The FAS Localize blog
Notes on localization and AI.
Short, sourced answers on AI-assisted translation, certified documents and Vietnam paperwork. Every fact links to the page it came from.
More articles
Which Countries Still Need Vietnam Legalization?
Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic still need consular legalization for Vietnam documents; the other 125 Convention countries only need an Apostille.
One Model for QE and Post-Editing
A unified 0.5B model scores and fixes translations in one pass, but a translator study found smarter highlights alone don't speed up post-editing.
VNeID Without a Temporary Residence Card
Since September 28, 2026, foreigners can get VNeID without a temporary residence card. Who qualifies, what to bring, and how long the account takes.
FBI Background Check Apostille for Vietnam
An FBI background check apostille for Vietnam comes from the U.S. State Department, not your state. The $20 fee, 6-month rule and translation step explained.
Error-Free Segment Detection in Translation
WMT26 made error-free segment detection its own task. See how pipelines now decide a translated segment needs zero human review, with no reference text.
Vietnam Work Permit Documents: How to File
Vietnam work permit documents under Decree 219/2025: Form 03, health check, criminal record, photos, legalized papers and the 60-to-10-day filing window.
LLM Judge vs COMET for Translation
LLM judge vs COMET for translation: WMT25 found LLMs rank MT engines well but lose to reference-based metrics on single sentences. How to use each one.
Open-Source QE Tools for Machine Translation
Open source quality estimation tools for machine translation: what OpenKiwi, TransQuest and xCOMET do, and why WMT25 says a human still checks the score.
Can You Extend a Vietnam E-Visa After Arrival?
No. Vietnam's Immigration Department confirms e-visas have no extension step. Here are the two paths you can actually take before your 90 days run out.
Do US Documents Need an Apostille for Vietnam?
Yes: since 11 September 2026 the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington stopped legalizing US documents. Here is the Apostille process to use instead.
Cards Stolen on a Flight to Da Nang: What to Do
Cards stolen on a flight to Da Nang? Report it at the airport police with an interpreter, then send the stamped report to your bank. Two real cases inside.
How to Translate a Shopify Store with AI
How to translate a Shopify store with AI through the Admin API: enable a locale, read digests, draft, score with QE, write back and publish the language.
Machine Translation Error Types
Common machine translation errors and how to fix them, sorted by MQM severity: minor, major, critical, with before/after examples a post-editor can apply.
Vietnam's Online Temporary Residence Rule
Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA puts foreigners' temporary residence declarations on one nationwide online system, replacing a 2016 rule, effective 24 July 2026.
How to Apply for an Apostille in Vietnam
Vietnam's Apostille system started 11 September 2026 under Decree 293/2026/ND-CP. Here is how to apply, who issues it, and why translation is still required.
Reference-free vs reference-based QE: the split
Reference-based metrics score a translation against a human reference, while QE without references judges it alone. Here is when each one fits best.
Error Span Annotation and What It Means for MTPE
Error span annotation (ESA) scores machine translation by marking errors, then rating the segment. Here is how it works and why it matters when you buy MTPE.
Browse by topic
Have content to localize?
Send us a sample. We will post-edit it and send back an MQM error report, free.