📜 International Conventions · Hague Apostille

Vietnam officially joins the Hague Apostille Convention
Mutual recognition of official documents between China and Vietnam will eliminate the need for consular legalization by embassies.

Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam•Effective 2026/9/9•

Gongshitong | Global Notarization & Authentication

VietnamThe Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents will enter into force on 2025-12-31 upon deposit of its instrument of accession with the Depositary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.2026-9-11Officially effective in Vietnam.
Vietnam has become a party to the convention129thParty.

China had already joined the same convention on 2023/11/7.Therefore, effective from 9/11, as both China and Vietnam are contracting parties to the agreement, the consular legalization process for public documents issued by one country and used in the other will be officially waived.

Previously, a Chinese public document used in Vietnam typically required notarization in China, authentication by China's foreign affairs department, and finally consular authentication by the Vietnamese embassy or consulate in China. Similarly, Vietnamese documents used in China needed to undergo Vietnamese authentication followed by consular authentication at the Chinese embassy or consulate in Vietnam. The entire process often took considerable time.15 to 30 daysCosts are high due to materials shuttling back and forth across multiple departments.

✅ After the Convention enters into force, this "dual certification" will be streamlined:

Documents only need to be stamped by the competent authority in the country of issuance.Hague Apostille Stickerand will be directly recognized and used in the other country.No consular legalization by the other party's embassy is required.。

Vietnam has designated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Consular Department in Hanoi and Department of External Relations in Ho Chi Minh City) as the issuing authority.and initiate the development of a certification sticker management system and an electronic database, while progressively advancing e-Hague Apostille services. This shift will significantly facilitate cross-border activities between China and Vietnam, including travel, investment and manufacturing, trade cooperation, academic credential verification, marriage and birth certificates, corporate documentation, and intellectual property materials. The time and costs for businesses and individuals to process cross-border documents are expected to decrease substantially.

• Use Cases:

  Academic and degree certificates, marriage and birth certificates, company registration documents, powers of attorney, intellectual property materials, etc.

• Not Applicable:

  Documents issued by non-member states of the Convention must still go through the original consular authentication process.

• Effective Time:

  2026 9, 11 (Vietnam)

129: Total number of contracting parties to the Hague Apostille Convention

2023.11.7: Date China joined the Convention

2026.9.11: Effective date of the Vietnam Convention

30→5-10 days: Transition period from original consular legalization to Hague apostille

Please note thatThe Convention applies only between contracting parties, and acceptance of specific documents remains subject to the receiving authority's requirements. Documents issued by non-Convention member states must still follow the existing consular authentication procedures. The Vietnamese government has approved an implementation plan requiring relevant agencies to complete preparations before the effective date.

📌 Starting 9/11, the mutual recognition of Chinese and Vietnamese public documents will officially enter the Hague Apostille era.