The U.S. Embassy is ending the practice of issuing affidavits on civil status documents, which allowed American citizens in Vietnam to bypass the consular legalization process, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam reported on its website.
US Embassy Restricts Affidavits
The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam will drastically reduce the list of affidavits they can issue, effective March 17, 2025. They will now focus on “general issues” and certifying that a U.S. citizen is single (in order to marry in Vietnam).
An affidavit is, in UK and US law, a written statement or declaration by a person acting as a witness, given under oath and certified by a notary or other authorized official.
A statement on the US Embassy website said the changes were made in light of regulatory adjustments and current international practice.
How Americans Can Now Legalize Civil Status Documents for Use in Vietnam
The main point of the embassy's statement is that Americans will no longer be able to use the practice of affidavits to legalize most civil status documents.
“We will no longer be able to process affidavits from U.S. citizens related to the authenticity of documents issued in the United States, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, academic records, and driver’s licenses,” the embassy said on its website.
Thus, holders of American documents lose the opportunity to "bypass" the procedure of consular legalization, which must be carried out on the territory of the United States. Representatives of the embassy recommend contacting authorized bodies of the United States with such questions.
The message reminds that Vietnam is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so in order to use American documents in its territory, it is necessary to undergo the consular legalization procedure. It is longer, more complicated and more expensive than apostille.
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