Vietnam Civil Documents · Updated August 2026
The Civil Documents You Need From Vietnam for a U.S. Marriage Green Card
For a U.S. marriage green card, Vietnamese applicants generally need a birth certificate, a Criminal Record Certificate No. 2, and either a marriage certificate or a certificate of marital status, each with a certified English translation.
Quick answer
For a U.S. marriage green card, the Vietnamese spouse generally needs the Birth Certificate, Criminal Record Certificate No. 2, and Marriage Certificate. Vietnam is not an apostille country, and USCIS generally does not require legalization anyway. Non-English documents need a certified English translation, which you can self-certify.
- 3 core documents
- Birth Certificate
- Criminal Record Certificate No. 2
- Marriage Certificate
- No apostille needed
For a filing inside the U.S., USCIS accepts a certified copy plus an English translation.
- Translate it yourself
Any bilingual person can certify the English translation. No licensed translator required.
The documents you actually need
Start with these core records in order. Each one lists who issues it, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly what USCIS wants.
Birth Certificate
What USCIS needs: Not the document that proves your marriage, but USCIS uses it to confirm your identity and parentage. If you were born out of wedlock, only the mother normally appears on the certificate, which is expected and acceptable.
How to get it: Request a certified copy or extract (bản sao trích lục) from the commune People's Committee that holds your birth registration, or order online through the National Public Service Portal or VNeID. Bring or upload ID and household registration details.
- Issued by
- Commune-level People's Committee (Ủy ban nhân dân) civil status office where the birth was registered; certified extracts also issued electronically through the national civil status database and VNeID
- Cost
- Nominal. A certified extract is roughly 8,000 VND (about under 1 USD); free the day of original registration.
- Timing
- Same day to a few working days for a certified extract.
Criminal Record Certificate No. 2
What USCIS needs: Required for each applicant aged 16 or older. If you lived in any other country for six months or more since age 16, you also need a police certificate from that country.
How to get it: Apply in person at the provincial Department of Justice, by post, or online. Citizens with a Level 2 VNeID account can request it in the app; foreigners who resided in Vietnam apply through the Department of Justice or by post. Choose No. 2 (số 2), which lists all convictions including expunged ones.
- Issued by
- Provincial Department of Justice where you have household registration, or the National Center for Criminal Records under the Ministry of Justice; now also issued digitally through VNeID
- Cost
- 200,000 VND per application (about 8 USD); reduced rates for students and certain groups
- Timing
- Roughly 10 to 15 working days; VNeID or online requests can return an electronic certificate faster
Marriage Certificate
What USCIS needs: This is the core document proving the qualifying relationship. Submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate. If a prior marriage ended, include the divorce or death certificate that terminated it.
How to get it: If you are married, obtain a certified copy or extract of your marriage certificate from the People's Committee that registered it, or online via the National Public Service Portal. If you are not yet married, request a Certificate of Marital Status (Giấy xác nhận tình trạng hôn nhân) from your commune People's Committee.
- Issued by
- People's Committee (Ủy ban nhân dân) that registered the marriage; district level for a marriage involving a foreigner. Certificate of Marital Status is issued by the commune People's Committee.
- Cost
- Marriage certificate copy is nominal. Certificate of Marital Status is about 10,000 VND per request (about under 1 USD).
- Timing
- Marriage certificate copy same day to a few days; Certificate of Marital Status within about 3 working days
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At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Apostille status | As of August 2026 Vietnam is not yet an operating Apostille Convention member; it acceded on December 31, 2025, with entry into force scheduled for September 11, 2026, after which an apostille replaces consular legalization. Until then, documents used abroad go through consular legalization via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Either way, USCIS generally does not require an apostille or legalization, only certified copies with certified English translations. |
| How records are kept | Civil records (birth, marriage, marital status, death) are held by People's Committee civil status offices at commune and district level; criminal records are centralized under the Ministry of Justice. Nationwide digitization is ongoing through the national civil status database, the National Public Service Portal, and the VNeID app. |
| Typical time to gather | Civil status extracts range from same-day to a few working days; the Criminal Record Certificate No. 2 usually takes about 10 to 15 working days. |
| Translation | Vietnamese documents need a certified English translation. USCIS permits translations certified by any person competent to translate and to attest to accuracy, including a bilingual friend or family member, so a professional agency is not strictly required. |
Source: U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Vietnam. Verified August 2026. Need to translate a document? See our certified translation guide.
What officers watch for
Full document reference
Every civil record from Vietnam that can come up in a marriage green card case, with the issuing authority, cost, and how to obtain it.
| Document | Issuing authority | Cost | How to obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | Commune People's Committee civil status office | Nominal (approx 8,000 VND extract) | Certified extract in person or via National Public Service Portal / VNeID |
| Marriage Certificate | People's Committee that registered the marriage (district level if a foreigner is involved) | Nominal | Certified copy from the registering People's Committee or online |
| Certificate of Marital Status | Commune People's Committee | Approx 10,000 VND | Apply in person or online; issued in about 3 working days, valid roughly 6 months |
| Divorce Certificate / Decree | People's Court that granted the divorce; recorded with the People's Committee | Nominal for certified copy | Obtain a certified copy of the court decision or a civil status extract confirming the divorce |
| Death Certificate | Commune People's Committee civil status office | Nominal | Certified copy or extract; used to prove a prior spouse is deceased |
| Police Record (Criminal Record Certificate No. 2) | Provincial Department of Justice / Ministry of Justice; also via VNeID | 200,000 VND per application (about 8 USD) | Apply in person, by post, or online / VNeID; choose No. 2 (số 2); about 10 to 15 working days |
Go deeper: detailed Vietnam guides
Step-by-step guides for the specific documents and steps in a Vietnam marriage green card case.
- Vietnamese Birth Certificate (Giấy Khai Sinh) for U.S. Immigration: How to Get It (2026)How to order a certified copy (bản sao) or extract (trích lục) of the giấy khai sinh from the People's Committee, add a certified English translation, skip the apostille, and use secondary evidence when records were never registered or were lost.
- Vietnamese Marriage Certificate (Giấy chứng nhận kết hôn) for U.S. Immigration (2026)Which Vietnamese marriage certificate U.S. immigration accepts, when a certified English translation is required, the District People's Court divorce decision needed for prior marriages, the 2025 commune-level registration change, and why no apostille is required.
- Vietnam Police Certificate (Judicial Record Card No. 2 / Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2) for U.S. Immigration (2026)Why the consulate requires the Judicial Record Card No. 2 and not No. 1, the 2025 move to the Ministry of Public Security, the VNeID online route versus in person, fees, the certified translation, and timing.
- Ho Chi Minh City Panel Physicians: The Two Accredited Clinics for the Immigrant Visa Medical Exam (2026)The only two accepted clinics, Cho Ray Hospital and the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre, with addresses, booking, fees, what to bring, and vaccinations. Plus exam timing and how results reach the Consulate.
- Ho Chi Minh City Immigrant Visa Interview Trip: U.S. Consulate Logistics & Medical (2026)Logistics for the U.S. Consulate Ho Chi Minh City interview at 4 Le Duan: confirm your appointment, register your delivery address, the medical at Cho Ray or IOM, the originals to bring, the electronics ban, and passport return by courier.
- Common 221(g) Refusals at the U.S. Consulate General Ho Chi Minh CityA 221(g) is a pause, not a denial. How to read your OF-194 to find your track (document deficiency, administrative processing, or possible ineligibility), where to resubmit at 4 Le Duan, the timeframes, and when a refusal is a legal matter for an attorney.
- Getting Married in Vietnam: Documents and the Green Card Path (2026)What a U.S. citizen needs to marry in Vietnam, the reversed U.S.-side authentication chain, the mental-health certificate and commune-level registration under Decree 120/2025, and how marrying first leads to the CR-1 path through Ho Chi Minh City.
What applicants report
“Applicants processing Vietnamese spouse cases consistently report to request the Criminal Record Certificate No. 2 (số 2), not No. 1, because the No. 1 version omits expunged convictions and the U.S. side wants the full history. They also flag timing: the police certificate and the certificate of marital status expire (about one year and six months respectively), so people advise pulling them close to the interview and lining up certified English translations for every document.”
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See how it worksFrequently asked questions
Do I need Criminal Record Certificate No. 1 or No. 2?
For U.S. immigration, request No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2). It lists all convictions, including expunged ones, which is what U.S. processing generally expects. No. 1 hides expunged records. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements for your case.
Does Vietnam issue an apostille on my documents?
Not yet as a routine matter. Vietnam acceded to the Apostille Convention with entry into force scheduled for September 11, 2026; before that, documents used abroad went through consular legalization. For USCIS, though, you generally do not need an apostille or legalization at all, just a certified copy plus a certified English translation.
What if I am not married yet?
Request a Certificate of Marital Status (Giấy xác nhận tình trạng hôn nhân) from your commune People's Committee. It is inexpensive and usually issued within about three working days, but it is valid for only around six months, so request it close to when you file.
Can I get these documents online?
Increasingly, yes. Birth extracts, marital status certificates, and the Criminal Record Certificate can be requested through the National Public Service Portal, and citizens with a Level 2 VNeID account can request the criminal record certificate digitally in the VNeID app, which now carries legal validity equal to the paper version.
Do my Vietnamese documents need to be translated?
Yes. Any non-English document submitted to USCIS needs a full English translation with the translator's certification of competency and accuracy. USCIS allows a competent bilingual person to translate and certify, so you do not have to use a paid agency.
Key takeaways
- ✓
The core documents most Vietnamese applicants need are the Birth Certificate, Criminal Record Certificate No. 2, Marriage Certificate.
- ✓
Vietnam is not an Apostille Convention member, and USCIS generally does not require an apostille or legalization for its filings anyway.
- ✓
You do not need a licensed translator: any competent bilingual person can translate a document and self-certify it for USCIS.
- ✓
A home-country police certificate is generally needed only for consular processing abroad, not for adjustment of status inside the U.S.
- ✓
Order fresh certified copies directly from the official issuer and keep the originals; documents from Vietnam draw closer scrutiny.
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