Consular Legalization

What is consular legalization and consular authentication?

What is consular legalization in English? This is a question that many people search for, and they are required to complete the paperwork according to different work requirements related to foreign elements. According to the concept stated in Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP dated December 5, 2011: consular legalization is the act of a competent authority of Vietnam certifying the seal, signature, and title on foreign papers and documents so that those papers and documents are recognized and used in Vietnam. Therefore, the English term consular legalization has many different uses. To standardize, Asia Translation would like to provide some information as follows:

English words that embassies and consulates may require and can use when referring to the term consular legalization:

1. Documents certified by a general consulate/embassy

2. Documents legalized by a general consulate/embassy

3. Consular legalization

4. Consular certification

Why is consular legalization and consular certification necessary?

Usually, if you are a non-Vietnamese citizen or a Vietnamese person holding a foreign passport when carrying out formal procedures in Vietnam such as: registering marriage with a Vietnamese citizen, requesting recognition of father, mother, or child, adopting a child, exchanging a foreign driver’s license, applying for a permanent residence card, temporary residence card… the competent state agency in Vietnam often requires you to “Consular legalization” or certification consular related documents.

What are the procedures for consular legalization?

ASIA FOCUS TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION COMPANY would like to inform you of the current legal regulations on this procedure.

Consular legalization procedure. Consular legalization is the authentication of signatures and seals on documents and papers issued by foreign agencies before they are used in Vietnam.

Consular certification is the consular certification of seals and signatures of Vietnamese state agencies for use abroad

This certification is carried out by the following agencies:

Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (abbreviated as the Consular Department), Hanoi Department of Foreign Affairs Address: 40 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs (Department of Foreign Affairs); Address of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs: 6 Alexandre De Rhodes, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Diplomatic representative agencies, Consular agencies or other agencies of Vietnam (collectively referred to as Vietnamese representative agencies) authorized to perform consular functions abroad.

There are 2 types of consular legalization:

– Consular legalization does not include the authentication of the content and form of papers and documents,

– Consular legalization includes the authentication of the content and form of papers and documents.

In principle, Vietnamese state agencies only accept to consider papers and documents that have been consularly legalized, except in cases where Vietnamese law and international treaties that Vietnam has signed or participated in have other provisions (Consular Ordinance 1990).

When requesting consular legalization, you should note the following points (according to Circular No. 01/1999/TT-NG of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs):

– Papers and documents must be clearly presented, without erasures or corrections. In case the paper or document has been erased or corrected, the erased or corrected part must be corrected according to the provisions of the law of the place where the document was created;

– Papers and documents with 02 or more pages must have a seal between the pages.

– Papers and documents of foreign countries, before requesting consular legalization at the Consular Department or the Department of Foreign Affairs, must be certified by the diplomatic representative agency, consular office or other authorized agency of that foreign country in Vietnam or concurrently in Vietnam;

Foreign documents and papers, before requesting consular legalization at a Vietnamese representative agency, must be certified by:

– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or other competent authorities of the host country if they are documents and papers of the host country. For countries with a federal regime,

depending on local practice and law, the Consular Department will provide specific guidance to each Vietnamese representative agency on the competent authority

for certification of that foreign country.

– Diplomatic representative agencies, Consular agencies or other authorized agencies of a third country in the host country or concurrently if they are documents

of that third country.

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Consular legalization