Foreigner held or questioned by police in Vietnam: your rights and first steps
When the police are involved there is no route to choose: the matter follows criminal procedure, and the useful question is what to ask for in the first hours. Three requests matter most. Ask for your embassy or consulate to be notified; consular officers can visit, reach your family and give you a list of local lawyers. Ask for an interpreter, and do not sign any record you cannot fully understand. And ask for defence counsel — a lawyer licensed in Vietnam, whom family, friends or your employer can engage for you. You are not obliged to give statements against yourself or to admit guilt.
Decisions about custody, temporary detention, bail or an exit ban are taken under the same procedure, so ask your lawyer which measure applies and whether a lighter one can be requested. The red box in the tool is there for a reason: if anyone offers to make the case disappear for money, refuse. Paying is itself a crime and can turn a minor matter into a serious one; deal only through your lawyer and official channels, with receipts. If you are helping someone else, keep a copy of their passport, the names of the officers and every paper handed over. The tool below shows the earliest stage.
The case on this page (6)
| Who are you? | A foreigner living in Vietnam |
|---|---|
| What is the dispute about? | Police are investigating me or holding me |
| Is there a written arbitration clause? | Not sure / nothing in writing |
| Where is the other side and its money or property? | In Vietnam |
| Where are things now? | Nothing formal has happened yet |
| Documents issued abroad you will rely on | None of these |
Answer to see your result
Save it as a route plan
The printout holds only the result above, laid out on one A4 sheet — print it or save it as PDF to bring to a meeting with your lawyer or partner.
Used only to print on the heading, on your own device — never sent, never stored.How to use
- Answer the 6 questions: Who are you; What is the dispute about; Is there a written arbitration clause; Where is the other side and its money or property; Where are things now; Documents issued abroad you will rely on. Questions come with the most common answer pre-selected — change only what differs in your case.
- The result appears right below and updates as you change an answer. Numbers on the summary line are tappable and jump to that section.
- Tap Share this result to send a link: whoever opens it sees the same answers and result (the name on the printout is never put in the link).
- Tap Print or save as PDF for a one-page A4 sheet holding only the result.
Common cases
- Which route for your dispute in Vietnam?Choose every answer yourself
- A foreign company chasing an unpaid debt in VietnamYour Vietnamese buyer or partner has stopped paying. Where the claim goes (court or arbitration), the demand letter, the papers to gather and the power of attorney you will need from abroad.
- An employee in a dispute with an employer in VietnamUnpaid salary, dismissal or missing social insurance in Vietnam: when a labour mediator comes first, which disputes go straight to court, and what a foreign employee must check about the work permit.
- A foreigner getting divorced in VietnamA foreigner divorcing in Vietnam: mutual-consent recognition or a contested case, the papers the court asks for, what happens to land and houses, children, and recording a divorce granted abroad.
- A foreign brand owner facing counterfeits in VietnamFake goods or online listings using your brand in Vietnam: check your registration, gather dated evidence, warning letters and takedowns, then administrative action, a lawsuit or a criminal complaint.
- A foreigner fined or hit by a decision of a Vietnamese authorityA traffic fine, a visa or residence penalty, a decision from a local authority: the right to explain, the first complaint to the official who signed, a second complaint or an administrative lawsuit, and exit bans.
- A foreigner questioned, held or investigated by police in VietnamCalled in, held or investigated by police in Vietnam: ask for the embassy to be told, an interpreter and defence counsel; do not sign what you cannot read; never pay anyone to make it go away.
- Enforcing a foreign judgment or arbitral award in VietnamYou won abroad and the debtor or its assets are in Vietnam: why a Vietnamese court must recognise the judgment or award first, which papers it wants, and how awards and court judgments differ.
Questions and answers
What does the tool ask for?
It asks 6 things: Who are you; What is the dispute about; Is there a written arbitration clause; Where is the other side and its money or property; Where are things now; Documents issued abroad you will rely on. No sign-up, no ID numbers or personal details.
Is anything I enter stored?
No. The result is worked out in your own browser. When you share, your answers travel inside the link so the other person sees the same result; the name printed on the sheet is never put in the link.
How do I send the result to someone?
Tap "Share this result" below the result: on a phone it opens the share sheet, on a computer the link is copied for you to paste. For paper, tap "Print or save as PDF".
Does the result replace advice from the authorities or a lawyer?
General information under Vietnamese law in force — confirm with the competent court, authority or a lawyer licensed in Vietnam before acting. Not legal advice. The tool on Vietnam Justice helps you prepare in the right direction.