Document certification

What this service is

According to the Embassy's page, this is the procedure for certifying power of attorney contracts and powers of attorney, certifying copies from originals, and certifying the signature of a translator. The purpose is to make documents you prepare in Australia valid for use in Vietnam.

Who needs it and when

• You authorise someone in Vietnam to act for you, for example to sell a house, receive an inheritance or handle paperwork.
• You need a certified copy of an original document to submit in Vietnam. If the original was issued by a foreign authority, it must first complete consular legalisation or an Apostille.
• You have a Vietnamese translation and need the Embassy to certify the translator's signature.

The Embassy does not certify copies in cases such as where the original was issued by an authority without jurisdiction or is forged, where it has been erased or altered, or is damaged to the point that the content cannot be determined, personal letters or statements not yet confirmed by a competent authority, and documents that Vietnamese law prohibits copying or publishing.

Documents usually needed

• Certifying copies: the original, one photocopy of your passport, and an addressed envelope if receiving it by post.
• Powers of attorney and power of attorney contracts: a passport (the original, a notarised copy, or a copy certified by a JP), the content of the authorisation, and copies of property documents if they are mentioned in the text. The Embassy recommends having a Vietnamese notary office or lawyer draft it, or using the template on its website. Additional documents may be requested if the content or the people involved need clarification.
• Certifying a translator's signature: the translation, in which the translator must be fluent in the source language and undertake responsibility for its accuracy.

Steps

1. Identify the right type of matter: certified copy, power of attorney or certification of a translation.
2. For foreign documents, complete consular legalisation or an Apostille first.
3. Prepare the original, your passport and the power of attorney or translation.
4. Book an appointment through the Embassy's booking page, then attend to lodge the documents and pay the fee.
5. Collect the result. For a power of attorney and certification of a translation you must attend in person at least once when lodging, while certified copies of an original can be sent and received by post.

Timing and fees

The Embassy states the time as 5 working days from receipt of a complete and valid application, or 3 working days after receiving the verification result from the relevant authority. The page does not state fee amounts, only how to pay: cash, money order or bank cheque made out to Embassy of Viet Nam. Please ask the Embassy or check the fee schedule linked from the FAQ page before you go.

How TNT Global helps

We check whether your documents are of a type that can be certified, draft or review the content of the power of attorney with you before you take it in, translate documents when needed, book appointments and remind you what to bring. TNT Global helps prepare, translate and lodge documents; the certification is carried out by the Embassy. The content of a power of attorney has legal consequences, so for substantial assets please also seek advice from a lawyer in Vietnam.

Common mistakes

• Lodging Australian-issued documents that have not gone through legalisation or an Apostille.
• A power of attorney with a vaguely worded scope, or missing details of the property or the person authorised.
• Bringing a copy instead of the original, or forgetting your passport.
• A translation done by someone not sufficiently fluent in both languages, or without the translator's undertaking.