On 31 December 2025, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention. This was reported by the official website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Why an apostille is required
With the emergence of the first government-issued documents, it became clear that using them outside the country of issuance can be quite challenging. Foreign authorities may refuse to accept documents issued abroad for political reasons or simply because their authenticity cannot be verified. This problem was partially addressed through the use of official seals, international treaties, and foreign diplomatic missions.
At a certain stage, the universal solution to the challenges of using national documents abroad became consular legalisation. This is a complex, multi-step procedure that involves certifying a document first with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or another competent authority of the issuing country, and then with the consulate or consular section of the embassy of the receiving state.
A document often needs to be certified in advance, and after being authenticated at the national level, an official translation must be prepared. As a result, consular legalisation requires visits to at least two or three different authorities, payment of fees multiple times, and translation of the document itself (in some cases, even twice). This process is time-consuming, expensive, and complex.
To simplify this process, the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents was signed in 1961. Under this international treaty, a document issued in one of the Convention’s contracting states can be used in all other contracting states by applying an apostille.
An apostille is an internationally standardised form used to certify the authenticity of a document for use in states and countries that recognise this method of legalisation. It is usually issued as a special stamp or certificate. In recent years, however, the electronic apostille (e-Apostille) has also become widespread — a special digital certificate confirming the authenticity of documents issued in electronic form.
If a state does not wish to accept apostilles issued by a specific country, it may raise an objection to that country’s participation in the Convention or submit a special declaration. In such cases, the apostille procedure will not apply between those states.
Apostille certification is clearly more convenient than consular legalisation. However, for various political and legal reasons, many countries — including major ones — did not join the Hague Convention for a long time. In recent years, however, the use of apostilles has experienced a real global boom.
In 2019 the Convention entered into force for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Philippines; in 2020 — for Palau and Jamaica; in 2022 — for Indonesia and Saudi Arabia; in 2023 — for Senegal, Pakistan, and China; in 2024 — for Rwanda and Canada; and in 2025 — for Bangladesh. Algeria has also acceded to the Convention, and Thailand is preparing to join.
Indonesia has also become something of an “ambassador” for apostille certification. Its authorities are actively encouraging countries that are not yet parties to the Convention to accede to it.
How Vietnam joined the Apostille Convention
One of the countries that had long refrained from joining the 1961 Convention was Vietnam. Despite strong economic growth (Vietnam ranks 25th in the world by GDP at PPP) and attracting foreign investments (22nd in the world), the country relied on the difficult procedure of consular legalisation.
However, in recent years, this legalisation process had become a “bottleneck” for economic development. In 2025, the Vietnamese authorities even abolished the requirement for legalising foreign documents for investors in certain administrative procedures. Yet, a more fundamental solution was needed.
As a result, on 31 December 2025, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam deposited its instrument of accession to the Apostille Convention. The depositary is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. No objections from other Convention members regarding Vietnam’s accession have been received so far — although they have six months to raise any concerns.
There are now 129 countries participating in the 1961 Convention. For Vietnam, it will enter into force on 11 September 2026. Until that date, foreign documents can generally be used in Vietnam only after consular legalisation, except in certain specific cases.
The competent authority for apostilling documents in Vietnam has been designated as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically: the Consular Department within the MFA headquarters in Hanoi, and the Department of External Relations in Ho Chi Minh City.
Experts estimate that the introduction of the apostille system will simplify administrative procedures in Vietnam, positively impact the investment climate, and make life easier for participants in international migration processes.
Acceding to the Apostille Convention aligns with the party and government’s policy of promoting administrative reform, digital transformation, and international integration. It is expected to significantly change the procedures for using foreign public documents in Vietnam, thereby enhancing Vietnam’s position, prestige, and authority in international legal relations, implementing recommendations from international organisations, and contributing to improved business environment indicators, increased national competitiveness, and the attraction of external resources.
— states the official statement from the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam.
The Ministry also noted that the authorised services are already developing the necessary regulatory framework and infrastructure to implement the apostille system in Vietnam.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
