Legalisation for Vietnam
Since 11 September 2026 Vietnam has applied the Hague Apostille Convention, and the UK did not object, so a UK Companies House certificate for Vietnam normally needs only an FCDO apostille. The Vietnamese Embassy in London no longer legalises UK public documents within the Convention. Confirm translation and format with the recipient.
How a typical Vietnam document job runs
Three steps. Confirm the recipient’s written list first.
Confirm the Vietnamese recipient’s checklist
Get the investment, registration, bank or partner checklist in writing: documents, certified facts, document age, apostille format and whether a Vietnamese translation is needed and who must certify it.
Order Companies House documents (buy-now)
Order the Certificate of Good Standing, certified incorporation, articles or the pack. Standard Companies House orders aim to dispatch within 10 working days; we usually scan and send within 1 to 3 working days of receipt.
Request an apostille and translation quote
Since 11 September 2026 an FCDO apostille normally replaces Vietnamese consular legalisation for UK public documents. Official FCDO fees: paper £45, e-Apostille £35. Translation is quote-only.
What changed on 11 September 2026
Until September 2026, UK company documents for Vietnam needed an FCDO apostille followed by consular legalisation at the Vietnamese Embassy in London. The HCCH Apostille Convention status table (last update 30 June 2026) now records Viet Nam acceding on 31 December 2025, with the Convention in force from 11 September 2026. From that date, public documents travelling between Viet Nam and Convention members it has a treaty relationship with need a single apostille instead of consular legalisation.
Three countries objected to Viet Nam’s accession: Germany, Austria and Czechia. The Convention does not apply between Viet Nam and those three. The UK did not object, so for UK documents the apostille route applies. The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK has published a notice that it stopped accepting consular legalisation for UK public documents covered by the Convention from 11 September 2026, while continuing to legalise documents outside its scope.
Before you order: key points
- Match the written list. Vietnamese authorities, banks and partners may still be adjusting their checklists. If a checklist still names embassy legalisation, ask whether it was written before September 2026.
- Filings must be up to date for the summary statement. Run a free filings check first.
- No shareholders or PSCs on the certificate. Ownership evidence for investment registration usually needs other documents.
- We are a private agent. UKCOGS orders official documents and coordinates the FCDO step. We are not the FCDO, Companies House, GOV.UK or the Vietnamese Embassy, and we do not hold FCDO partner status.
- Apostille and translation are quote-only. We confirm we can fulfil before taking legalisation money.
- Documents only. We do not give Vietnamese legal, investment, visa, immigration or banking advice. Neither the certificate nor the apostille has a fixed legal expiry; the recipient decides how recent it must be.
Typical company-document requests for Vietnam (examples only)
When a UK company invests in, contracts with or registers a presence in Vietnam, checklists commonly name:
- a Certificate of Good Standing, often with directors and registered office
- a certified Certificate of Incorporation
- certified articles of association
- a board resolution or power of attorney, certified by a UK solicitor or notary before apostille
These are examples, not advice. If the list is unclear, use Which document do I need? or the pack builder, then send us the checklist with a quote request.
Worked example: before and after the change
A UK manufacturer is setting up a representative arrangement with a partner in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2025 its pack would have needed an FCDO apostille and then Vietnamese Embassy legalisation for each document, adding a separate embassy fee and queue. In October 2026 the partner’s lawyer confirms in writing that apostilled documents are now accepted. The company orders the company documents pack (£279 typical, ex VAT, Companies House fees included), requests three paper apostilles at £45 each in FCDO fees, and arranges a Vietnamese translation through a translator the partner’s lawyer approves. The embassy stage drops out completely.
Paper versus e-Apostille
GOV.UK says the e-Apostille (£35) needs a PDF electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor and takes up to 2 working days; the standard paper apostille (£45) usually takes up to 25 working days plus courier. Vietnamese recipients that are new to apostilles may prefer paper; ask in writing. Read paper apostille vs e-Apostille vs embassy.
Translation and freshness
Translation into Vietnamese is often required, and the recipient may specify who must certify it and whether it is done before or after the apostille. Companies House prints no expiry date; Vietnamese recipients set their own age limits. Check age with the document freshness helper. An apostille does not refresh an old certificate.
Common mistakes after the change
- Booking an embassy legalisation appointment that is no longer needed for Companies House documents.
- Using a pre-September 2026 checklist without asking whether it has been updated.
- Sending a free register download, which cannot be apostilled.
- Forgetting the Vietnamese translation, or translating before the recipient wanted.
- Assuming the Convention applies to every document, including commercial or customs papers.
Official fees (last checked 4 October 2026)
These are the official government fees from GOV.UK. UKCOGS buy-now prices for Companies House documents sit alongside them and include the Companies House fee.
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FCDO paper apostille (standard)Per document, plus courier or postage | £45 | GOV.UK legalisation |
| FCDO e-ApostillePDFs e-signed by a UK notary or solicitor | £35 | GOV.UK legalisation |
| FCDO Next-Day (registered businesses, paper)Next working day | £40 | GOV.UK legalisation |
| Companies House certificate or certified copy, standardAims to dispatch within 10 working days | £22 | GOV.UK Companies House |
| Companies House expressSame-day dispatch if ordered before 11am | £65 | GOV.UK Companies House |
| UKCOGS Certificate of Good Standing (buy-now)Ex VAT, includes the official fee | £79 / £129 | COGS page |
| UKCOGS apostille, embassy or translation handlingLegalisation stages | Quote only | Get a quote |
GOV.UK also lists the business-only Restricted Urgent paper service at £100 (same day, pre-approval required) and return courier at £6 UK, £32 most of Europe and £42 rest of the world per 1.5kg. Certified Certificate of Incorporation and certified articles are £49 each ex VAT (including the £22 Companies House fee); the company documents pack is £249–£299 ex VAT.
Buy-now Companies House prices (ex VAT)
- Certificate of Good Standing: £79 standard (includes CH £22) or £129 express (includes CH £65)
- Certified Certificate of Incorporation: £49 (includes CH £22)
- Company documents pack: £249–£299 (typical £279)
- Company documents hub: certified articles £49 and other certified copies
- Filings check: £15, or use the free filings checker
Related pages
- The Hague Apostille Convention explained
- COGS buy-now · Pack · Incorporation · Company documents
- FCDO apostille and legalisation hub · Apostilled COGS (quote)
- Legalisation hub · Thailand · China · UAE
- Filings check · Freshness helper · Cost estimator · Order
Who we are
PASECOM GROUP LTD / Pasecom Group Ltd · 17139327 · 82a James Carter Road, Mildenhall, IP28 7DE · ICO ZC117546 · pete@pasecom.co.uk. Trading as UKCOGS. Private agent: not Companies House, not the FCDO, not GOV.UK and not the Vietnamese Embassy.
Sources checked 4 October 2026: HCCH Apostille Convention status table (cid=41, last update 30 June 2026; Viet Nam accession 31 December 2025, in force 11 September 2026; objections by Germany, Austria and Czechia); Vietnamese Embassy notices on applying the apostille in place of consular legalisation from 11 September 2026; GOV.UK “Get your document legalised” (FCDO £45 paper, £35 e-Apostille); GOV.UK Companies House order guidance (£22 standard, £65 express). Fees last checked 4 October 2026. Page last updated 4 October 2026.
FAQ: UK company documents for Vietnam
Check every answer against the recipient’s written checklist. Last updated 4 October 2026.
Is Vietnam part of the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes. Viet Nam acceded on 31 December 2025 and the Convention entered into force for it on 11 September 2026 (HCCH status table, checked 4 October 2026).
Does the Convention apply between the UK and Vietnam?
Yes. Germany, Austria and Czechia lodged objections to Viet Nam’s accession, so the Convention does not apply between Viet Nam and those countries. The UK is not on the objection list, so it applies between the UK and Viet Nam.
Do I still need the Vietnamese Embassy in London?
Not for UK public documents within the Convention, such as Companies House certificates. The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK has said it stopped accepting consular legalisation for those documents from 11 September 2026. It continues to legalise documents outside the Convention’s scope.
Which documents are outside the Convention?
The Convention does not cover administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations. If your checklist includes such a document, ask the recipient which route it expects; we will confirm before quoting.
Are documents legalised before 11 September 2026 still accepted?
The Vietnamese Embassy notices say documents legalised through consular channels before that date remain usable and do not need to be redone as an apostille. The recipient’s document-age rule still applies.
Do I need a Vietnamese translation?
Often yes. Vietnamese authorities and partners commonly ask for a translation into Vietnamese and may say who must certify it. Ask the recipient in writing. Translation is quote-only with UKCOGS.
Paper apostille or e-Apostille for Vietnam?
Ask the recipient. Paper is the safer default while Vietnamese authorities adjust to the new system. An e-Apostille needs a PDF e-signed by a UK notary or solicitor and only helps if the recipient accepts it.
How recent should the certificate be?
There is no UK legal expiry. Vietnamese recipients often ask for documents issued within a few months; the written checklist decides. Use the free document freshness helper.
What does UKCOGS charge?
Buy-now ex VAT: Certificate of Good Standing £79 standard (includes CH £22) or £129 express (includes CH £65), certified incorporation £49, pack £249–£299. Apostille and translation are quote-only. Fees checked 4 October 2026.
Are you the FCDO, Companies House or the Vietnamese Embassy?
No. UKCOGS is a private document agent operated by Pasecom Group Ltd (17139327). We do not claim FCDO partner status and do not give Vietnamese legal, investment, visa or banking advice.
Ready for a Vietnam document route?
Order Companies House documents now. Request a quote for the apostille and any translation or embassy stage. Legalisation is quote-only, with no apostille buy button.