In Vietnam, notarisation (cong chung) is a notary confirming that a contract, transaction or translation is authentic and lawful, while certification (chung thuc) is an authority confirming that a copy matches its original, that a signature is genuine, or that a simple contract was signed by the people named. Notarisation checks content; certification mostly checks form. Which one you need depends on the paper and on what the receiving authority or the law requires.
The confusion is understandable. English translations of Vietnamese forms and websites often use the word notarised for both, and agents sometimes say notarise when they mean get a certified copy. Getting it wrong means a paper that is rejected at the counter, a wasted trip and sometimes a missed deadline. This guide explains the two acts, who performs each after the 2025 local government reform, and how to decide which one you are being asked for.
Two words that English blurs together
Vietnamese law keeps two separate systems. Cong chung is notarisation, performed by notaries at notary practice organisations. Chung thuc is certification, performed by public authorities and, for some acts, also by notaries. Each has its own rules, its own fees and its own consequences if something goes wrong.
The key difference is responsibility for content. When a notary notarises a contract, the notary takes professional responsibility for its lawfulness and for verifying that the parties have capacity and act voluntarily. When an official certifies a signature, they confirm that the person signed in front of them, but they do not vouch for what the document says. When they certify a copy, they confirm the copy matches the original shown, nothing more.
In everyday English you will see notarised copy, certified true copy, sao y, ban sao chung thuc and similar terms used loosely. When someone in Vietnam asks for a notarised copy of your passport, they almost always mean a certified copy made from the original. When a lawyer or a land office says a contract must be notarised, they mean full notarisation before a notary. Asking the person to write the Vietnamese term on a note is the fastest way to remove doubt.
Side-by-side: notarisation and certification
The table summarises the practical differences. Details vary by document type, so treat it as orientation, not as a rule book.
| Question | Notarisation (cong chung) | Certification (chung thuc) |
|---|---|---|
| What is confirmed | Authenticity and lawfulness of a contract or transaction; accuracy of a translation | That a copy matches its original, that a signature is genuine, or that a contract was signed by the named people |
| Who performs it | Notaries at state or private notary offices | Commune-level People's Committees, notary offices for some acts, and Vietnamese missions abroad |
| Content checked | Yes, in depth | Mostly no; the official checks form and identity |
| Typical use | Property sale or gift, mortgage, will, powers of attorney with wide scope, translations for official use | Copies of passports, degrees and certificates; signatures on declarations; translator signature on translations |
| Responsibility | Notary is professionally liable for lawfulness | Official answers for the act of certification, not for the content |
| Speed | Can take days for contracts | Often within the day for copies and signatures |
A practical rule: if money, property or rights change hands, expect notarisation. If you just need an official to confirm that a paper is a true copy or that you signed it, expect certification.
Who certifies after the July 2025 reform
Districts no longer exist as an administrative tier. From 1 July 2025 Vietnam moved to a two-tier local government system: provinces and centrally governed cities above, communes and wards below. The district-level justice divisions that used to handle part of the certification workload no longer exist, and their certification functions were redistributed, mostly to commune-level authorities.
Commune and ward People's Committees. For most foreigners, the counter for certified copies and signature certification is now the commune or ward People's Committee, often at its public administrative service point. Offices in large wards of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City see many foreign clients and are generally used to passports and foreign certificates.
Notary offices. Notaries may also certify copies and signatures. Many expats use private notary offices for copies because hours are longer and queues shorter. The legal value of the certified copy is the same.
Vietnamese missions abroad. Embassies and consulates can certify copies and signatures for documents to be used in Vietnam. This is often the easiest option for someone who is outside the country.
Check locally before you go. The redistribution of tasks after the reform was large, and local practice is still settling. Before a trip, check the current list of services at the commune office or on the public service portal, or ask a licensed lawyer.
Papers that typically need notarisation
These are situations where Vietnamese law or common practice usually calls for full notarisation rather than simple certification. Always confirm with the receiving authority, because exceptions exist:
- Contracts to sell, gift, exchange or mortgage land use rights and houses, with some exceptions where one party is a licensed real estate business.
- Wills, if you want the formal security of a notarised will, and agreements dividing an inheritance among heirs.
- Powers of attorney granting broad authority, especially over property, which recipients often insist on seeing notarised.
- Agreements on marital property where formal requirements apply.
- Translations meant for official use, which can be notarised by a notary working with a registered translator.
- Any contract where the parties choose notarisation for extra evidential weight, even when the law does not require it.
Notarisation does not replace registration. A notarised property contract still has to be registered with the land registration office before it takes full effect against third parties.
Papers that usually only need certification
For many everyday administrative tasks, a certified copy or a certified signature is enough. Asking for notarisation in these cases wastes time and money:
- Certified copies of a passport, residence card, degree, marriage certificate or birth certificate to attach to an application.
- Certification of your signature on a declaration, a statement or a simple letter of consent.
- Certification of a translator's signature on a translation, which is one common route to an officially usable translation.
- Copies of business documents submitted alongside an application, where the authority does not need the original.
- Simple contracts where the law does not require notarisation and the parties only want proof of who signed.
A certified copy is generally valid for as long as the original is valid, but many receiving offices want copies made recently. If an office asks for a copy certified within a certain period, follow that request even if the law does not strictly require it.
Common mix-ups and how to avoid them
The most frequent mistake is bringing a photocopy that was certified from another certified copy. Certified copies should be made from the original or, in some cases, from a document that the law treats as an original, such as an official extract. If your degree is in your home country and you only have a scan, a Vietnamese authority cannot certify a copy of it; you will need the original or a copy certified in the issuing country and then legalised.
The second mix-up is assuming that certification makes a foreign document usable in Vietnam. It does not. A certified copy of your foreign birth certificate is still a foreign document. For most official uses it needs consular legalisation first, then translation into Vietnamese, then certification of the translation. Certifying a copy of an unlegalised foreign paper does not cure the missing legalisation.
The third is going to the wrong counter. If an office says notarised but means certified, a notary will happily help, but you may pay more and wait longer. If an office says notarised and means it, a certified copy will be rejected. When in doubt, ask the requesting office to name the Vietnamese term or give an example of a document they accepted.
A hypothetical example: one move, two kinds of paper
Consider a hypothetical case. A Canadian engineer, newly married to a Vietnamese citizen, is settling in Ho Chi Minh City. Over a few months she deals with half a dozen offices, and each asks for something slightly different. Following her file shows how the two systems sit side by side in real life.
Her new employer's HR department wants copies of her passport and university degree. The degree is legalised and translated already, so she takes the original passport, the legalised degree and the translation to her ward People's Committee and leaves with certified copies the same morning. Nobody reviews the content; the official checks each copy against the original and stamps it. That is certification.
Later, the couple decide to buy an apartment, registered in her husband's name, with money that partly comes from her savings. Their lawyer recommends a written agreement on how that money is treated, and the sale contract itself has to be signed before a notary in Ho Chi Minh City, where the apartment is. The notary reads both documents, asks about their marriage, checks the seller's ownership papers and requires an interpreter for her. That is notarisation.
Finally, her bank at home asks for proof that she signed a declaration in Vietnam. She signs it in front of an official who certifies the signature, then has it legalised for use abroad. Three tasks, three different acts, and none of them interchangeable. Laying out a file this way, task by task, is the quickest way to know which counter to visit.
When you need a Vietnamese lawyer
For certified copies, you rarely need professional help. The situation changes when the choice between certification and notarisation affects the validity of a transaction. A contract that the law requires to be notarised may be void or unenforceable if it was only signed privately or merely certified, and that defect can surface years later during a dispute or a sale.
A licensed Vietnamese lawyer can tell you which form your specific contract needs, whether a simpler form would carry enough evidential weight, and how to fix a document that was signed in the wrong form. This matters for property, inheritance, company capital transfers and any agreement you might one day need to enforce in court.
Check the current requirements with the receiving authority or a licensed lawyer before you sign. Forms and requirements change, and the reorganisation of local government in 2025 moved many tasks between offices, so instructions you read even a year ago may already be out of date.
Frequently asked questions
Is a certified copy the same as a notarised copy in Vietnam?
In everyday speech people use both terms, but legally a copy is certified, not notarised. A certified copy confirms that it matches the original. Full notarisation applies to contracts, transactions and translations, where the notary also checks content and lawfulness.
Where do I get a certified copy of my passport in Vietnam?
You can usually get it at a commune or ward People's Committee or at a notary office. Bring the original passport and the copies. After the 2025 reform, district-level offices no longer exist, so commune and ward offices handle most of this work.
Can a Vietnamese notary certify a copy of a foreign document?
They can certify that a copy matches an original that is shown to them. That does not make the foreign document usable in Vietnam for official purposes. Most official uses still require consular legalisation of the original and a Vietnamese translation.
Does my property contract need notarisation or certification?
Contracts transferring or mortgaging land use rights and houses generally need notarisation or certification under land and housing rules, with exceptions involving real estate businesses. Which form applies depends on the transaction, so confirm with the land registration office or a licensed lawyer.
How long is a certified copy valid?
The law generally links a certified copy to the validity of the original. In practice, many Vietnamese offices ask for copies certified recently, often within a few months. Follow the request of the office receiving your file to avoid rejection.