Quick answer
- From 11 September 2026
- Apostille replaces consular legalisation (documents within the Convention)
- Where
- Competent Vietnamese Apostille authority (see apostille.lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn)
- Italian translation
- Still needed; certified by the Italian mission, €13 per sheet
- Final say
- The Italian authority receiving the file
On this page
Apostille in place of legalisation
- Vietnam deposited its accession on 31 December 2025; the Convention entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026 (HCCH).
- The HCCH status table lists objections only from Czechia, Austria and Germany; Italy did not object, so the Convention applies between Vietnam and Italy.
- The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: for Convention countries the Apostille replaces legalisation, issued by the competent national authority.
- The Vietnamese Embassy in Italy does not issue Apostilles; Vietnamese documents go to the Vietnamese Apostille authority (details at apostille.lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn).
- An Apostille certifies the signature, the capacity of the signer and the seal; it does not certify the content of the document.
Updated: Sources: HCCH — Viet Nam accedes to the 1961 Apostille Convention (in force 11 September 2026), HCCH — Apostille Convention status: Viet Nam accession and objections, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) — translation and legalisation of documents, Embassy of Viet Nam in Italy — Notice on the Apostille in place of consular legalisation from 11 September 2026
Steps
Ask the receiving office
Which documents, copies and translation it needs depends on the purpose.
Get the Apostille in Vietnam
From the competent Vietnamese authority (receiving office, documents, fees and time at apostille.lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn).
Translate into Italian
The mission publishes a non-exhaustive list of translators for reference.
Have the translation certified
MAECI requires translations certified as conforming to the original; where there are no officially recognised translators, the consular office certifies. Book by email (hochiminh.consolato@esteri.it or consolare.hanoi@esteri.it).
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certification of an Italian translation as conforming to the original | €13 |
Updated: Sources: Tổng Lãnh sự quán Ý tại TP. Hồ Chí Minh
Updated: Sources: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) — translation and legalisation of documents, Embassy of Viet Nam in Italy — Notice on the Apostille in place of consular legalisation from 11 September 2026, Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City — translation and legalisation of documents (in Vietnamese), Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City — consular fee table (in Italian)
Documents outside the Apostille
Under Article 1, the Convention does not cover documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents (for example the marriage nulla osta issued by the Italian Embassy) or administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations. These still follow legalisation.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Legalisation of civil status documents | €12 |
| Legalisation of other documents and signatures | €24 |
Updated: Sources: Tổng Lãnh sự quán Ý tại TP. Hồ Chí Minh
- As of 1 October 2026 some Italian mission pages, visa checklists and the VFS documents tab still describe the pre-11 September legalisation route; they have not been updated yet.
Updated: Sources: HCCH — 1961 Apostille Convention, full text (Article 1: scope), Embassy of Viet Nam in Italy — Notice on the Apostille in place of consular legalisation from 11 September 2026, Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City — translation and legalisation of documents (in Vietnamese), Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City — consular fee table (in Italian)