On December 31, 2025, Vietnam formally deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, commonly known as the Apostille Convention. The announcement was communicated by the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH, the body responsible for the Convention.
🚨 With this accession, the Apostille Convention now has 129 Contracting Parties and will enter into force for Vietnam on September 11, 2026.
This is particularly relevant news for individuals and companies with legal, family, or professional ties between Vietnam and Spain, as well as for any international procedure involving Vietnamese or Spanish public documents.
⏺️ Why is this accession important?
Until now, public documents issued in Vietnam that were required to have legal effect in Spain — and vice versa — were subject to a complex process of diplomatic or consular legalization. This involved multiple authorities, higher costs, and significantly longer processing times.
With the entry into force of the Apostille Convention for Vietnam:
- Traditional consular legalization will no longer be required.
- A single apostille will be sufficient for a public document to be recognized in other Contracting States.
- The international circulation of documents will be significantly simplified.
This represents a clear improvement in legal certainty, administrative efficiency, and the reduction of bureaucratic barriers in cross-border procedures.
⏺️ Who will be directly affected?
Vietnam’s accession to the Apostille Convention has a direct impact on a wide range of practical situations, including:
- Visa applications and residence permits in Spain based on documents issued in Vietnam.
- Spanish nationality procedures involving Vietnamese civil certificates.
- Study-related procedures, academic recognitions, and degree validations.
- Family reunification processes, marriage registrations, and birth registrations.
- Commercial, corporate, or employment-related operations with an international component.
From September 2026 onward, these procedures may be handled using apostilled documents, eliminating intermediate steps that have historically caused delays and administrative issues.
⏺️ Key points to keep in mind going forward
Although the accession is already confirmed, two key aspects should be highlighted:
- The Convention will enter into force for Vietnam on September 11, 2026. Until that date, the traditional legalization system will continue to apply.
- The apostille does not replace other common requirements, such as sworn translations into Spanish when required.
Advance planning is particularly important in immigration and nationality procedures, where documents often have limited periods of validity.
⏺️ How ARC Legal can assist you
At ARC Legal, we regularly support individuals and companies in procedures with a strong international component, especially those requiring the proper legalization or apostille of foreign documents in order to be valid in Spain.
Our team can assist you with:
- Preliminary analysis of the documentation required based on the country of origin and the type of procedure.
- Determining which system applies in each case: apostille or diplomatic/consular legalization.
- End-to-end coordination of apostilles and international legalizations.
- Review of civil, academic, administrative, or commercial certificates issued abroad.
- Management of sworn translations and monitoring of document validity periods.
- Preparation and filing of immigration, nationality, and international mobility applications in Spain.
Our goal is to ensure that any regulatory change or procedural simplification in document legalization translates into well-structured, secure, and issue-free files, avoiding unnecessary delays and subsequent requests due to formal defects.
If you have questions about which system applies to your case, applicable deadlines, competent authorities, or required documentation, you may initiate the process through our document management form.
Related publications
- Legalization and apostille of Spanish degrees and diplomas for students who have already returned to their home country
- Legalization of EUIPO documents
- Algeria simplifies document legalization through its accession to the Hague Convention
¿Prefieres leer este artículo en español 🇪🇸? Aquí tienes el enlace: Vietnam se adhiere al Convenio de la Apostilla: un cambio clave para la validez internacional de documentos
The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration regulations are subject to continuous interpretative and administrative changes. At ARC Legal, we make every effort to keep information up to date and verified against official sources; however, we always recommend consulting a specialized professional before initiating any procedure or making legal decisions. If you require personalized legal advice regarding your situation, you may contact our firm.