[Vietnam Legal Update] "Official Apostille certification has officially replaced consular legalization between Vietnam and Japan from 11 September 2026"

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Official Apostille certification has officially replaced consular legalization between Vietnam and Japan from 11 September 2026

1. Introduction

On 23 July 2026, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 293/2026/ND-CP providing guidance on the implementation of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 “Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents” (the “Apostille Convention”). As of 11 September 2026, the Apostille certification system has officially been implemented in Vietnam. Accordingly, public documents circulated between Vietnam and Hague Convention member states having applicable relations with Vietnam (i.e., member states that have not objected to Vietnam’s accession) will require only a single Apostille certification, replacing the consular legalization procedure previously required. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also issued guidance on the procedures for submitting applications to certify documents by Apostillization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ One-Stop Service Division (Consular Department) and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City.

As of 11 September 2026, Japan is one of the 125 member states of the Apostille Convention having applicable relations with Vietnam. According to the Notice issued by the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan regarding the application of Apostille certification as a replacement for consular legalization, public documents circulated between Vietnam and Japan (and vice versa) will require only a single Apostille certification instead of the previous consular legalization procedure. This significantly simplifies the process for authenticating public documents exchanged between the two countries.

This Legal Update provides an overview of the key aspects of Apostille certification as applied between Vietnam and Japan, as well as its practical implications for Japanese businesses and individuals investing, conducting business, working, or residing in Vietnam.

Please click here for the full article.

Vietnamese: [Vietnam Legal Update] Chứng nhận Apostille chính thức thay thế cho hợp pháp hóa lãnh sự giữa Việt Nam và Nhật Bản kể từ ngày 11/9/2026

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