Consular legalization at the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs is a procedure to verify the legal validity of foreign documents to be used in Vietnam. Because the requirements can be complex, it’s important to research thoroughly to avoid delays or legal issues.
When to get legalization at the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs?
Embassy legalization authenticates the signatures, seals, and official titles on foreign documents. This ensures your documents are legally valid for use in the destination country.
Legalization is essential when handling administrative procedures, such as:
- • Cross-country marriages
- • Work permits
- • International business establishment
- • Oversea studies
- • etc.
In Vietnam, legalization may be required for the following types of documents:
- • Degrees and certificates
- • Criminal record checks
- • Birth certificates
- • Marital status certificates
- • Marriage certificates
- • Driver’s licenses
- • etc.
Department of Foreign Affairs Vietnam: Office in Ho Chi Minh City

If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, you can submit your documents for consular legalization at the city’s Department of Foreign Affairs. This office operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, whose main headquarters is located in Hanoi.
In-person submissions can be made at:
- 📍 Address: 184 bis Pasteur Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- ⏱ Opening hours:
-
- • Monday – Friday: 07:45 – 11:15 and 13:15 – 16:00
- • Saturday: 07:45 – 11:15
For online submissions, you have to send your documents through courier to:
- 📍 Address: 6 Alexandre de Rhodes, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Requirements for legalization at the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs
To be eligible for consular legalization, your documents must meet the following conditions:
- • The content must be clear, intact, and free from any erasures or alterations.
- • There must be no inconsistencies or contradictions within the document or between documents in the same application.
- • Each document must be issued by a competent authority and bear an official seal and handwritten signature.
- • Documents must not contain any information that violates Vietnamese laws or regulations.
- • All stamps and signatures on the documents have been registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City.
Consular legalization fee at HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs
The current fee for consular legalization in Vietnam is 30,000 VND (approximately 1.15 USD) per stamp. The process may take around 1-5 business days.
Using a consular legalization service in Ho Chi Minh City may involve additional costs. However, it’s often the best way to ensure a smooth, efficient, and error-free process.
Professional consular legalization services
Navigating the legalization process at the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs can be complicated, if you’re unfamiliar with local laws and administrative procedures.
That’s where Thao & Co. comes in. Located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Thao & Co. is a trusted translation and legalization service provider.

Our Service Catalogue
We offer a wide variety of translation and consular legalization services, including:
- ✅ Expert consultation to help you prepare your documents accurately
- ✅ Notarized translations that meet the requirements of Vietnamese authorities.
- ✅ Full-service consular legalization handled on your behalf.
- ✅ Reliable processing and on-time delivery, as promised
Benefits of choosing Thao & Co.
With years of experience and thousands of successful projects under our belt, Thao & Co. is known for quality, speed, and reliability. Here’s what sets us apart:
- 🔸 Our team provides translations for various documents in 50+ language pairs, covering both widely spoken and less common languages.
- 🔸 Expert linguists with internationally recognized language degrees and certificates.
- 🔸 Our legal consultants are well-versed in legal procedures, keeping up with the latest updates on consular regulations.
- 🔸 Thao & Co. provides our Certificates of Translation Accuracy for documents to be used overseas.
- 🔸 Project confidentiality is strictly ensured with NDAs and an exclusive client dashboard.
Simply leave your information on our Get a Quote page, and we will get back to you with a free consultation!