Impact of Vietnam accession to the Apostille Convention

Vietnam has reached an important milestone by completing all procedures to join the Apostille Convention, a move that reflects years of steady legal reform and deeper international engagement. Approved by the Government in December 2025 and formally deposited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the accession will take effect on 11 September 2026⁽¹⁾. This step places Vietnam among more than 120 economies that rely on a trusted and simplified system for cross-border document use.

Beyond legal formality, Vietnam accession to the Apostille Convention signals confidence, openness, and readiness to operate on global standards. By replacing complex consular legalization with a single apostille stamp, Vietnam removes friction for people and businesses moving across borders.

In this article, we examine Vietnam’s accession to the Apostille Convention and what this long-awaited development means for international engagement.

Understanding the Apostille Convention and global practice

As international exchanges grow more frequent, the Apostille Convention plays a vital role in simplifying how public documents are recognized across borders.

What the Apostille Convention is and its legal purpose

The Apostille Convention, formally known as the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, was created to make public documents valid in other member states without lengthy consular procedures⁽²⁾.

Instead of going through multiple steps of notarisation and consular checks, a document authenticated with a single apostille certificate by a competent authority can be accepted in all countries that have joined the Convention. This clear legal purpose reduces uncertainty and increases efficiency for individuals and organisations that work across jurisdictions.

How Apostille replaces traditional document legalisation

Traditionally, using a document abroad required consular legalisation. This often included verification by the issuing authority, authentication by the foreign ministry, and final approval from the embassy or consulate of the destination country. The Apostille system replaces this with a single certification, the apostille stamp, which signals to all member states the document’s authenticity and origin according to internationally recognised standards. It results in faster processes, lower costs, and fewer administrative hurdles for users.

Types of public documents covered under the Convention

The Convention applies to a wide range of public documents, including court records, administrative documents such as birth or marriage certificates, notarial acts, and official certificates on private documents such as academic diplomas and corporate filings.

These documents, once apostilled, are readily accepted by authorities in other member states without additional legalisation steps.

What happens after Vietnam joins 

Once the Apostille Convention takes effect in Vietnam on 11 September 2026, Vietnamese public documents can be certified with an apostille and directly accepted by the member countries. Similarly, foreign documents carrying an apostille from another member country will be recognised in Vietnam.

The change simplifies international transactions, enhances legal certainty, and supports cross-border trade, education, and personal mobility. Vietnam Apostille Convention accession demonstrates the country’s commitment to transparency, modern legal practices, and alignment with international standards.

Vietnam’s accession process and effective timeline

Vietnam’s accession to the Apostille Convention reflects careful legal planning and diplomatic coordination that underpin the country’s broader push for administrative reform and international integration.

On 12 December 2025, the Government of Vietnam issued Resolution No 407/NQ‑CP formally approving Vietnam’s accession to the Apostille Convention and authorised the Minister of Foreign Affairs to sign the instrument of accession on behalf of the state⁽¹⁾.

Following this decision, on 31 December 2025, Vietnam’s instrument of accession was deposited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which serves as the depositary for the Convention. The deposit was simultaneously notified to more than 125 contracting states, marking Vietnam’s official entry into the global Apostille framework.

Under the terms of the Apostille Convention, an accession does not take immediate effect. After the deposit, there is a specified waiting period before the Convention applies to the acceding state. For Vietnam, the Apostille effective date in Vietnam is set for 11 September 2026, as provided under the Convention’s procedures for accession and acceptance by other member states.

During the transition period before September 2026, public authorities, legal professionals, and service providers should prepare for the shift by updating internal procedures, identifying which competent authorities will issue apostilles, and communicating changes to document users.

Once the Convention enters into force, Vietnam’s accession will enable individuals and businesses to use public documents abroad with a single apostille certificate, and allow foreign apostilled documents to be accepted in Vietnam without further authentication.

Practical impact on individuals and businesses

Vietnam’s accession to the Apostille Convention brings concrete benefits for both individuals and businesses, fundamentally transforming how public documents are recognised and used internationally. As a result, processes that were once complex and time-consuming are now more efficient and predictable.

Benefits for individuals

For citizens, the advantages are immediate and practical. Public documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic diplomas, and civil status records can now be apostilled and recognised directly across member countries. For example, a Vietnamese student applying to a university in Germany or Canada will no longer face multiple embassy legalisation steps, which often took several weeks under the previous system.

Likewise, couples registering marriages abroad or professionals submitting identity documents for international employment will experience smoother, faster procedures, saving both time and cost. Thus, these changes increase predictability and reduce administrative uncertainty for individuals engaging in international activities.

Advantages for businesses

Similarly, businesses stand to gain significantly. Apostilled documents in Vietnam, such as incorporation certificates, shareholder resolutions, and commercial contracts, will be recognised abroad without further authentication. In other countries that joined the Apostille Convention, processing time for documents dropped from around 20 working days under traditional consular legalisation to just a few working days, a reduction of roughly 90 percent⁽³⁾.

Therefore, Vietnamese companies can expect faster cross-border transactions, quicker contract execution, and reduced administrative burden. For instance, a tech company expanding to Europe can submit apostilled corporate records directly to partners or regulators, avoiding lengthy embassy verification. At the same time, the standardisation of apostille certification enhances legal certainty and builds trust in international dealings.

Conclude

Vietnam accession to the Apostille Convention represents a key step in the country’s legal modernization and global integration. As a result, public documents can be certified efficiently, reducing administrative delays and being accepted immediately in over 125 member countries.

Overall, the Apostille system strengthens Vietnam’s international document certification by making sure that public documents are standardised, reliable, and legitimate globally. Consequently, citizens gain efficiency and certainty for personal and educational matters abroad, while companies benefit from accelerated transactions and lower bureaucratic costs.

Moreover, this move aligns Vietnam with widely adopted international standards and strengthens governance, transparency, and trust in document certification. With the Apostille system taking effect on 11 September 2026, both authorities and stakeholders are preparing for smooth implementation.

If you have any questions about doing business in Vietnam or need guidance on document legalization, feel free to reach out to us at service@bbcincorp.com. Our team is happy to offer expert support.

References:

(1) https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-hoan-tat-cac-thu-tuc-gia-nhap-cong-uoc-apostille-350965.html

(2) https://thehagueapostille.co.uk/pages/members-of-the-hague-convention

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