If you need to apostille Singapore documents for Vietnam, the process became much simpler in September 2026. Vietnamese residents in Singapore, Singapore-Vietnam couples and Singapore companies investing in Vietnam used to go through SAL and then queue at the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore. From 11 September 2026, SAL's apostille is the only certificate a covered Singapore public document needs.
We are a private service provider and are not affiliated with the Singapore Academy of Law. We prepare your documents, book the notary where one is needed, and collect the SAL apostille for you in Singapore. The Vietnamese authority receiving the document still decides what it accepts, so check its list before you start.
What changed for Vietnam on 11 September 2026
Vietnam deposited its accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 31 December 2025, and it entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026. Vietnam's Decree No. 293/2026/ND-CP of 23 July 2026 sets out how it applies: a public document from another member state carrying an apostille, in paper or electronic form, is accepted without consular legalisation.
For Singapore, that means:
- Before: notary (if private) → SAL → Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore (consular legalisation)
- Now: notary (if private) → SAL apostille → use in Vietnam
Singapore was not among the states that objected to Vietnam's accession, so the Convention applies between the two countries. (Germany, Austria and Czechia objected, so it does not apply between Vietnam and those three.)
Two limits remain. The Convention does not cover documents issued by diplomatic or consular officers, or administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, such as some certificates of origin. Vietnamese missions have said they will keep legalising documents that fall outside the Convention, such as those commercial or customs papers. If your document falls in that group, ask the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore before submitting. For other countries still needing an embassy step, see our embassy legalisation service.
Documents legalised under the old embassy process
If you had Singapore documents legalised by the Embassy of Vietnam before 11 September 2026, you do not need to redo them just because the rules changed. Vietnamese missions have confirmed that documents legalised before that date remain valid without re-certification.
What may matter more is the document's age. For marriage registration, Vietnamese civil status rules treat a foreign marital status document that states no validity period as valid for six months from issue. Other offices set their own limits. If yours is older, it may need a fresh copy, and that copy would go through the new, shorter route.
A client with a statutory declaration of single status for a property "pink book" application asked whether an embassy legalisation done before 11 September would still count. It does; the question that remains is whether the land office applies an age limit to declarations.
Marriage and single status documents for Vietnam
Couples registering a marriage in Vietnam do so with the local People's Committee's justice office, which sets its own list. The Singapore partner usually needs proof of being free to marry. Singapore has no "no impediment" certificate for this, so a Vietnam-bound set is usually built from:
- The Registry of Marriages records search (or the ROMM equivalent), showing no Singapore marriage on file
- A single status declaration you swear in front of the notary
- Proof that an earlier marriage ended (the divorce judgment, or the former spouse's death certificate), if there was one
- A notarised certified true copy of your passport
The statutory declaration and passport copy are private documents, so a notary signs them first and SAL authenticates the notary for SGD 87.20 each. The divorce judgment and death certificate come from a Singapore court or ICA, so SAL apostilles them directly. The search result issued by ROM is also a public document that SAL authenticates directly, as Singapore's missions in Vietnam confirm; a screenshot of ROM's free on-screen search does not qualify. It can also be exhibited to the declaration.
Single status declarations are also requested for property in Vietnam. When a Vietnamese citizen living in Singapore buys or sells a home, the land office may ask for proof of marital status before issuing or updating the land use rights certificate, often called the "pink book". For how the Singapore paperwork is assembled, read about single status certificate apostille; couples comparing countries can also see apostille for marriage abroad.
ICA letters for renouncing Vietnamese citizenship
Vietnamese nationals who take up Singapore citizenship often need to renounce Vietnamese nationality, and the file lodged with the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore can include ICA's letter on the Singapore citizenship application. ICA is a government body, so its letter is a public document: SAL can apostille the original without a notary.
Under the old process, the embassy asked for the ICA letter to be legalised by SAL and then by the embassy itself. Now that the Convention applies, the SAL apostille should replace the embassy's legalisation. Because this application is lodged with the Vietnamese mission itself, and the embassy has not published an updated checklist that we could find, confirm with it what it now wants on the ICA letter before you submit.
A new Singapore citizen needed the ICA approval letter authenticated for a renunciation application at the Embassy of Vietnam. A government letter does not need a notary, so the original goes to SAL directly.
Company documents for Vietnam
Investment and enterprise registration in Vietnam usually require apostilled parent-company documents such as:
- The investor's ACRA Business Profile, plus its Certificate of Incorporation where asked
- The Singapore company's constitution
- Directors' resolutions approving the Vietnam project and naming the authorised representative
- A POA letting a Vietnamese law firm or consultant file on the company's behalf
- Certified copies of the legal representatives' passports
ACRA Business Profiles and Business Certificates in OpenAttestation format can receive an SAL e-Apostille within minutes. Vietnam's Decree 293/2026 recognises electronic apostilles, but the Vietnamese office must accept the digital file itself, because a printout of an e-Apostille has no legal effect. If the office wants paper, we get a paper apostille instead. The resolutions, the POA and the passport copies are private papers, so the notary deals with them before SAL. More on the Singapore side: company documents apostille and apostille for overseas company setup.
Apostille for Vietnam price and time
| Service for Vietnam | Government fees included | Our all-in price (from) |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille on an ICA letter, ROM search, court document or local degree | SGD 10.70 | SGD 25 per document |
| ACRA Business Profile, paper apostille or e-Apostille | SGD 10.70 | SGD 25 per document |
| Notarised passport copy + apostille | SGD 172.20 | SGD 185 per document |
| Single status declaration or POA signed before a notary + apostille | SGD 202.20 | SGD 215 per document |
| Company resolutions or constitution | Notary + SAL | SGD 225 per document |
| Embassy of Vietnam legalisation | None for covered documents | Not needed |
A typical marriage set needs no embassy fee on top. With no embassy queue left, the whole set is normally ready in 1–2 working days. Vietnamese translation is done separately, usually in Vietnam. See apostille price for our packages.
Ready when you are
Get your Singapore documents apostilled for Vietnam
Tell us what the Vietnamese office asked for and send us scans. We will confirm which items need a notary, whether an e-Apostille suits, and your total before any work starts.
- A scan or phone photo of each document
- The passport of anyone who will sign
- Which People's Committee, land office or law firm in Vietnam asked for it
- When you need it back, and where in Singapore to deliver it
Not sure whether your paper is public or private? The public vs private documents guide explains it, and the apostille price page lists our packages. You can also call or WhatsApp us on +65 3129 4104, Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm.
Last verified 29 September 2026. We are a private service provider and are not affiliated with the Singapore Academy of Law.