In recent years, the number of Vietnamese citizens going abroad has been increasing. According to data from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in 2019 there were more than 8,6 million Vietnamese citizens going abroad, an increase of 14,4% compared to 2018. They go abroad for many different purposes such as:
- Travel, explore the world
- Study abroad and improve your qualifications
- Family gathering
- Settle down, change place of residence
- Invest and expand business
Whatever the reason, preparing valid documents and records is a prerequisite. One of the most important and necessary procedures is consular legalization.
What is consular legalization?
According to the provisions of Decree 111/2011/ND-CP, "Consular legalization" is defined as:
“The certification of seals, signatures, and titles on foreign papers and documents by competent Vietnamese agencies so that those papers and documents can be recognized and used in Vietnam.”
To put it simply, consular legalization is the process of confirming the legality and legal validity of foreign papers and documents so that they are valid for use in Vietnam. This process requires the participation of competent authorities of both Vietnam and the country involved.
Documents and consular legalization procedures
To proceed with consular legalization, the person carrying out the procedures needs to prepare the following documents:
- Consular legalization declaration according to the form
- Original or certified copy of documents needing legalization
- Vietnamese or English translation if documents are in another language
- Identification documents such as ID cards, passports...
Papers and documents that need to be legalized must be confirmed in advance by a competent foreign agency. Then, they are submitted to Vietnam's diplomatic representative agency in the host country for final inspection and certification.
According to statistics, each year there are tens of thousands of consular legalization dossiers processed by Vietnamese diplomatic agencies. However, not all applications are accepted. Some cases of refusal of consular legalization include:
- The content of documents is contrary to Vietnamese law or harmful to national interests
- The purpose of using the documents is not clear
- Signature and seal are not original
- Documents related to relatives of the officer handling the application
The importance of consular legalization
Consular legalization plays a key role for Vietnamese citizens when completing procedures abroad. Important personal and legal documents need to be legalized, for example:
- Passport, ID card, citizen identification card
- Birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate
- Degrees and professional certificates
- Work permit, labor contract
- health certificate
- Household registration book, residence certificate
- Business registration certificate, investment license
Without consular legalization confirmation, these documents will have no legal value and will not be accepted by foreign authorities. That can cause many serious consequences such as:
- Visa application rejected
- Unable to complete admission, immigration, and residence procedures
- Problems in registering marriage, divorce, and birth of children
- Having trouble participating in civil and commercial transactions
- Legitimate rights and interests are not guaranteed
Therefore, consular legalization is an indispensable procedure to protect the rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens abroad. This is also an important legal basis for the two countries' authorities to recognize the validity of related papers and documents.
A reputable consular legalization service provider
Normally, consular legalization procedures are quite complicated and time-consuming because they have to go through many stages of verification and authentication from different agencies. Therefore, many individuals and organizations often choose service companies to perform this procedure.
Currently, consular legalization services are becoming popular in Vietnam. However, to ensure quality and efficiency, you need to be careful to choose a reputable service provider with extensive experience and deep understanding of this field.
Translation company Idichthuat Proud to be one of the leading units providing professional consular legalization services in Vietnam. With a team of experienced staff, Idichthuat has been serving thousands of customers every year, meeting all needs for legalizing papers and documents for use abroad.
When using the services of Idichthuat, you will enjoy outstanding benefits such as:
- Accurate translation, ensuring legality
- Confirmed by a notary public and stamped properly
- The procedure is quick, simple, and saves time
- Reasonable costs, most competitive in the market
- Dedicated consulting and customer support throughout the process
With Idichthuat, consular legalization will no longer be your worry. Please feel secure in entrusting your documents and trust in the quality of service we provide.
Frequently asked questions about consular legalization
1. How long does it take to complete consular legalization procedures?
Normally, the processing time for consular legalization documents ranges from 5-7 working days, depending on the type of document and complexity. For urgent cases, Idichthuat Consular legalization services can be provided within 2-3 days at a higher fee.
2. What is the cost for consular legalization services?
The cost of consular legalization services depends on the type of document, number of copies, translation language and request processing time. Idichthuat Committed to the most competitive prices in the market with many attractive incentives for loyal customers and long-term partners. You can contact directly to receive detailed quotes for each specific case.
3. Idichthuat What is the customer information security policy?
Idichthuat always put the safety and security of customer information first. We commit to absolutely not disclosing any personal information of our customers to the outside world. All company employees are trained and sign a strict confidentiality agreement. The data storage and transmission system is also equipped with the most advanced security technologies today.
4. In case documents are refused legalization, Idichthuat Are you responsible for refunding service fees?
If your documents are refused to be legalized by a competent authority due to an error on your part Idichthuat (such as mistranslating content, not complying with format regulations...) we commit to refund 100% of service fees and support free rework for customers. However, if the refusal comes from the customer (providing wrong information, missing documents...), the service cost will not be refunded.
5. Idichthuat Does it support door-to-door document delivery?
To create the most favorable conditions for customers, Idichthuat Providing door-to-door document delivery and receipt services in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Our staff will come to your home or office to receive and return results, saving maximum travel time for customers. Delivery costs depend on distance and number of documents.
6. How to distinguish consularly legalized documents from original documents?
Documents that have passed consular legalization will have a confirmation stamp of "legalization" or "consular certification" from Vietnamese diplomatic agencies abroad. The stamp will clearly show the date of issue, dispatch number and signature of the diplomatic officer. In addition, legalization documents often come with a notarized translation into Vietnamese or English.
7. Idichthuat Do you accept legalization of old, worn-out documents?
In principle, we can still legalize old documents, as long as the content is complete and has not been erased or corrected. However, in cases where the documents are too old and difficult to read, the authorities may request to present clearer originals for comparison. In this case, please contact us for specific advice.
8. What types of documents cannot be consularly legalized?
Some types of documents are not allowed to be consularly legalized, including:
- Papers related to national defense, security, and national secrets
- Documents containing content that violates the law, ethics, and fine customs
- Documents showing signs of being forged, altered, or erased
- Documents of unknown origin, origin, and purpose of use
- Personal documents of relatives and relatives of the officer handling the file
If your documents fall into one of the above cases, please consult with us Idichthuat for appropriate treatment.
Nguyen Trung Khang - Talented interpreter and translator, passionate about translation
Nguyen Trung Khang is a talented interpreter and translator, with many years of experience in the field of translation and linguistics. He graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, majoring in Linguistics in 2015.
After graduating, Mr. Khang participated in a professional interpretation and interpretation training course at the University of Foreign Languages - Hanoi National University. He achieved a high-level certificate in interpreting and interpreting, and was also awarded a master's degree in linguistics.