Legalisation requirements for Vietnam
Vietnam has now acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention. The Convention enters into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026.
Public documents issued in the UK and intended for use in Vietnam now require an Apostille and there is no need of consular legalisation.
An Apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the person signing the document and, where applicable, the seal or stamp. It does not certify the contents of the document.
Learn More: Vietnam joins the Apostille Convention: What Changes in 2026
Vietnam Embassy in the UK stops consular legalisation
From 11 September 2026, the Vietnam Embassy in the UK has ceased accepting applications for consular legalisation of public documents issued by UK authorities.
Once a UK public document has a valid Apostille, it may generally be used in Vietnam without further certification or consular legalisation.
Translations
If the document is not written in Vietnamese, a Vietnamese translation might be required.
According to the Vietnam Consulate, that translation must be notarised or certified in accordance with Vietnamese law.
Documents legalised before 11 September 2026
Documents that were already legalised through consular channels before 11 September 2026 remain valid for use in Vietnam.
Hague Apostille Fees
The FCDO Apostille Disbursement fee is:
- £40 for Standard & Express
- £100 for Premium (Restrictions apply)
- £35 for e-Apostille (Restrictions apply)
Apostille Processing Times
Turnaround time is likely to be:
- Standard: 5 working days
- Express: Next-Day Service (If document arrives by 11:15 am)
- Premium: 2-3 hours
- e-Apostille: 1-2 working days
Apostille Processing Terms
Express: For the Express Apostille Next-Day Service (paper-based Apostille), we must receive the original documentation by 11:15 am am to be despatched the next working day. If the document arrived after 11:15 am it will be processed on the next-working day.
Premium: The Premium Apostille is a restrictive service the FCDO can provide for a few eligible types of documents and they require evidence to support the urgency requirement. Please contact our legalisation team for further details.
e-Apostille: Documents eligible for the e-Apostille must be first e-notarised with an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) or a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES).
CONSULATE ADDRESS
35 Victoria Road, London W8 5RF
Opening hours: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday to Friday