Quick answer
- Since 11 September 2026
- Apostille by the Consular Department (Hanoi) or HCMC External Relations Department
- Translation
- Sworn translator; Dutch, French, German or English
- If the Embassy still requires legalisation
- Vietnamese legalisation, then Embassy e-Legalisation (€25 per document)
On this page
Vietnamese documents for use in Belgium: apostille
- Vietnam's Ministry of Justice states that the Apostille Convention applies between Vietnam and member states that did not object, from 11 September 2026. The FPS Foreign Affairs legalisation search tool (checked 2 October 2026) lists Vietnamese documents for use in Belgium as requiring an apostille from the Vietnamese authority.
- Apostilles are issued by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (40 Tran Phu, Hanoi) or the Ho Chi Minh City External Relations Department, in person, by post, or online for electronic documents; VND 30,000 per copy, usually 1 working day for up to 4 documents.
- Have documents translated by a sworn translator into Dutch, French, German or English. A translation made in Vietnam also needs certification as a separate document; translations e-signed by sworn translators registered with the FPS Justice need nothing more.
- The Embassy's legalisation page and visa checklists were published before 11 September 2026 and still describe legalisation. If unsure, email the Embassy before preparing documents.
Updated: Sources: Bộ Tư pháp Việt Nam — Việt Nam gia nhập Công ước Apostille (hiệu lực 11/09/2026), Bộ Ngoại giao Bỉ — công cụ tra cứu hợp pháp hóa / Apostille theo nước (chọn Vietnam), Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam — legalisation of documents
If the Embassy still requires two-step legalisation
- Legalisation by Vietnam's Consular Department or the HCMC External Relations Department of the original and its translation; Vietnamese legalisation is valid for 6 months.
- Then e-Legalisation by the Belgian Embassy: submit at VFS Global (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang) or directly at the Embassy (Monday–Friday 9:00–12:00). Documents for a visa are submitted together with the visa application; VFS Hanoi only accepts documents linked to a visa.
- The Embassy only legalises documents issued in Vietnam, not Belgian documents.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Legalisation of documents | €25 |
Updated: Sources: FPS Foreign Affairs — fees for consular services (new amounts from 1 July, 1 August and 1 September 2026), Đại sứ quán Bỉ tại Việt Nam (Bộ Ngoại giao Bỉ)
€25 per document from 1 August 2026 per the FPS Foreign Affairs fee table; the Embassy's PDF fee table (1 July 2026) has not been updated and still lists €20.
Updated: Sources: Embassy of Belgium — e-Legalisation guide (9 July 2025), Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam — legalisation of documents, Embassy of Belgium — consular fees from 1 July 2026, FPS Foreign Affairs — fees for consular services (new amounts from 1 August and 1 September 2026)
Belgian documents for use in Vietnam
- The FPS search tool lists Belgian documents for use in Vietnam as requiring an apostille from the FPS Foreign Affairs in Brussels: €25 per apostille since 1 August 2026, electronic only.
- Belgian consular posts abroad, including the Embassy in Hanoi, do not affix apostilles. The Embassy's civil status page (21 January 2026) still mentions legalisation by the Vietnamese Embassy in Brussels; check with the Vietnamese authority receiving the document.
Updated: Sources: Bộ Ngoại giao Bỉ — công cụ tra cứu hợp pháp hóa / Apostille theo nước (chọn Vietnam), FPS Foreign Affairs — legalisation and apostille of Belgian documents in Brussels, Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam — civil status: marriage in Vietnam, CNEM (French), FPS Foreign Affairs — registration of foreign civil status certificates in Belgium