Vietnam | Accession to 1961 Apostille Convention effective Sept. 11

The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the United States published a notice affirming the adoption of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention), effective Sept. 11, 2026.

Key takeaways:

As BAL previously reported, Vietnam acceded to the 1961 Apostille Convention, an international treaty that simplified the administrative process for immigration documents and replaced the consular legalization process.

Beginning Sept. 11, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington, D.C., will no longer accept applications to legalize U.S. public documents. Documents issued in the United States that bear a valid apostille can be used in Vietnam without additional certification.

Consular legalization will continue to apply to:

• Diplomatic and consular documents
• Certain commercial and customs-related administrative documents
• Documents originating from jurisdictions where the Apostille Convention is not in force with Vietnam

Documents legalized through consular channels before Sept. 11, 2026, will continue to be recognized in Vietnam and do not need to be reissued with an apostille.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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