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Vietnam joins the Apostille Convention: easier use of Vietnamese documents in the Netherlands
The use of Vietnamese public documents in the Netherlands has become easier. Vietnam has joined the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026.
The change is particularly relevant for individuals who need to submit Vietnamese public documents to Dutch authorities, including as part of immigration procedures.
What does the Apostille Convention do?
The Apostille Convention is designed to abolish the traditional requirement of diplomatic or consular legalisation of foreign public documents. For documents falling within its scope, that process is replaced by an apostille issued by a competent authority in the country in which the document originates.
The Convention covers, among other things, administrative documents, notarial acts and documents emanating from judicial authorities. Certain documents, including documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents and certain documents relating directly to commercial or customs operations, are excluded.
What does this mean for Vietnamese documents?
Vietnam deposited its instrument of accession on 31 December 2025, and the Convention subsequently entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026.
For public documents covered by the Convention, an apostille can therefore in principle replace the more extensive diplomatic or consular legalisation procedure.
The apostille certifies, among other things, the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp attached to it.
Nevertheless, Vietnam’s accession represents an important practical simplification for individuals using Vietnamese public documents in the Netherlands. The central purpose of the Convention is to replace diplomatic or consular legalisation with a single apostille.
In an immigration context, this may for example be relevant where Vietnamese public documents are required to demonstrate civil status or family relationships.