UK Documents for Vietnam Work Permits: Apostille Guide

If you are planning to work in Vietnam with UK-issued qualifications, your documents will usually need to go through a full legalisation process before they are accepted. Understanding the requirements for UK documents Vietnam work permit apostille and attestation is essential to avoid delays that could affect your visa timeline or start date.

Vietnam is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, which means an FCDO apostille alone is not sufficient. Your documents will also require attestation by the Vietnam Embassy in London. The exact requirements can vary depending on whether you are submitting a degree, a TEFL certificate or a criminal record check, and the specific instructions issued by your employer, school or the Vietnamese authority handling your work permit.

This guide breaks down the preparation for each document type, explains the legalisation process and helps you plan your timeline so your paperwork is ready when you need it.

An apostille is a certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that authenticates a document for international use. For countries that are members of the Hague Convention, an apostille is usually the only legalisation step required. However, Vietnam has not joined the Convention, so Vietnamese authorities typically require an additional embassy attestation step after the apostille. Note – Vietnam will be joining the Apostille convention later this year (2026).

This means the standard legalisation process for UK documents destined for Vietnam work permits involves:

1. Document preparation, which may include solicitor or notary public certification depending on the document type.
2. FCDO apostille, issued through our apostille service.
3. Vietnam Embassy attestation, carried out by the Embassy of Vietnam in London.

Our Vietnam attestation service covers the full legalisation process, including the embassy step where required.

UK degree certificates and other academic qualifications are among the most commonly legalised documents for Vietnam work permits. Whether you hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or postgraduate diploma, the preparation process typically follows the same pattern.

Step 1: Solicitor or notary public certification. The FCDO does not apostille original academic certificates directly. Instead, a solicitor or notary public must certify the document. This involves the solicitor adding a certification statement, signing and stamping the certified copy with their professional details.

Step 2: FCDO apostille. The certified version is then submitted to the FCDO for an apostille. Most apostille orders are completed in 1-2 working days through our service.

Step 3: Vietnam Embassy attestation. The apostilled document is then submitted to the Vietnam Embassy for attestation. This step typically takes around 7 working days, though processing times are set by the embassy and can vary.

In some cases, the awarding university or institution may need to verify the document before solicitor certification can proceed. This is more common with older certificates or institutions that have changed name or merged. If you are unsure whether your degree is eligible, contact us and we can advise on the preparation options.

Vietnam is a popular destination for English language teachers, and many employers and schools require TEFL, CELTA or equivalent teaching certificates to be legalised as part of the work permit process. However, not all TEFL certificates can be legalised in the same way, and some may not be eligible at all.

The key factor is whether the certificate can be verified through the awarding provider. Well-known providers with established verification processes, such as many  TEFL providers, are generally straightforward. Smaller or online-only TEFL providers may be more difficult to verify, which can create problems at the solicitor certification stage.

If you hold a TEFL certificate from a lesser-known provider, we recommend getting in touch before placing an order. We can check whether the certificate is likely to be eligible for UK legalisation and advise on any alternative approaches. See our apostille prices page for details on costs for different document types.

As with degrees, TEFL and CELTA certificates require solicitor certification before the apostille can be issued. The original certificate is usually needed for this step.

A clean criminal record check is a standard requirement for Vietnam work permits. For UK applicants, this usually means obtaining either a basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check or an ACRO police certificate, depending on what the Vietnamese authority or employer specifies.

Freshness matters. Many Vietnamese authorities and employers require the criminal record check to have been issued within a specific timeframe, often within the last 6 months, though this can vary. The acceptable age of the document depends entirely on the requesting party, so always confirm the freshness requirement before ordering your check. Ordering too early could mean the document expires before your work permit is processed.

Unlike academic certificates, DBS and ACRO documents are typically apostilled directly without solicitor certification, because they are issued as original signed documents by a UK government body. The legalisation route is usually:

1. Obtain a recent DBS basic disclosure or ACRO police certificate.
2. Submit the original for FCDO apostille.
3. Submit the apostilled document for Vietnam Embassy attestation.

Because freshness is critical, we recommend planning backwards from your intended start date or visa deadline. Factor in the time needed to receive the check itself (which can take several weeks from ACRO), plus the apostille and embassy attestation processing times. If you are working to a tight deadline, contact us early so we can help you plan the sequence.

One of the most common mistakes people make when preparing UK documents for Vietnam is underestimating how long the full process takes. Multiple steps, each with their own processing time, can add up quickly.

Here is a rough guide to help you plan, though actual timescales may vary:

• DBS or ACRO certificate: Allow several weeks depending on the type of check and any processing backlogs.
• Solicitor certification (for degrees, TEFL certificates): Usually completed within 1-2 working days when handled through our service.
• FCDO apostille: Most orders are completed in 1-2 working days.
• Vietnam Embassy attestation: Typically around 7 working days, though this is subject to the embassy’s own schedule.
• Courier time to Vietnam: Allow 3-7 working days for international delivery depending on your chosen service.

If you are starting a teaching position at a Vietnamese school in September, for example, we would recommend beginning the legalisation process no later than June or July. For employers with rolling start dates, aim to have documents ready at least 4-6 weeks before your intended arrival date.

Keep in mind that if any step encounters an issue, such as a verification delay with a TEFL provider or an embassy closure, the entire timeline can shift. Starting early gives you a buffer to handle unexpected holdups.

Hague Apostille is a registered FCDO service provider. We can manage the solicitor certification, FCDO apostille and Vietnam Embassy attestation steps on your behalf, reducing the number of steps you need to coordinate individually.

Requirements can vary depending on the destination country, requesting authority and document type. We can advise on the apostille and legalisation process for UK documents, but you should confirm the exact requirements with the organisation requesting your document before placing an order.