooperation concerning Apostilles.

Article 3. Interpretation of terms

In this Decree, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. “Contracting State to the Convention” means a party that has become a party to the Apostille Convention through signature, ratification, or accession in accordance with the Convention.

2. “Apostille” means a certificate issued by a competent agency of Vietnam or of a Contracting State to the Convention to authenticate the origin of a public document, including the authenticity of the signature, the official title and capacity of the person signing the document, and the identity of the seal or stamp affixed to the public document, where appropriate, in accordance with Article 4 of this Decree.

3. “Public document” means a document or record executed in paper or electronic form by an agency, organization, or individual competent to do so under the law of the State in which the document is executed, in the performance of its or their functions, duties, and powers under the law of that State, including documents emanating from a competent agency or person of the court or judicial agencies; administrative documents; notarial acts; and official certificates placed on documents signed by persons in their private capacity.

4. “Agency competent to issue Apostilles” means an agency designated by a Contracting State to the Convention in accordance with the Convention to issue Apostilles; for the purposes of this Decree, this term includes competent agencies of Vietnam and of Contracting States to the Convention between which and Vietnam the Convention applies.

5. “E-Apostille” means an Apostille issued in the form of electronic data, signed using a digital signature in accordance with the law on e-transactions, and satisfying the technical requirements specified in Clause 3, Article 20 of this Decree.

6. “Information system serving the issuance and management of Apostilles” means the professional information system developed, managed, and operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the receipt, processing, issuance, storage, search, and verification of Apostilles (hereinafter referred to as the Apostille Information System).

7. “Electronic data repository for the management of Apostilles” (hereinafter referred to as the data repository) means a component of the Apostille Information System used to store, search, and verify information on issued Apostilles and developed, managed, and operated, with data security ensured, in accordance with the law on e-transactions, the law on data, and the law on cybersecurity.

8. “e-Register” means the publicly accessible online search interface of the data repository that enables verification of the authenticity of Apostilles in accordance with the Convention.

Article 4. Contents of an Apostille

1. An Apostille authenticates the origin of a public document, including the authenticity of the signature, title and capacity of the person signing the document, and the seal or stamp affixed to the public document, where appropriate.

2. An Apostille does not certify the contents or form of the public document.

Article 5. Requirements for issuance of Apostilles and order of priority for application

1. An Apostille shall be issued for a Vietnamese public document at the request of an agency, organization, or individual for use in a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam. The issuance of an Apostille is not mandatory if the public document is exempted from or is not required to undergo certification or authentication under a treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member or under the law or practice in force in the State where the document is used. The issuance of an Apostille does not replace notarization or certification as prescribed by law where the public document is used in Vietnam.

2. To be used in Vietnam, a public document of a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam must bear an Apostille, except for a document refused under Article 26 of this Decree or where a treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member, or the law and practice in Vietnam, provides for exemption from or does not require consular legalization or another certification procedure for such type of document.

3. Vietnamese public documents to be used abroad and foreign public documents to be used in Vietnam shall be certified in the following forms:

a) Apostille in accordance with this Decree, applicable to public documents circulating between Vietnam and a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam;

b) Consular certification or consular legalization in accordance with the law on consular certification and consular legalization, applicable to public documents circulating in relation to a State that is not a Contracting State to the Convention;

c) Where a treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member provides for requirements simpler than, or exemption from, the requirements for certification or authentication of public documents as compared with the forms prescribed at Point a or b of this Clause, the provisions of such treaty shall prevail.

A public document that has undergone consular certification or consular legalization may still be issued an Apostille for use in a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam, and vice versa.

4. Where a Contracting State to the Convention objects to Vietnam’s accession, or vice versa, in accordance with Article 12 of the Convention, the Apostille Convention shall not enter into force between the two States; public documents circulating between the two States shall be processed in accordance with Point b, Clause 3 of this Article.

Chapter II

ISSUANCE OF APOSTILLES FOR VIETNAMESE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

Article 6. Vietnamese agencies competent to issue Apostilles

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Vietnamese agency competent to issue Apostilles. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall specify the agencies responsible for issuing Apostilles (hereinafter collectively referred to as Apostille-issuing agencies).

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall notify the depositary of the Convention, through diplomatic channels, of the Apostille-issuing agencies and any related changes.

3. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall prescribe the criteria, conditions, and roadmap for decentralizing the competence to issue Apostilles to provincial-level People’s Committees and the responsibilities of provincial-level People’s Committees to which such competence is decentralized in accordance with the law on organization of the Government and the law on organization of local administration.

Article 7. Applicants for issuance of Apostilles

1. An agency, organization, or individual may request the issuance of an Apostille for its/his/her own document or record or for that of another person without a power of attorney.

2. An applicant requesting the issuance of an Apostille for another person’s document or record shall be legally responsible for the lawfulness of the submission and use of such document or record and shall comply with the law on personal data protection and other relevant laws.

Article 8. Languages and place of issuance of Apostilles

1. The languages used for issuing Apostilles are Vietnamese and English; the title “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)” shall be presented in French in accordance with Article 4 of the Apostille Convention.

2. Apostilles shall be issued at the offices of Apostille-issuing agencies.

Article 9. Fees for issuance of Apostilles

1. An applicant for issuance of an Apostille shall pay the consular certification and consular legalization fee at the time of submission of the dossier in accordance with the law on charges and fees.

2. Where the dossier is submitted and the result is received via postal services, the applicant shall pay the postal charges.

3. Where the dossier is submitted online, payment of the fee shall be made in accordance with the law on performance of administrative procedures in the electronic environment.

4. Where a dossier has been returned due to the expiration of the verification time limit and the applicant resubmits the dossier in accordance with Point c, Clause 5, Article 15 of this Decree, the resubmitted dossier shall continue to be processed on the basis of the dossier and fee previously submitted and paid.

Article 10. Vietnamese public documents eligible for issuance of Apostilles

Vietnamese public documents eligible for issuance of Apostilles include:

1. Documents prepared, promulgated, or certified by agencies or persons competent to conduct legal proceedings or enforce judgments in accordance with the laws applicable during different periods, including judgments, decisions, and procedural documents of People’s Courts, People’s Procuracies, and Investigation Agencies; decisions, minutes, and documents of civil judgment enforcement management agencies, civil judgment enforcement agencies, and criminal judgment enforcement agencies; bailiff-certified reports and other documents prepared by bailiffs or enforcement officers in the performance of their duties.

2. Administrative documents prepared, issued, or certified by competent agencies, organizations, or persons in accordance with law, including documents concerning civil status, nationality, and adoption; judicial record cards; diplomas, certificates, and certifications of academic or research results; health examination certificates, medical certificates, medical assessment conclusions, and other medical documents; and other administrative documents issued or certified in accordance with law by state agencies or organizations decentralized or authorized by the State to provide public services.

3. Notarial acts under the law on notarization applicable during different periods, including notarized contracts, transactions, translations, and copies.

4. Documents certified by competent agencies, organizations, or persons in accordance with the law on certification, including: certified copies of originals; certified signatures and certified signatures of translators; and certified contracts and transactions.

5. Other public documents prepared, issued, or certified by competent Vietnamese agencies, organizations, or persons in the performance of their functions and duties in accordance with law shall also be eligible for issuance of Apostilles, except for the cases specified in Clause 1, Article 11 of this Decree.

Article 11. Documents outside the scope of, or ineligible for, issuance of Apostilles

1. The following documents are outside the scope of issuance of Apostilles:

a) Documents prepared or issued by Vietnamese diplomatic or consular officers in the performance of diplomatic or consular functions in accordance with Vietnamese law and international law;

b) Administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, except documents that, before the date on which the Apostille Convention enters into force for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, are eligible for consular certification in accordance with the law on consular certification and consular legalization. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall specifically identify the documents specified at this Point in the list prescribed in Clause 7, Article 30 of this Decree;

c) Documents not prepared, issued, or certified by competent agencies, organizations, or persons in the performance of their functions, duties, and powers as prescribed by law and not yet notarized or certified;

d) Public documents prepared, issued, or certified by competent foreign agencies, organizations, or persons.

2. The following documents are ineligible for issuance of Apostilles:

a) Documents that have been unlawfully erased, altered, or modified in a manner that distorts their contents;

b) Documents for which there are grounds to determine that they are forged;

c) Documents for which the verification results under Article 15 of this Decree establish that the competent agency did not issue such documents; or that the seal, signature, official title, or capacity indicated thereon is not authentic, is not duly authorized, is not the original seal or signature, or does not conform to the registered specimen;

d) Public documents that have been declared invalid, revoked, or annulled, or determined to have been unlawfully issued, under a legally effective decision, judgment, or document of a competent state agency;

dd) Public documents prohibited from being taken abroad under Vietnamese law;

e) Vietnamese public documents in the form of electronic data that do not bear a valid digital signature of a competent agency, organization, or person, or bear a digital signature that does not satisfy the technical format prescribed by the law on e-transactions.

Article 12. Dossier and methods for submission of dossiers requesting issuance of Apostilles

A dossier requesting issuance of an Apostille shall comprise 01 set. The dossier components corresponding to each submission method are prescribed as follows:

1. Direct submission at the single-window section or submission via postal services:

a) An application form for issuance of an Apostille, using the form promulgated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs;

b) The original public document for which issuance of an Apostille is requested; where the public document is a certified copy or certified translation in accordance with the law on notarization and certification, such certified copy or translation shall be submitted. The public document must remain intact and must not be detached, erased, or altered in content.

2. End-to-end online submission through the National Public Service Portal or the national identification application:

a) An application form using the interactive electronic form;

b) An electronic version of the public document bearing a valid digital signature of the competent agency, organization, or person in accordance with the law on e-transactions.

Article 13. Receipt of dossiers requesting issuance of Apostilles

Dossiers requesting issuance of Apostilles shall be received in accordance with the law on performance of administrative procedures under the single-window and inter-agency single-window mechanisms and the law on performance of administrative procedures in the electronic environment, in the following sequence:

1. The receiving agency shall authenticate the identity of the applicant through an electronic identification account. Where a dossier is submitted directly or via postal services and identification information cannot be retrieved or the retrieved information is incomplete, the receiving agency shall examine and cross-check such information against the identification document or document proving the legal person status of the organization presented or additionally submitted by the applicant.

2. The receiving agency shall examine the completeness and validity of the dossier and cross-check the information on the public document against the information in the application form for issuance of an Apostille.

3. Where a public document shows signs of forgery, erasure, or unlawful alteration, the receiving agency shall make a note thereof in the dossier for processing in accordance with Articles 14 and 15 of this Decree.

4. Where a dossier is incomplete or invalid, the receiving agency shall provide the applicant with one-time instructions for supplementing and completing the dossier. Within 07 working days from receipt of the instructions, the applicant shall supplement and complete the dossier; this period shall not be included in the processing time limit.

Article 14. Processing of dossiers requesting issuance of Apostilles

1. The Apostille-issuing agency shall cross-check the signature, seal, official title, and capacity indicated on the public document against the information and data on seals, signatures, official titles, and capacities specified in Article 23 of this Decree.

2. The cross-check results shall be processed as follows:

a) Where the cross-check results match, the Apostille-issuing agency shall issue an Apostille in accordance with Article 16 of this Decree;

b) Where the dossier falls into any of the cases subject to verification specified in Clause 1, Article 15 of this Decree, the Apostille-issuing agency shall conduct verification in accordance with Article 15 of this Decree;

c) Where the cross-check results do not match and there are grounds to determine that the information and data specified in Article 23 of this Decree have not been fully updated or contain discrepancies, the Apostille-issuing agency shall conduct verification in accordance with Article 15 of this Decree before deciding whether to issue an Apostille. For other cases of non-matching results that are not subject to verification under Clause 1, Article 15 of this Decree, the Apostille-issuing agency shall refuse to issue an Apostille in accordance with Article 18 of this Decree;

d) Where the public document is a certified copy or a translation bearing certification of the translator’s signature, and there are reasonable grounds to doubt the authenticity of the copy or translation, the Apostille-issuing agency shall prioritize retrieving and cross-checking electronic data on notarization and certification in accordance with the law on notarization and certification; where such data cannot be retrieved, the applicant shall be requested to present the original for examination and cross-checking.

3. The receipt and processing of dossiers and delivery of results shall be updated on the administrative procedure processing information system and synchronized with the National Public Service Portal in accordance with the law on performance of administrative procedures under the single-window and inter-agency single-window mechanisms.

Article 15. Verification of the authenticity of public documents

1. The Apostille-issuing agency shall verify the authenticity of a public document in any of the following cases:

a) The signature, seal, official title, or capacity indicated on the public document is not included in the information and data on seals, signatures, official titles, and capacities specified in Article 23 of this Decree or has not been officially communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

b) There are reasonable grounds to doubt the authenticity of the document, including where the document shows signs of forgery, erasure, or unlawful alteration;

c) There is information, an indication, or a report that the public document is prohibited from being taken abroad or is subject to restrictions on use abroad under specialized laws.

2. Where a dossier falls into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article, the Apostille-issuing agency shall suspend the processing of the document in question, notify the applicant of the verification, clearly stating the reason and expected verification period, and send a written verification request as follows:

a) For the cases specified at Points a and b, Clause 1 of this Article: to the agency or organization that issued the document or the superior state management agency thereof for confirmation of the authenticity of the document, seal, signature, official title, and capacity; the applicant shall not be required to submit additional documents;

b) For the case specified at Point c, Clause 1 of this Article: to the state agency competent to manage the relevant field for confirmation of the circulation status of the document.

3. The agency requested to conduct verification shall provide a written response within 05 working days from receipt of the request; for a complicated case, this time limit shall not exceed 10 working days, and the reason therefor must be notified to the requesting agency.

4. Immediately after receipt of the written verification results, the Apostille-issuing agency shall process as follows:

a) Where the results confirm the authenticity of the document and the document is eligible for circulation, the Apostille-issuing agency shall issue an Apostille in accordance with Article 16 of this Decree;

b) Where the results confirm that the document is not authentic, the Apostille-issuing agency shall refuse to issue an Apostille, return the document to the applicant, and provide notification in accordance with Article 18 of this Decree. Where the document contains elements of forgery or was issued by an agency or organization without competence, the Apostille-issuing agency shall refuse issuance and retain and transfer the dossier in accordance with Clause 4, Article 18 of this Decree;

c) Where the document is authentic but is prohibited from being taken abroad or is subject to restrictions on use abroad under specialized laws, the Apostille-issuing agency shall refuse to issue an Apostille, provide notification in accordance with Article 18 of this Decree, and transfer the dossier to the state agency competent to manage the relevant field for processing in accordance with specialized laws.

5. Where the verification time limit expires without receipt of a response, the matter shall be processed as follows:

a) If no response has been received after 15 days from the date on which the written verification request was sent, the Apostille-issuing agency shall urge the requested agency conduct verification;

b) If no response has been received after 30 days from the date on which the written verification request was sent, the Apostille-issuing agency shall notify the applicant in writing of the verification process and return the dossier together with the public document;

c) Where the verification results are received after the time limit specified at Point b of this Clause and the dossier has been returned, the Apostille-issuing agency shall notify the applicant to resubmit the dossier in accordance with Article 12 of this Decree.

Article 16. Issuance of Apostilles and delivery of results

1. A paper Apostille shall contain all the particulars specified in Article 20 of this Decree, in the form prescribed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and shall be stamped or affixed directly to the public document or placed on a separate sheet attached and permanently affixed to the public document so that it cannot be detached therefrom.

2. An e-Apostille shall be integrated into or associated with the electronic public document, ensuring integrity in accordance with the technical requirements specified in Clause 3, Article 20 of this Decree.

3. Results shall be delivered to the applicant by the method registered upon submission of the dossier: directly at the single-window section; via postal services; or in the form of an electronic copy sent to the electronic data repository of the organization or individual on the administrative procedure processing information system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Public Service Portal as prescribed by law, or to the applicant’s email address. The issuance and management of processing result codes and the storage of electronic results shall comply with the law on performance of administrative procedures under the single-window and inter-agency single-window mechanisms.

4. Immediately after issuing an Apostille, the Apostille-issuing agency shall update the information in the data repository in accordance with Article 21 of this Decree.

Article 17. Processing time limits

1. The time limit for issuing an Apostille shall be calculated from the date of receipt of a complete

and valid dossier and determined according to the number of public documents for which issuance of an Apostille is requested in one dossier and the method of dossier submission. For a dossier requesting issuance of a paper Apostille submitted under Clause 1, Article 12 of this Decree, the processing time limit shall be as follows:

a) 01 working day for a dossier containing from 01 to 04 public documents;

b) 02 working day for a dossier containing from 05 to 09 public documents;

c) 04 working day for a dossier containing 10 or more public documents.

2. For a dossier requesting issuance of an e-Apostille submitted through an end-to-end online process under Clause 2, Article 12 of this Decree, the processing time limit shall be as follows:

a) Within the working day for a dossier containing from 01 to 04 public documents and received before the time prescribed by the law on performance of administrative procedures in the electronic environment; where the dossier is received after such time, the processing time limit shall commence on the following working day;

b) 01 working day for a dossier containing from 05 to 09 public documents;

c) 03 working day for a dossier containing 10 or more public documents.

The commencement of the processing time limit prescribed in this Clause shall be determined in accordance with the law on performance of administrative procedures in the electronic environment.

3. The time limits prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article shall not include the verification period specified in Article 15 of this Decree.

4. Where a dossier cannot be processed within the time limits prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article due to objective reasons, a system technical incident, or a force majeure event as prescribed by law, and the case is not subject to verification under Article 15 of this Decree, the Apostille-issuing agency shall notify the applicant in writing before the expiration of the time limit, clearly stating the reason and the new processing time limit in accordance with the law on performance of administrative procedures under the single-window and inter-agency single-window mechanisms. The processing time limit may be extended only once.

Article 18. Handling of cases of refusal and retention of documents

1. The Apostille-issuing agency shall refuse to issue an Apostille in any of the following cases:

a) The document is outside the scope of issuance of Apostilles under Clause 1, Article 11 of this Decree;

b) The public document is ineligible for issuance of an Apostille under Clause 2, Article 11 of this Decree;

c) Upon expiration of the time limit specified in Clause 4, Article 13 of this Decree, the dossier still fails to satisfy the requirements specified in Article 12 of this Decree;

d) The cross-check results under Clause 1, Article 14 of this Decree confirm that the signature, seal, official title, or capacity indicated on the public document does not match the information and data on seals, signatures, official titles, and capacities specified in Article 23 of this Decree.

2. When refusing to issue an Apostille, the Apostille-issuing agency shall notify the applicant in accordance with the law on performance of administrative procedures under the single-window and inter-agency single-window mechanisms within the time limits specified in Clauses 1 and 2, Article 17 of this Decree; for the case of refusal specified at Point c, Clause 1 of this Article, the notification time limit shall be 01 working day from the expiration of the time limit specified in Clause 4, Article 13 of this Decree. The notification must clearly state the reason and applicable grounds. The original public document received shall be returned to the applicant together with the notification of refusal, except in the case specified in Clause 4 of this Article.

3. The Apostille-issuing agency shall provide the applicant with guidance on carrying out the appropriate procedure as prescribed by law, such as the consular certification or consular legalization procedure under the law on consular certification and consular legalization where the document is to be used in a State that is not a Contracting State to the Convention.

4. Where the written verification results confirm that the document contains elements of forgery or was issued by an agency or organization without competence, the Apostille-issuing agency shall:

a) Retain all public documents and related materials in the application dossier; prepare a written record of retention bearing the applicant’s signature or clearly stating the reason why the applicant did not sign;

b) Notify the applicant in writing of the retention of the documents and the transfer of the dossier to the competent agency for processing, clearly stating the reason;

c) Within 05 working days from preparation of the written record of retention, notify in writing the agency competent under law in the locality where the Apostille-issuing agency is headquartered to receive all retained documents and the written record of retention for consideration and processing as prescribed by law.

Article 19. Cancellation, revocation, and replacement of issued Apostilles

1. The agency that issued an Apostille shall cancel the Apostille in any of the following cases:

a) The dossier requesting issuance of the Apostille is determined to contain elements of forgery on the basis of the verification results under Article 15 of this Decree or the conclusion of a competent agency;

b) The public document for which the Apostille was issued is determined by a competent agency to have been unlawfully issued or to have had no legal validity at the time the Apostille was issued.

A cancelled Apostille shall have no legal validity from the time of its issuance.

2. Except for the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article, where an error in the issuance of an Apostille not attributable to the applicant renders the document unusable abroad, the agency that issued the Apostille shall revoke and replace it at the request of that person.

A revoked Apostille shall cease to be effective from the time the information on its revocation is publicly posted on Vietnam’s e-Register.

A replacement Apostille shall bear a new number and management number as prescribed at Points h and l, Clause 1, Article 20 of this Decree. The replacement shall be made on the basis of the dossier and fee previously submitted and paid. Where the attached public document cannot be reused for replacement, the Apostille-issuing agency shall instruct the applicant to provide another original, certified copy, or certified translation of the same public document and shall not require resubmission of the application dossier. A request for replacement may be submitted directly at the single-window section, via postal services, or online; revocation and replacement shall be carried out immediately upon receipt of the request.

3. The Apostille-issuing agency shall cancel, or revoke and replace, an Apostille in accordance with Clause 1 or 2 of this Article. No later than the next working day from the date of issuance of a decision on cancellation, or revocation and replacement, the Apostille-issuing agency shall update the validity status of the Apostille in the data repository in accordance with Article 21 of this Decree, publicly post such status on Vietnam’s e-Register, and notify the person to whom the Apostille was issued of the cancellation, or revocation and replacement, by an appropriate method. For an e-Apostille, the invalidation of the electronic administrative procedure processing result shall comply with the law on performance of administrative procedures in the electronic environment. Where there are grounds to determine that an Apostille has been used or is undergoing verification in a Contracting State to the Convention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall notify the competent agency of that Contracting State of the cancellation, or revocation and replacement, in writing or by electronic means; where necessary, the notification shall be made through diplomatic channels.

On the basis of inspection or state management of Apostilles, where the Apostille-issuing agency has not carried out the cancellation, or revocation and replacement, in accordance with Clause 1 or 2 of this Article, the Minister of Foreign Affairs shall issue a written request requiring the Apostille-issuing agency to do so within 05 working days from receipt of the request. If the Apostille-issuing agency fails to do so upon expiration of the above time limit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs shall directly decide on the cancellation, or revocation and replacement, and shall be responsible for such decision.

4. The cancellation, or revocation and replacement, of an Apostille shall not affect the handling of the consequences of a transaction established in the State in which the document was produced in accordance with the law of that State. In Vietnam, the lawful rights and interests of a bona fide third party shall be protected in accordance with civil law.

Article 20. Form of Vietnam’s Apostille

1. An Apostille shall bear the title and be presented in the languages specified in Clause 1, Article 8 of this Decree and shall contain all the following particulars:

a) Name of the State in which the Apostille is issued;

b) Full name of the person signing the public document;

c) Capacity in which the person signing the public document has acted;

d) Name of the agency whose seal or stamp the public document bears, where the public document is unsigned;

dd) Place of issuance of the Apostille;

e) Date of issuance of the Apostille;

g) Name of the agency issuing the Apostille;

h) Number of the Apostille;

i) Seal or stamp of the agency issuing the Apostille;

k) Signature of the competent person of the agency issuing the Apostille;

l) Management number.

2. An Apostille shall incorporate a QR code linking to the data repository specified in Article 21 of this Decree, enabling information on the issued Apostille to be searched and verified through the e-Register.

3. In addition to the requirements specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article, an e-Apostille must satisfy the following technical requirements:

a) It is signed using the public duty-specialized digital signature of the Apostille-issuing agency in accordance with the law on e-transactions and the law on cryptography;

b) It bears a time stamp indicating the time of issuance of the Apostille;

c) It is associated with and inseparable from the electronic public document, ensuring integrity and preventing any alteration of its contents after issuance.

4. The form of Vietnam’s Apostille must fully present the particulars specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article; an e-Apostille must additionally satisfy the technical requirements specified in Clause 3 of this Article and conform to the Model Certificate annexed to the Convention. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall prescribe in detail the presentation of the form of Apostille.

Article 21. Electronic data repository for the management of Apostilles and e-Register

1. The data repository specified in Clause 7, Article 3 of this Decree shall be managed and operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The e-Register specified in Clause 8, Article 3 of this Decree shall satisfy the requirements for registration and verification of Apostilles under the Convention.

2. When issuing an Apostille, the Apostille-issuing agency shall update the following information in the data repository:

a) Number and date of issuance of the Apostille;

b) Full name and capacity of the person signing the public document or name of the agency whose seal the public document bears;

c) Paper or electronic form of the Apostille;

d) Validity status of the Apostille;

dd) Electronic copy of the issued Apostille;

e) Management number of the Apostille.

3. The e-Register shall ensure continuous public search access 24 hours a day and 07 days a week using the Apostille number or by scanning the QR code on the Apostille; no account registration shall be required; and all information specified in Clause 2 of this Article shall be displayed. The search interface shall be provided in at least Vietnamese and English.

4. Information in the data repository shall be stored in accordance with the law on archives, ensuring satisfaction of the requirements for searching and verifying Apostilles under the Apostille Convention; confidentiality, backup, retrieval, sharing, and information security shall comply with the law on data, cybersecurity, and personal data protection.

Article 22. Archival dossiers for issuance of Apostilles

1. The components of paper dossiers generated during the issuance of Apostilles shall comply with the law on consular certification and consular legalization; the preservation regime and dossier retention period shall comply with the law on archives.

2. The storage and preservation of information on e-Apostilles shall comply with Article 21 of this Decree.

Article 23. Information and data on seals, signatures, official titles, and capacities of persons competent to sign Vietnamese public documents

1. Information and data on seals, signatures, official titles, and capacities of persons competent to sign Vietnamese public documents in the information system on consular certification and consular legalization shall be inherited and updated in the Apostille Information System for cross-checking and verification when issuing Apostilles.

2. The Apostille-issuing agency shall retrieve and use data on specimens of seals and signatures and on the official titles and capacities of persons competent to sign documents and records in accordance with the law on consular certification and consular legalization to cross-check and verify the origin of public documents before issuing Apostilles.

3. The introduction, updating, and management of specimens of seals and signatures and information on the official titles and capacities of persons competent to sign public documents shall comply with the law on consular certification and consular legalization.

Article 24. Verification of Apostilles issued by Vietnam at the request of foreign agencies

1. Where a competent agency of a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam sends a request to verify an Apostille issued by Vietnam, the Apostille-issuing agency that issued the Apostille shall verify and respond regarding the authenticity of the Apostille on the basis of information stored in the e-Register or the archived dossier.

2. Verification under this Article is intended to confirm the authenticity of the Apostille and information concerning its issuance and does not include confirmation of the contents of the public document for which the Apostille was issued.

3. Verification requests and verification results shall be sent and received directly between competent agencies in writing or by electronic means; where necessary, they may be transmitted through diplomatic channels.

4. The time limit for responding to a verification request shall be 05 working days from receipt of the request; where additional verification is required or complicated elements are involved, this time limit shall not exceed 10 working days.

5. The Apostille-issuing agency shall notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the verification results for monitoring and consolidation in support of state management of the implementation of the Apostille Convention.

Chapter III

EXEMPTION FROM CONSULAR LEGALIZATION AND USE IN VIETNAM OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS OF CONTRACTING STATES TO THE CONVENTION

Article 25. Principles of exemption from consular legalization and use of public documents bearing Apostilles

1. For the purposes of this Chapter, Contracting State to the Convention means a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam, unless otherwise prescribed.

2. A public document of a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam that bears an Apostille issued by a competent agency of that Contracting State and does not fall into any of the cases specified in Article 26 of this Decree shall be exempted from consular legalization and may be used in Vietnam without undergoing any additional certification procedure under relevant laws.

3. Agencies and organizations in Vietnam shall not require any additional consular certification or consular legalization procedure for a public document bearing a valid Apostille.

4. An e-Apostille issued by a competent agency of a Contracting State to the Convention shall have the same legal validity as a paper Apostille and shall not be denied legal validity solely because it is presented in the form of electronic data. The authenticity of an e-Apostille shall be verified through the e-Register of the issuing Contracting State in accordance with Article 27 of this Decree or through a mechanism prescribed by the Apostille Convention.

Article 26. Cases of refusal to accept public documents bearing Apostilles

A document of a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam that bears an Apostille shall be refused acceptance in Vietnam in any of the following cases:

1. The document bearing the Apostille is not a public document under the law of the State in which the document was executed; the document was executed by a diplomatic or consular officer; or the document is an administrative document dealing directly with commercial or customs operations.

2. The Apostille was not issued by a competent agency of the Contracting State to the Convention in which the public document was executed, or the Apostille does not bear the title in French “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)” and does not contain all the particulars specified in the Model Certificate annexed to the Apostille Convention.

3. The public document or Apostille shows signs of forgery, erasure, or unlawful alteration.

4. The contents of the public document violate Vietnamese law, infringe upon the interests of the State of Vietnam, or contravene the fundamental principles of Vietnamese law concerning public order or social morality.

5. The Apostille has been cancelled or revoked by a competent agency of the Contracting State to the Convention.

Article 27. Use in Vietnam of public documents of Contracting States to the Convention

1. A public document bearing an Apostille that is not executed in Vietnamese must be translated into Vietnamese; the translation must be notarized or certified in accordance with Vietnamese law, unless otherwise prescribed by specialized laws.

2. A valid Apostille shall be accepted and used in Vietnam without undergoing any additional consular legalization procedure. Where necessary, the receiving agency or organization may verify the Apostille through the e-Register of the issuing Contracting State by conducting an online search or scanning the QR code on the Apostille.

3. Where there are reasonable grounds to doubt the authenticity of an Apostille and it cannot be searched through the e-Register of that Contracting State, the receiving agency or organization shall request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide verification assistance in accordance with Article 28 of this Decree.

Article 28. Assistance in verifying Apostilles issued by competent agencies of Contracting States to the Convention at the request of domestic agencies and organizations

1. A domestic agency or organization falling into the case specified in Clause 3, Article 27 of this Decree may request in writing that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide assistance in verifying an Apostille, accompanied by information on the Apostille to be verified.

2. Immediately after receipt of the request, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall send a verification request to the agency competent to issue Apostilles of the Contracting State to the Convention in writing or by electronic means; upon receipt of a response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall immediately notify the requesting agency or organization of the results.

3. Where the verification results show that the Apostille is invalid or shows signs of forgery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and relevant agencies in considering and processing the matter as prescribed by law and, where necessary, concurrently notify the Contracting State that issued the Apostille.

Chapter IV

STATE MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APOSTILLE CONVENTION

Article 29. Contents of State management

State management of the implementation of the Apostille Convention includes:

1. Formulating, promulgating, and organizing the implementation of legal documents on implementation of the Apostille Convention.

2. Organizing and directing the issuance of Apostilles and the receipt and use in Vietnam of public documents of Contracting States to the Convention bearing Apostilles.

3. Developing, managing, and operating the Apostille Information System and the e-Register.

4. Inspecting, supervising, and handling violations of law in the implementation of the Apostille Convention.

5. Providing training and professional development for cadres and civil servants responsible for issuing Apostilles.

6. Conducting communication and dissemination of the law on the Apostille Convention.

7. Engaging in international cooperation in the field of implementation of the Apostille Convention.

8. Compiling statistics and reporting on the implementation of the Apostille Convention.

Article 30. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall assist the Government in exercising unified State management of the implementation of the Apostille Convention and shall have the following duties and powers:

1. To act as the national focal point for implementation of the Apostille Convention and assume the prime responsibility for organizing the implementation of this Decree.

2. To organize the issuance of Apostilles through Apostille-issuing agencies. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall decentralize the competence to issue Apostilles to provincial-level People’s Committees according to the criteria, conditions, and roadmap specified in Clause 3, Article 6 of this Decree.

3. To develop, manage, and operate the Apostille Information System, the e-Register, and the technical infrastructure serving the issuance of Apostilles; and ensure connectivity and interoperability with the National Public Service Portal.

4. To prescribe the presentation of the form of Apostille; promulgate application forms, interactive electronic forms, and professional forms; organize the printing and issuance of forms of Apostille; and notify the depositary of the Convention and Contracting States to the Convention of the form of Vietnam’s Apostille through diplomatic channels.

5. To update and publish the list of Contracting States to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam and information on whether the results of consular certification issued by such Contracting States before the date on which the Convention enters into force for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will continue to be recognized; and publicly post such information on the Web Portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Public Service Portal.

6. To act as the national focal point for verification of Apostilles under the Apostille Convention; monitor and consolidate the verification of Apostilles issued by Vietnam at the request of foreign agencies; assist domestic agencies and organizations in verifying Apostilles issued by Contracting States to the Convention; and urge competent agencies of Contracting States to the Convention to respond where responses to verification requests are delayed.

7. To provide guidance on and inspect the implementation of this Decree; assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant ministries and ministerial-level agencies in, reviewing and promulgating a list of, and professional guidance materials on, types of public documents within and outside the scope of issuance of Apostilles under specialized laws. The list and professional guidance materials shall be publicly posted on the Web Portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for uniform search and application by agencies, organizations, and individuals.

8. To consolidate and report to the Government on the implementation of the Apostille Convention annually or when necessary as requested.

Article 31. Responsibilities of ministries, sectors, and provincial-level People’s Committees

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and provincial-level People’s Committees, within the ambit of their respective duties and powers, shall:

1. Coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in organizing the implementation of this Decree;

2. Direct their subordinate agencies and organizations to accept public documents of Contracting States to the Convention bearing Apostilles in accordance with this Decree; not require the Apostille procedure for public documents exempted from consular legalization under another treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member or under specialized laws; and proactively coordinate in verification where necessary as prescribed.

Article 32. Responsibilities of agencies and organizations preparing and issuing Vietnamese public documents

1. To be responsible as prescribed by law for the authenticity, contents, and form of documents and records prepared or issued by them.

2. To promptly notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of specimens of seals and signatures, official titles, capacities, and periods of authorization of agencies, organizations, and persons competent to sign and issue public documents in accordance with the law on consular certification and consular legalization.

3. Upon receipt of a verification request under Clause 2, Article 15 of this Decree, an agency or organization that prepared or issued the public document shall provide a written response within the time limit specified in Clause 3, Article 15 of this Decree.

Article 33. Responsibilities of related agencies, organizations, and individuals

1. Agencies, organizations, and individuals requesting issuance of Apostilles shall:

a) Be legally responsible for the intended use, contents, authenticity, and legality of the documents and records;

b) Provide relevant information to the Apostille-issuing agency.

2. Vietnamese agencies and organizations receiving and using documents and records bearing Apostilles issued by Contracting States to the Convention shall:

a) Review and cross-check them against applicable laws and related documents to decide whether to accept such documents and records when handling matters within the ambit of their functions and powers;

b) Proactively coordinate with competent agencies in verifying the authenticity of foreign documents and records where necessary.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 34. Effect

This Decree takes effect from September 11, 2026.

Article 35. Application of laws on Apostilles, consular certification, and consular legalization

1. From the effective date of this Decree, the issuance of Apostilles for public documents to be used in a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam shall comply with this Decree.

2. Consular certification and consular legalization shall continue to be carried out in accordance with the law on consular certification and consular legalization in the following cases:

a) Vietnamese public documents to be used in a State that is not a Contracting State to the Convention;

b) Documents and records that do not fall within the scope of public documents specified in Clause 3, Article 3 and Article 10 of this Decree or are outside the scope of issuance of Apostilles under Clause 1, Article 11 of this Decree;

c) Other cases outside the scope of regulation of this Decree.

Article 36. Transitional provisions

1. Dossiers requesting consular certification of Vietnamese public documents that have been validly received before the effective date of this Decree but for which processing results have not been available by that date, including dossiers undergoing additional verification, shall continue to be processed and the results delivered in accordance with the law on consular certification and consular legalization. The use of such consular certification results in a Contracting State to the Convention shall comply with the treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member or the principle of reciprocity. The person to whom such consular certification is issued may request issuance of an Apostille for the public document in accordance with this Decree.

2. The transitional mechanism for documents certified or authenticated before the effective date of this Decree shall be implemented as follows:

a) A public document of a Contracting State to the Convention that has been consularly legalized by a competent Vietnamese agency before the effective date of this Decree shall continue to be valid for use in Vietnam; the receiving agency or organization shall not require the user to undergo the procedure for issuance of an Apostille for such public document;

b) Where a Vietnamese public document that has been consularly certified before the effective date of this Decree is required for use in a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention is in force with Vietnam, the person to whom the consular certification was issued may request the Apostille-issuing agency to issue an Apostille for such public document in accordance with this Decree without requesting reissuance of the original public document. Fees shall be collected in accordance with Article 9 of this Decree.

3. From the date on which the Convention enters into force in relation to Vietnam, an Apostille issued before that date by a competent agency of a Contracting State to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam shall be accepted and used in Vietnam if it does not fall into any case of refusal specified in Article 26 of this Decree.

4. Electronic components in the issuance and management of Apostilles shall be implemented according to the operational roadmap of the Apostille Information System as follows:

a) Before the Apostille Information System is put into operation, Apostille-issuing agencies shall issue paper Apostilles in accordance with this Decree; online receipt and processing of dossiers shall be conducted through the Administrative Procedure Processing Information System of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs connected to the National Public Service Portal; components of procedures eligible for performance in the electronic environment shall be immediately implemented on these systems; and issued Apostilles shall be recorded, stored, searched, and verified on the basis of archived dossiers, ensuring satisfaction of the requirements of the Apostille Convention;

b) The issuance of e-Apostilles, operation of the e-Register, integration of QR codes into Apostilles, and end-to-end online receipt and processing of dossiers shall be implemented from the time the Apostille Information System is put into operation;

c) The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall announce the time at which the Apostille Information System is put into operation and direct the transition of the method of issuance of Apostilles, ensuring that the issuance of Apostilles is not interrupted.

Article 37. Implementation organization

1. From the date on which the Apostille Convention enters in force in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vietnamese overseas diplomatic representative missions and consular representative missions shall not consularly legalize public documents of Contracting States to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam that are exempted from consular legalization under the Apostille Convention.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall provide guidance on and inspect the implementation of Clause 1 of this Article; direct Vietnamese overseas diplomatic representative missions and consular representative missions to notify competent agencies of receiving States, overseas Vietnamese communities, and related organizations and individuals of the application of the Apostille mechanism in lieu of consular legalization for public documents of Contracting States to the Convention in relation to which the Convention applies with Vietnam, and provide guidance on procedures for issuance of Apostilles. The notification shall be made promptly, ensuring no interruption in the authentication of public documents.

3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, Chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees shall implement this Decree.