Checklist
Vietnam Apostille Fee and Processing Time
Vietnam apostille fee and processing time both come from Decree 293/2026/ND-CP: the fee is VND 30,000 per time, charged under the existing consular certification schedule, and standard processing runs 1 working day for a small dossier up to 4 working days for ten or more documents.
What does an apostille actually cost?
Decree 293/2026/ND-CP did not write a new price list when it took effect on 11 September 2026. It simply tells the applicant to pay "the consular certification and consular legalization fee" that already existed. Under the national consular fee schedule, consular certification costs VND 30,000 per time and consular legalization costs VND 30,000 per time — the fee an apostille request is billed against.
If you file online, Decree 293/2026/ND-CP requires the fee to go through the payment rules for electronic administrative procedures rather than a cash desk.
How many working days does an apostille take?
Decree 293/2026/ND-CP sets three brackets for a paper dossier, counted in working days from the point a complete, valid dossier is accepted.
| Documents in the dossier | Processing time (paper dossier) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 public documents | 1 working day |
| 5 to 9 public documents | 2 working days |
| 10 or more public documents | 4 working days |
Does an online dossier move faster?
For the largest bracket, yes. Decree 293/2026/ND-CP sets the processing time for an e-Apostille dossier of 10 or more public documents at 3 working days. The decree does not publish a separate electronic-only figure for the two smaller brackets in the text we reviewed, so plan around the paper figures above for those unless the issuing office tells you otherwise.
What pauses the processing clock?
Decree 293/2026/ND-CP builds in two specific pauses. Neither one shortens your deadline; both simply stop the clock until the issue is resolved.
Two delays that don't count against the posted days
- Incomplete dossier: the receiving agency gives one-time instructions to fix it, and the applicant gets up to 7 working days to supplement the dossier — that week is excluded from the processing time limit.
- Signature or seal verification: if the issuing agency's signature or seal needs confirming, the verifying agency has 5 working days to answer, or up to 10 working days for a complicated case.
- Neither delay is a penalty on your side; both are built into the decree as time the official clock stops running.
Where to check the current fee and time before you file
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes the receiving office, dossier list, fee and processing time on its dedicated portal, apostille.lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn.
For the submission steps themselves, see our guide to applying for an apostille in Vietnam.
American applicants carry an extra state-side step before any of this starts; see our US documents apostille breakdown.
Not sure what your own dossier will add up to once translation is in the mix? Send FAS Localize (faslocalize.com) a note with your document count and destination, and we will quote the certified-translation side of the job before you pay the ministry anything. Start at faslocalize.com/certified-translation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Vietnam apostille cost?
Decree 293/2026/ND-CP does not introduce a new fee; it charges the existing consular certification and consular legalization fee that was already in force. That fee is VND 30,000 per time for consular certification and VND 30,000 per time for consular legalization.
How long does an apostille take for one or two documents?
One working day. The decree's fastest bracket covers any dossier of 1 to 4 public documents, so a single birth certificate or diploma clears in a single working day once the dossier is accepted as complete.
Does filing a larger dossier take longer?
Yes. A dossier of 5 to 9 public documents gets 2 working days, and a paper dossier of 10 or more gets 4 working days. The same 10-or-more bracket filed as an e-Apostille gets 3 working days instead.
What can make an apostille take longer than the posted brackets?
Two things pause the clock: an incomplete dossier, which gives the applicant up to 7 working days to supplement without that time counting, and signature or seal verification, which can take 5 working days, or up to 10 for a complicated case.
Does the apostille fee include a translation?
No. The apostille only certifies the signature, title and seal on the original document, not its content or language. A document that is not in Vietnamese still needs a separate notarized or certified translation.
Sources
- Decree No. 293/2026/ND-CP guidance on Apostille Convention, LuatVietnam. Accessed Nov 13, 2026.
- Phí chứng nhận lãnh sự và hợp pháp hóa lãnh sự, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee (hochiminhcity.gov.vn). Accessed Nov 13, 2026.
- Áp dụng chứng nhận Apostille thay cho hợp pháp hóa lãnh sự kể từ ngày 11/9/2026, Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed Nov 13, 2026.
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