Experience Certificate Apostille for Vietnam: The Route Since September 2026
Older advice says an experience certificate for Vietnam needs MEA attestation and then a Vietnam Embassy stamp. That changed on 11 September 2026, when the Apostille Convention came into force for Vietnam. An Indian experience letter now needs only notary, SDM and MEA apostille in Delhi. This guide explains the new route, the checks to make first and the cost.
Experience letter for Vietnam: quick answer
Experience certificate apostille for Vietnam is now the only legalisation an Indian experience letter needs before it is used in Vietnam. Vietnam joined the Apostille Convention, which came into force for it on 11 September 2026. From that day the Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi stopped legalising Indian public documents covered by the Convention, and Vietnamese offices take the MEA apostille instead.
A private company’s letter cannot go straight to the MEA. It is first notarised and then attested by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Delhi, and only then apostilled. INFINITYGRO handles all three stages for Rs 1,000–1,500 per letter, covering the notary, the SDM, the Rs 50 MEA fee and our service. Allow 2–3 working days in Delhi, plus courier time.
Why the old Vietnam Embassy route no longer applies
Until September 2026 India and Vietnam had no apostille link. Every Indian document for Vietnam went through MEA attestation and then legalisation at the Vietnam Embassy in New Delhi. Older guides, including the earlier version of this post, describe that chain.
| Before 11 September 2026 | Notary → SDM or state authority → MEA attestation → Vietnam Embassy legalisation |
|---|---|
| From 11 September 2026 | Notary → SDM → MEA apostille. The embassy is not involved. |
| Letters legalised earlier | Still valid in Vietnam, according to the embassy’s notice |
| Who issues the apostille | The Ministry of External Affairs, named by the embassy as India’s competent authority |
Recruiters in Vietnam sometimes still write embassy attestation on their checklists out of habit. Point them to the embassy notice listed under official sources below: the apostille is the formality Vietnam now uses for Indian public documents.
Checking your experience letter before the apostille
The notary and SDM look at the letter as a company document. Officials in Vietnam later read it for what it says. Both matter, so check it against these two lists.
For the notary and SDM
- Printed company letterhead with address and contact details
- Signed by HR, a director or a reporting manager, with name and designation
- Company seal or stamp beside the signature
- An original or a freshly signed print, not a screenshot
For the reader in Vietnam
- Your name exactly as in your passport
- Joining and leaving dates, or still employed on the letter date
- Your job title and a short line on your duties
- No handwritten corrections or overwriting
Experience certificate apostille for Vietnam, stage by stage
- 1Share a photoWhatsApp the letter and say what it is for in Vietnam. We reply with the route, total and timing in writing.
- 2Send the originalCourier it to our New Ashok Nagar office with a passport copy, or hand it in at the office if you live in Delhi.
- 3Notary and SDMA notary in Delhi attests a true copy; the SDM then authenticates the notary’s seal and signature.
- 4MEA apostilleThe MEA fixes an apostille with a unique number. No visit to the Vietnam Embassy follows.
- 5Back to youWe return the letter by Blue Dart or another secure courier, or you collect it from the office.
If your degree or a police clearance certificate also needs the apostille, put them in the same courier. They move through Delhi together, and each is priced per document.
Vietnamese translation after the apostille
The embassy’s notice says a document that is not in Vietnamese needs a Vietnamese translation, notarised or certified under Vietnamese law. An English experience letter is no exception.
INFINITYGRO translates into Vietnamese and can do it after the apostille, so the apostille text is translated too. Some employers prefer the translation to be made and certified in Vietnam. Ask yours first so you pay for one translation, not two. See our translation services.
Other papers often sent with an experience letter
A Vietnamese job file rarely stops at one letter. These follow the same apostille route and price per document. If the letter is for a work permit, our post on the experience letter for a Vietnam work permit explains what the rules expect the letter to prove.
Experience certificate apostille for Vietnam: fees and time
| MEA apostille, personal or educational document | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, all-inclusive: notary, SDM attestation, the Rs 50 MEA fee and our service |
|---|---|
| Usual time | 2–3 working days in Delhi after the document reaches us |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
| Translation | Quoted by language and page |
Since 11 September 2026 there is no Vietnam Embassy fee for an experience letter. The MEA apostille is the final stamp.
FAQs: Experience Certificate Apostille for Vietnam: The Route Since September 2026
Does the Vietnam Embassy still attest experience certificates from India?
No, not for letters covered by the Apostille Convention. From 11 September 2026 the Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi stopped legalising Indian public documents within the Convention. A notarised experience letter apostilled by the MEA is used in Vietnam without any embassy stamp.
What does experience certificate apostille for Vietnam cost?
Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per letter, all-inclusive. That covers the notary, the SDM attestation, the Rs 50 MEA fee and our service. Courier both ways is extra. A Vietnamese translation, if you want us to do it, is quoted by page.
How long will it take?
Usually 2 to 3 working days in Delhi after the letter reaches us. Add courier time from your city and back. If your employer has a filing date in Vietnam, tell us when you first message so we can plan around it.
My letter was legalised by the embassy in 2025. Do I redo it?
No. The embassy’s notice says documents legalised through consular channels before 11 September 2026 remain valid in Vietnam. You only need a fresh apostille if the employer wants a newer letter, for example one showing your latest dates.
Can a letter from a closed company be apostilled?
Sometimes. If you hold the signed original on letterhead with a seal, the notary and SDM may still accept it. They can refuse a letter they cannot treat as genuine. Send us a photo first and we will tell you plainly whether it is likely to pass.
Is a relieving letter the same as an experience letter?
Not always. A relieving letter confirms that you left; an experience letter usually states your role and the period you worked. Employers in Vietnam generally want the period and the role. If your relieving letter shows both, it can be apostilled in the same way.
Do you collect the letter from my home?
No. We do not offer home pickup. Courier the original to our New Ashok Nagar office in Delhi, or bring it in during office hours, Monday to Saturday. We send it back by Blue Dart or another secure courier.
Will Vietnam accept the apostille without a translation?
Usually not. The embassy’s notice says documents not in Vietnamese need a Vietnamese translation that is notarised or certified under Vietnamese law. INFINITYGRO translates into Vietnamese; check whether your employer wants the translation certified in Vietnam instead.
Official sources
Apostille your experience letter for Vietnam
WhatsApp a photo of your document and the country it is for. We confirm the route, time and total in writing before you send anything.
Office: C – 5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi – 110096 · Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM · office drop-off or courier, no home pickup
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Disclaimer: INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service, not a government office or embassy. Apostilles and attestations are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassies concerned; we do not issue, correct or verify certificates. Rules and fees can change, so check the requirements of the authority that will receive your document.
Last reviewed: October 2026