Vietnam (VN)
Vietnam is a dynamic, rapidly developing Socialist Republic stretching 1,650km down the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula — a country of extraordinary geographical diversity, from the karst mountains of the north and the Red River Delta, through the stunning coastline of the Central region, to the vast Mekong Delta in the south.
Qualification Recognition
Getting your foreign credentials recognised in Vietnam.
Vietnam has a formal system for recognising foreign qualifications, primarily governed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET — Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo) for academic degrees and by sector-specific ministries for professional licences. For the purposes of work permit applications, foreign qualifications must be legalised (or apostilled from countries that are Hague members), translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator, and verified. For regulated professions (medicine, law, pharmacy, architecture, engineering), additional Vietnamese licensing is required. Vietnam does not have an equivalent to the EU's Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications framework — recognition is done bilaterally or case-by-case. IMPORTANT 2026 UPDATE: Vietnam deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 31 December 2025; the Convention will enter into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026. Until that date, all foreign documents for use in Vietnam still require full consular legalisation, NOT apostille alone.
Regulated Professions
Process: Step 1: Until 11 September 2026, have foreign degree consularly legalised (full chain: home country certification → Vietnamese Embassy attestation → Vietnamese MFA). After 11 September 2026, apostille from a Hague Convention member state will be accepted. Step 2: Have degree translated into Vietnamese by a certified Vietnamese translation office, then notarised at a Vietnamese state notary (phòng công chứng). Step 3: Apply to the relevant ministry for qualification recognition (công nhận văn bằng nước ngoài). Step 4: Some professions require passing a Vietnamese professional examination (bác sĩ, luật sư). Step 5: Apply for professional licence from the relevant authority with all documentation. Medical and law licences: most restrictive — passing Vietnamese exams required and practice limited. Engineering and architecture: recognition possible with documentation review and supplementary examination in some cases.
Authority: Academic degree recognition: MOET (moet.gov.vn). Medical/health professions: Ministry of Health (moh.gov.vn) — Department of Medical Personnel. Legal profession: Vietnam Bar Federation (luat su viet nam). Construction/engineering/architecture: Ministry of Construction. Finance/accounting/auditing: Ministry of Finance / VACPA. Teaching: MOET Department of Personnel.
Timeline: 3–6 months for academic recognition. Professional licensing: 6–18 months depending on profession and whether examinations are required.
Cost: Document apostille and legalisation: USD 50–300 depending on origin country. Vietnamese translation and notarisation: VND 2,000,000–8,000,000 per degree set. Application fees: VND 200,000–2,000,000 depending on ministry. Professional examination preparation: varies. Legal agent fees: USD 500–3,000 if using a relocation or compliance firm.
Academic Degrees
Authority: Ministry of Education and Training (MOET — Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo) — Department of Education Quality Management
Process: Submit foreign degree (apostilled) + certified Vietnamese translation + application form to MOET (or provincial Department of Education). MOET issues a Recognition Certificate (Giấy công nhận văn bằng nước ngoài). Recognition is for the purpose of employment, further study or professional licensing in Vietnam. Required for all teaching positions in accredited Vietnamese schools and for academic roles at Vietnamese universities.
Equivalency service: MOET publishes a list of internationally recognised universities. Degrees from QS Top 500 universities are generally recognised without additional review. Other universities may require additional supporting documentation (transcripts, course outlines). Contact MOET directly (moet.gov.vn) for specific university recognition status.
Document Rules
Apostille: CRITICAL 2026 UPDATE: Vietnam acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 31 December 2025, but the Convention does NOT enter into force for Vietnam until 11 September 2026. Until 11 September 2026, apostilles are NOT accepted by Vietnamese authorities — full consular legalisation is still required for all foreign documents. After 11 September 2026, documents from Hague Convention member countries may be apostilled (rather than fully legalised) to be accepted in Vietnam. Monitor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mofa.gov.vn) for implementation guidance. Common documents for work permits: criminal background check, university degree, marriage certificate, birth certificate.
Legalisation: Until 11 September 2026: full consular legalisation is required for ALL foreign documents used in Vietnam (as the Apostille Convention is not yet in force for Vietnam). Legalisation chain: (1) Notarise the document or obtain official certification in the country of origin. (2) Have the document authenticated by the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in the origin country. (3) Have the embassy authentication further authenticated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bộ Ngoại giao — Cục Lãnh sự — mofa.gov.vn). This process typically takes 3–8 weeks and costs USD 100–500+ depending on document type and country. After 11 September 2026, countries that are Hague members will be able to use apostille instead of the full legalisation chain.
Sworn translation: Vietnamese law does not use the term "sworn translation" — instead requires "certified translation" (dịch thuật công chứng): translation performed by a registered Vietnamese translator at a certified translation company (công ty dịch thuật) and notarised at a Vietnamese state notary office (phòng công chứng). The notary does not authenticate the content accuracy, only the translator's signature. Use companies near notary offices for efficiency. Translation rates: VND 100,000–400,000 per page. Standard completion: 1–3 business days.
Counselling & Help
- - MOET Recognition Department: +84 24 3869 1271 or via moet.gov.vn contact form
- - Provincial Departments of Education and Training (Sở GD-ĐT) for local recognition queries
- - International School representatives (BVIS, UNIS Hanoi, BIS HCMC) — for teacher qualification recognition in their specific curricula
- - VCCA (Vietnam Competition and Consumer Authority) — not for qualification recognition but for education-related consumer complaints
- - Immigration and relocation consultants: KPMG Law, Dezan Shira & Associates, Viettonkin Consulting — provide document preparation and recognition navigation services
Typical Timelines
Work permit document preparation (degree apostille + translation + notarisation): 3–8 weeks depending on origin country. MOET academic recognition: 30–60 working days. Medical licence (including Vietnamese examination): 12–24 months. Bar admission for foreign-qualified lawyer: 18–36 months (very restricted). Engineering recognition: 3–6 months with complete documentation. Building a full compliance file for a senior expat hire: typically 2–3 months minimum from contract signing to work permit issuance.
The most common work permit documentation errors for expats: (1) Apostille not requested — employer assumes notarisation alone is sufficient. (2) Degree translated but not notarised at Vietnamese state notary. (3) Criminal record check more than 6 months old at time of work permit submission — allow buffer time. (4) Experience letters from previous employers not meeting the content requirements (must specify role, duration, responsibilities in sufficient detail). (5) Different name spelling on degree vs. passport — must be exactly consistent. Engage a local immigration specialist for first-time work permit applications to avoid the most common rejection reasons.
Qualification Recognition
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