ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CRIMINAL RECORD CERTIFICATE IN VIETNAM

Thursday, 27/02/20

Each country has a different name for criminal record certificate such as Police Check Clearance, Police Background Check, or Judicial Record Card. Criminal record certificate in Vietnam also known as Vietnam Police Check Clearance or Vietnam Police Background Check, Judicial Record Card is a required document for a number of purposes, including for most Work Permit applications, marriage certificate abroad, residence abroad, etc. Foreigners who had resided in Vietnam, held Vietnamese visa or temporary resident card (regardless of it has expired or not) but are living in their home country or a third country can now apply for a Vietnam Criminal Record Certificate without returning to Vietnam. All the required documents shall be provided via emails and the result will be issued within 10 days.

HOW MANY CRIMINAL RECORD CERTIFICATES ARE THERE IN VIETNAM?

There are two types of Criminal Record Certificate in Vietnam numbered 1 and 2 respectively:

Vietnam Criminal Record No.1: is issued to individuals, entities, governmental organizations, political organizations and political – social organizations who request it. This certificate is used for the purposes of working in Vietnam, obtaining Work permit in Vietnam for foreigners, managing personnel, business registering, establishing and managing enterprises and cooperatives.

Vietnam Criminal Record No.2: is issued to individuals or judicial authorities who request it. This certificate is used for the purposes of investigation, prosecution and adjudication.

Criminal Record No.2 carries more detail than No.1, namely the list of deleted convictions and undeleted convictions, list of positions, types of enterprises and cooperatives that the subject person is forbidden to hold.

WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF CRIMINAL RECORD CERTIFICATE VIETNAM?

Criminal Record Certificate is used for a number of purposes, from support Work Permit applications, visa issuance (for foreigners who used to reside in Vietnam) to supplement the procedure of marriage registration, adoption, study abroad dossier and job application, etc.

Depending on the purpose of use, either Criminal Record Police Check Form No. 1 or Criminal Record Police Check Form No. 2 would be required.

Criminal Record Form No. 1 is commonly required for the purposes of working, managing personnel, business registering, establishing and managing enterprises and cooperatives. Especially, Criminal Record No.1 is also required in Work Permit application for foreign individuals to work in Vietnam.
Criminal Record Form No.2 is used to serve the investigation, prosecution and adjudication by the judicial authorities. In addition, individuals can request this record in order to check their own criminal record.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR A CRIMINAL RECORD CERTIFICATE VIETNAM?

The person subject to Criminal Record includes:

Vietnamese citizen who is permanently or temporarily living in Vietnam or;
Vietnamese citizen who has been living oversea or;
Foreigner who has been living in Vietnam for more than 1 month.

WHERE TO APPLY FOR CRIMINAL RECORD POLICE CHECK VIETNAM?

Vietnamese citizens and foreigners who have been living in Vietnam must apply to the local Department of Justice where they are living.
Vietnamese citizens who are living abroad can apply to the National Centre for Criminal Record (NCCR) or the local Department of Justice where they lived before leaving Vietnam.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A CRIMINAL RECORD POLICE CHECK IN VIETNAM?

To apply for a Criminal Record Police Check in Vietnam, there are 3 main steps:

Prepare the required documents and fill in the request form to submit to the Department of Justice.
Submit the request form and required documents and the fee to the local Department of Justice in person.
Wait for the result of Criminal record police check.

CAN I APPLY FOR VIETNAM CRIMINAL RECORD POLICE CHECK WHEN I ALREADY LEFT VIETNAM?

Yes, you can. For those who have left Vietnam but need a Vietnam criminal record certificate, there is still a way to apply. All you have to do is authorize someone in Vietnam to submit the documents on your behalf and provide them with all the required documents. However, the authorization is only possible with criminal record certificate No.1, criminal record certificate No.2 requires you to present in person to the authorities.

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR APPLYING CRIMINAL RECORD POLICE CHECK VIETNAM?

01 request form of Criminal Record Police Certificate (applicant can fill out this form online and then print out for signing).
01 certified copy of the applicant’s ID card or passport.
01 certified copy of the applicant’s household book (for Vietnamese citizens), or permanent/temporary resident certificate (for foreigners).

If the copies above are not certified, the applicant is required to bring along the original documents with him/her when submitting.

If the applicant authorizes another person to submit on his/her behalf (possible with Criminal Record Police Certificate No. 1 only), this person should bring the Power of Attorney letter and his/her ID card or passport.

WHICH INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR THE CRIMINAL RECORD APPLICATION?

In the request form for Criminal Record Police Certificate, applicant is required to provide the following information:

Applicant’s personal information: name, second name, gender, date of birth, nationality, permanent and current temporary address, ID/passport number, etc.
Name and date of birth of applicant’s father.
Name and date of birth of applicant’s mother.
Name and date of birth of applicant’s spouse (if any).
History record of time period, job and address of the applicant since 14 years old up to present.

DOES CRIMINAL RECORD POLICE CHECK NEED LEGALIZING BEFORE USING OVERSEAS?

Depending on the purposes for requesting the criminal record, it is advised that the record be translated to English or the official language of the country where it is used and legalized at the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO APPLY FOR A CRIMINAL RECORD POLICE CHECK VIETNAM?

The Criminal Record Police Certificate is issued after 10 -15 days, and no more than 20 days.

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CRIMINAL RECORD CERTIFICATE IN VIETNAM

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