Whether you are a foreign company registering a subsidiary in Vietnam, an expat applying for a work permit, or an individual submitting personal records to a Vietnamese authority, you will almost certainly need certified translation Vietnam at some point. Vietnam’s regulatory framework requires that all foreign-language documents submitted to government bodies, courts, and most official institutions be accompanied by a certified translation into Vietnamese, and vice versa for documents issued in Vietnam that will be used abroad. Demand for certified translation Vietnam services has grown significantly alongside rising FDI inflows and a growing expat community. With two significant regulatory changes now in effect, the July 2025 notarization reform and Vietnam’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention effective September 2026, understanding exactly what certified translation Vietnam requires today is more important than ever. This guide covers everything foreign businesses and individuals need to know.
Certified vs. Notarized Translation in Vietnam: What Is the Difference?
These two terms are frequently confused, and the confusion has practical consequences. A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a written statement from the translator or translation organization attesting that the content is a true, complete, and accurate rendering of the original. The certification is a guarantee of linguistic accuracy and is signed and stamped by the responsible translator. Certified translation Vietnam providers are required to be registered with a licensed translation organization recognized by provincial authorities.
A notarized translation Vietnam, historically, went one step further: a notary public confirmed the validity of the translated text in addition to the translator’s credentials. Under the old framework (Decree 29/2015), this dual certification gave notarized translation Vietnam its legal weight in administrative proceedings.
The July 2025 Reform: How Notarization of Translations Changed
A landmark change came into effect on 1 July 2025 under Decree 104/2025/ND-CP, which replaced Decree 29/2015/ND-CP and reformed Vietnam’s notarization framework significantly. The most important change for translation users: notaries no longer certify the accuracy of a translation. Instead, under the new law, notaries certify only the translator’s signature, confirming that the signature on the translation genuinely belongs to the registered translator, but making no attestation about translation quality or completeness.
This shift has significant practical implications. The notary’s stamp is no longer a quality assurance mechanism for the translation itself. It is now purely an identity verification. As a result, the qualifications and track record of the translator matter more than ever, because there is no longer a second authority checking the accuracy of their work. For foreign businesses and individuals submitting documents to Vietnamese authorities, this makes choosing a qualified, registered translation provider the single most important safeguard.
Who Needs Certified Translation in Vietnam?
The need for certified translation Vietnam services spans a wide range of users and situations. Understanding which category applies to you helps determine the precise type of certification required.
For Foreign Businesses and Investors
Foreign companies operating in or entering Vietnam regularly require certified document translation across multiple touchpoints:
- Business registration: All foreign-language founding documents, articles of incorporation, shareholder registers, board resolutions, powers of attorney, must be translated into Vietnamese for submission to the Department of Planning and Investment.
- Investment registration: Foreign investors seeking an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) must provide certified Vietnamese translations of all supporting foreign-origin records.
- Regulatory filings: Sector-specific licenses in banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and education require translated and certified supporting documentation.
- Contract execution: Contracts with Vietnamese state entities and many private counterparties are required to have a Vietnamese version, which must be translation-accurate and certified.
- Legal proceedings: Foreign parties involved in Vietnamese court or arbitration proceedings must submit certified translations of all foreign-language evidence and corporate records.
Legal translation Vietnam for corporate purposes is therefore not a one-off requirement but an ongoing operational need for any foreign entity doing business in Vietnam.
For Foreign Nationals and Individuals
Individual users make up the largest segment of the certified translation market in Vietnam. Common requirements include:
- Work permits: Foreign workers must submit certified translations of their university degrees, professional qualifications, and relevant employment records to labour authorities.
- Visa and residence: Visa applications and temporary residence card renewals often require certified translations of passports, financial records, and sponsor letters.
- Marriage registration: Foreigners marrying Vietnamese nationals must provide certified translations of birth certificates, passport identity pages, and certificates of single status.
- Academic admissions: Students applying to Vietnamese universities or professional programmes submit certified translations of transcripts and diplomas.
- Immigration to other countries: Vietnamese nationals and long-term residents often need certified translation of Vietnamese-language documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, court records, for submission to foreign embassies or immigration authorities including USCIS.
What Documents Require Certified Translation? A Full List
The following categories cover the most commonly translated document types across both business and individual use cases:
Personal and Civil Documents
- Passports and national identity cards
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates and divorce decrees
- Death certificates
- Police clearance certificates (criminal record checks)
- Certificates of single status
- Medical records and health certificates
Academic and Professional Documents
- University degrees and diplomas
- Academic transcripts
- Professional certifications (teaching qualifications, engineering licenses, medical registration)
- Letters of experience and professional references
Corporate and Legal Documents
- Articles of incorporation and corporate charters
- Investment Registration Certificates and business licenses
- Board resolutions and powers of attorney
- Commercial contracts and joint venture agreements
- Financial statements and audit reports
- Court orders, judgments, and arbitration awards
For any of the above, official translation Vietnam and certified document translation Vietnam must be provided by a certified translator whose qualifications meet Vietnamese legal requirements. Document translation Vietnam for official submission, whether personal, academic, or corporate, must carry the stamp and signature of a registered certified translator. Uncertified translations, including those produced by machine translation tools, are not accepted by Vietnamese authorities for any official purpose.
Vietnam’s Apostille Convention: What Changes from September 2026
One of the most consequential developments affecting certified translation in Vietnam is the country’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026.
What the Apostille Convention Means for Foreign Documents
Before this date, foreign public documents intended for use in Vietnam had to go through a multi-step consular legalisation process: notarisation in the country of origin, authentication by that country’s foreign affairs authority, then legalisation by the Vietnamese embassy or consulate. This process was time-consuming, costly, and administratively burdensome.
Under the Apostille Convention, documents from any of the 129 member states, including the United States, all EU member states, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, can instead carry an Apostille stamp issued by a competent authority in the originating country. Vietnamese authorities accept this Apostille stamp in place of the full consular legalisation chain, significantly reducing cost and processing time.
For foreign nationals and businesses, apostille Vietnam translation workflows are now considerably simpler for documents originating from member states. A US birth certificate, for example, no longer needs to pass through the US State Department and the Vietnamese consulate, an Apostille from the relevant US Secretary of State is sufficient.
What Apostille Does Not Change: Certified Translation Remains Required
It is critical to understand what the Apostille Convention does not do. Apostille authenticates the origin and authority of a document, it does not translate it. Foreign-language documents still require a certified Vietnamese translation before they can be submitted to Vietnamese authorities, regardless of whether they carry an Apostille stamp or have gone through consular legalisation.
The practical workflow from September 2026 for most documents from Apostille member states is: Apostille in country of origin → certified translation in Vietnam → submission to Vietnamese authority. The consular legalisation step is removed; the certified translation step remains. Consulting a professional translation provider that understands the post-Apostille process is therefore essential to avoid procedural delays.
Who Can Provide Certified Translation in Vietnam?
Vietnamese law sets specific qualification requirements for translators providing certified translations for official purposes.
Legal Qualifications Under Vietnamese Law
Under the current framework, translators performing certified translations must hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree in the relevant foreign language or a recognised qualification in translation studies. They must also be affiliated with a licensed translation organisation that is registered with the relevant provincial authorities and authorised to issue certified translations.
The July 2025 reform reinforced the importance of translator registration. Since notaries now certify only the translator’s signature rather than the translation’s accuracy, the registered translator bears full professional responsibility for the correctness of the translation. Engaging an unregistered or unqualified translator, even one who is fluent in both languages, creates legal risk: documents certified by unqualified translators can be rejected, delayed, or challenged by Vietnamese authorities.
When selecting certified translation services Vietnam, always verify that the provider is a licensed translation organisation, that their translators hold the required academic qualifications, and that their certification stamps are accepted by the relevant authority (Department of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Labour, court, or other body) for your specific use case. The quality of certified translation Vietnam depends entirely on the registered translator, not the notary, under the post-July 2025 framework.
How to Get a Certified Translation in Vietnam: Step by Step
The process for obtaining a certified translation varies slightly depending on whether the source document is foreign-origin (requiring use in Vietnam) or Vietnamese-origin (requiring use abroad). The general workflow is as follows:
Step 1, Prepare your originals. Gather the original documents requiring translation. For foreign documents to be used in Vietnam, check whether your country is an Apostille Convention member and obtain an Apostille stamp before sending documents to Vietnam. For non-member countries, complete the full consular legalisation chain first.
Step 2, Engage a licensed translation provider. Select a registered translation organisation in Vietnam whose translators hold the required qualifications for your document type and language pair. Provide clear scans or originals.
Step 3, Translation and certification. The assigned translator produces a complete translation. The translation is reviewed, then signed and stamped by the responsible certified translator. Since July 2025, if you also need the translator’s signature notarised (required for certain filings), this is done at a notary office as a separate step from the translation itself.
Step 4, Submit to the relevant authority. Submit the translated and certified documents together with the originals (and Apostille or legalisation endorsements where applicable) to the relevant Vietnamese authority.
Turnaround for standard certified document translation in Vietnam is typically 2-5 business days for most personal documents and 5-10 business days for complex corporate or legal records. Urgent processing is available from most registered providers.
Certified Translation Costs in Vietnam
Pricing for notarized translation services Vietnam and certified translation varies by provider type, language pair, document complexity, and whether notarisation of the translator’s signature is required as an additional step.
General market benchmarks:
- Standard certified personal documents (birth certificates, passports, diplomas): VND 150,000-350,000 per page (approx. USD 6-14)
- Certified legal and corporate documents: VND 300,000-700,000 per page depending on technical complexity
- Certified translation with notarised translator signature: add VND 50,000-150,000 per document for the notary step
- Apostille Vietnam translation workflows (full service including legalisation support): priced on project scope
For translation for immigration Vietnam, particularly for USCIS submissions requiring Vietnamese-to-English certified translation, US-based agencies charge USD 25-50 per page, though turnaround and quality consistency vary.
Viettonkin’s Certified Translation Services in Vietnam
Viettonkin provides certified translation services Vietnam-wide, covering both personal documents for individuals and complex corporate and legal records for businesses and investors. Our translators hold the academic qualifications required under Vietnamese law and are registered with the relevant provincial authorities, ensuring our certified translations are accepted by government bodies across Vietnam.
Languages, Document Types, and Locations
We provide certified translation services across all major language pairs: Vietnamese to and from English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, Chinese, and other languages. Our document coverage spans the full range of personal, academic, and corporate records detailed in this guide.
We serve clients in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, with document intake available online for clients outside these cities. For clients requiring certified translation in Hanoi or certified translation in Ho Chi Minh City with same-day or next-day turnaround, we offer an express service with dedicated project management.
Our team is also fully up to date on the July 2025 notarization reform and the September 2026 Apostille Convention changes, we advise clients on the correct workflow for their specific document and destination authority, ensuring no step is missed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between certified and notarized translation in Vietnam after July 2025? Since 1 July 2025, notaries in Vietnam certify the translator’s signature, not the accuracy of the translation. Certified translation (signed and stamped by the translator) remains the standard requirement for most official submissions. Notarisation of the translator’s signature is an additional step required for certain authorities. Your translation provider should advise which applies to your specific case.
Does my document need consular legalisation before certified translation in Vietnam? From 11 September 2026, documents from Apostille Convention member states (including the US, EU, UK, Japan, and Korea) only need an Apostille stamp, full consular legalisation is no longer required. Documents from non-member countries still require the full legalisation process. Certified Vietnamese translation is required regardless of legalisation route.
Vietnam’s document translation requirements have changed significantly in 2025 and 2026. Whether you need a certified birth certificate translation, corporate record translation, or a complete apostille-and-translation workflow for a business transaction, Viettonkin’s certified translation team is ready to assist. Contact us for a free consultation and same-day project scoping.
