Vietnam Civil Documents · Updated May 2026
Vietnam Police Certificate (Judicial Record Card No. 2 / Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2) for U.S. Immigration
The single most common mistake is getting the wrong version. Here is exactly which one to request and how, current to 2026.
Summary
Request Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2 (Judicial Record Card No. 2), not số 1. The U.S. Consulate rejects No. 1 because it hides expunged convictions, and the consulate calls No. 2 the Justice Record Check #2. Apply online with a Level 2 VNeID account or in person at your provincial Police Department. Since March 1, 2025 the Ministry of Public Security (the police) issues it, not the old Department of Justice, so most older guides are wrong. Every applicant age 16 or older needs one. Whether a record is clear, and what any entry means, is a question for an immigration attorney, not this guide.
At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Document name | Certificate of Judicial Record No. 2 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2). The U.S. Consulate calls it Justice Record Check #2. Get No. 2, never No. 1. |
| Why No. 2, not No. 1 | No. 2 lists all convictions, including ones that have been expunged. The U.S. Consulate in Vietnam explicitly does not accept No. 1, because No. 1 hides expunged records. |
| Issuing authority | Since March 1, 2025, the Ministry of Public Security (the police), through the provincial Police Department where you reside. Older guides naming the Ministry of Justice's Department of Justice (Sở Tư Pháp) or the National Center for Judicial Records are now out of date. |
| Who needs it | Every immigrant visa applicant age 16 or older, plus an original police certificate from every other country (not the United States) where you lived. |
| Cost | 200,000 VND for the application (covers up to two copies) when filed in person; about 170,000 VND when filed online via VNeID. Fees set by Circular 16/2025/TT-BTC. Verify before paying. |
| How to apply | In person at the provincial Police Department, or online with a Level 2 VNeID account through the VNeID app or the National Public Service Portal. You must apply for yourself; you cannot send someone with a power of attorney for No. 2. |
| Processing time | About 10 working days from a complete application, longer if you ask for postal delivery. |
| Validity window | Issue it within 6 months of your interview. The consulate expects a recent certificate; order it after your case is ready, not at the start. |
| Translation | The consulate in Vietnam reads Vietnamese, so no translation is needed for the interview itself. The National Visa Center (NVC) does require a certified English translation when you upload it earlier in the process. |
| Apostille / legalization | Not needed for the U.S. immigrant visa. The U.S. does not use apostilles. Vietnam joins the Apostille Convention on September 11, 2026, but that is for documents used in other member countries, not the U.S. |
Get No. 2, not No. 1, and for everyone 16 or older
Vietnam issues two versions of the judicial record card. No. 1 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 1) lists only convictions that have not been expunged. No. 2 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2) lists all convictions, including expunged ones. The U.S. Consulate in Vietnam does not accept No. 1 and asks for No. 2, which it labels the Justice Record Check #2. If an office or agent hands you No. 1, it cannot be upgraded; you order No. 2 fresh.
Every immigrant visa applicant age 16 or older who lived in Vietnam needs one, as listed on the U.S. State Department reciprocity page for Vietnam. Each person requests their own. Separately, the consulate expects an original police certificate from every other country (not the United States) where you lived long enough, so the Vietnam card may be one of several you gather.
How to get it, step by step
The issuing authority changed in 2025, so the route below is the current one. If you are inside Vietnam, pick the online or in-person option in Step 2. If you are abroad, use Step 3 instead.
Step 1: Confirm you need No. 2, and for everyone 16 or older
Request the Certificate of Judicial Record No. 2 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2), the version that shows all convictions including expunged ones. Do not let an agent or office hand you No. 1; the U.S. Consulate rejects it. Every applicant age 16 or older who lived in Vietnam needs one, and each person must request their own.
Step 2: Apply online via VNeID, or in person at the provincial police
If you have a Level 2 VNeID electronic identity account, open the VNeID app or log in to the National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn), select the Judicial Record Certificate service, choose No. 2, and pay online (about 170,000 VND). If you do not have a Level 2 account, apply in person at the Police Department for the province or city where you reside or are registered, and pay 200,000 VND. For No. 2 you must apply for yourself; you cannot authorize someone else to file it.
Step 3: If you live outside Vietnam, apply through the Ministry of Public Security
Vietnamese citizens and former residents abroad apply through the Ministry of Public Security for time spent in Vietnam, and some Vietnamese consulates in the U.S. (such as the Consulate in New York) accept mail-in requests with a notarized form, a certified passport copy showing the Vietnamese visa and entry stamps, and a prepaid return envelope. Confirm the current route and fee with the Ministry or your nearest Vietnamese consulate before mailing anything.
Step 4: Order a certified English translation for NVC
When you upload the certificate to the National Visa Center, add a certified English translation that carries a signed statement from the translator that they are competent and that the translation is accurate. You do not need a translation for the interview at the consulate in Vietnam, but NVC asks for one at the document stage.
Step 5: Add a police certificate from every other country you lived in
The Vietnam certificate covers your time in Vietnam only. The consulate also wants an original police certificate from every other country (not the U.S.) where you lived since age 16. Map out each country of residence and request each one before your interview so nothing is missing on the day.
Translation, apostille, and timing
No apostille or legalization is required for the U.S. immigrant visa. The United States is not part of the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does nothing for a U.S. filing. Vietnam itself joins the Apostille Convention on September 11, 2026, but that affects documents used in other member countries, not the U.S.
On translation, there are two different moments. The U.S. Consulate in Vietnam reads Vietnamese, so you do not need a translation for the interview. The National Visa Center (NVC), the U.S. office that collects your civil documents before the interview, does require a certified English translation when you upload the certificate. Order a translation that includes a signed statement from the translator that they are competent and that the translation is accurate.
On timing, issue the certificate within about 6 months of your interview. Applicants have been told it is good for 6 to 8 months, not a year. Because processing runs about 10 working days, order it once your case is close to scheduling, not at the start.
If your record is not clear: this one needs an attorney
This page explains how to obtain the certificate. What a record shows, and what any entry on it means for your case, is a legal question that turns on facts specific to your history, and getting it wrong has serious, hard-to-reverse consequences. The right next step is a licensed immigration attorney, ideally one with criminal-immigration experience, before you file rather than relying on a general guide. You can search the AILA Find-a-Lawyer directory by specialty, or find free and low-cost help through the Immigration Advocates legal directory. Our guide on when a marriage green card needs a lawyer walks through when professional help is worth it.
What applicants report
Aggregated from the U.S. State Department reciprocity page, the U.S. Embassy Vietnam immigrant visa FAQ, Vietnamese law-firm guidance, and VisaJourney Vietnam threads (2024–2026, with one older thread still widely cited). Real reports, not legal advice; your case may differ.
Tips from the community
Most older guides are wrong about who issues it
Until 2025 the certificate came from the Ministry of Justice's Department of Justice (Sở Tư Pháp) or the National Center for Judicial Records. Issuance moved to the Ministry of Public Security (the police) on March 1, 2025. The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam states directly that guidance pointing to the Department of Justice is now outdated.
U.S. Embassy Vietnam and Vietnamese law-firm guidance, 2025–2026
You cannot send someone to get No. 2 for you
For No. 1 you can authorize an agent, but No. 2 must be requested by the person it is about. Applicants report being turned away when a relative tried to file on their behalf, so plan to apply yourself, online via VNeID or in person.
Vietnamese law-firm guidance and U.S. Embassy Vietnam FAQ, 2025–2026
Time it to the interview, not the start of the case
The consulate expects a certificate issued within about 6 months of the interview. Applicants have been told the document is good for 6 to 8 months, not a year. Because processing is about 10 working days, wait until your case is close to scheduling before you order.
VisaJourney Vietnam threads and community reports, 2024–2026
One certificate does not cover residence abroad
If you lived in another country for more than six months since age 16, the consulate wants that country's police certificate too. NVC has sent requests when a residence history shows a gap, so list every address and gather a certificate for each country before the interview.
VisaJourney NVC threads, 2024–2026
In their words
“Police Certificate #2 = Justice Record #2 = Phieu Ly Lich Tu Phap #2. If your fiance lives in a foreign country for more than 6 months, she needs the foreign police certificate too.”
“Just because you send in one police certificate does not mean that the NVC will assume that is the only place where your sister has lived since age 16.”
Common problems and fixes
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Brought No. 1 instead of No. 2 | Request Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2. The consulate rejects No. 1 because it omits expunged convictions. There is no way to upgrade No. 1; order No. 2 fresh. |
| Used an old guide and went to the Department of Justice | Since March 1, 2025 the issuing authority is the Ministry of Public Security (the police). Apply via VNeID or the provincial Police Department, not the Sở Tư Pháp. |
| Sent a relative with a power of attorney | No. 2 must be requested by the person it is about. Apply yourself, online through VNeID or in person. |
| Certificate aged past about 6 months before the interview | Order it after your case is close to scheduling. If it expires, request a new one; there is no renewal. |
| Only got the Vietnam certificate when other countries applied | Provide a police certificate from every other country (not the U.S.) where you lived since age 16. |
| No English translation at the NVC stage | Add a certified English translation with a signed accuracy statement for NVC. The interview in Vietnam itself does not need a translation. |
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Vietnam Reciprocity and Civil Documents (Police, Court, and Prison Records) (verified May 2026)
- U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam: Frequently Asked Questions, Immigrant Visas (verified May 2026)
- National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn): judicial record certificate service (verified May 2026)
- Consulate General of Vietnam in New York: criminal records certificate for foreigners who resided in Vietnam (verified May 2026)
- VisaJourney Vietnam and NVC forum threads (community), 2024–2026; Circular 16/2025/TT-BTC fee schedule
Frequently asked questions
Which Vietnam judicial record card do I need, No. 1 or No. 2?
You need Certificate of Judicial Record No. 2 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2). The U.S. Consulate in Vietnam does not accept No. 1 because No. 1 leaves out convictions that have been expunged, while No. 2 shows all of them. The consulate calls No. 2 the Justice Record Check #2.
Who issues the certificate now, and can I apply online?
Since March 1, 2025 the Ministry of Public Security (the police) issues it, through the provincial Police Department where you reside. If you have a Level 2 VNeID electronic identity account you can apply online in the VNeID app or on the National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn). Otherwise you apply in person at the Police Department. Older guides that point to the Ministry of Justice's Department of Justice or the National Center for Judicial Records are out of date.
Can someone get the certificate for me with a power of attorney?
No, not for No. 2. You can authorize an agent to request No. 1, but No. 2 must be requested by the person it is about. Apply for yourself, either online through VNeID or in person at the provincial Police Department.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
The fee is 200,000 VND in person (covering up to two copies) or about 170,000 VND online via VNeID, set under Circular 16/2025/TT-BTC. Processing takes about 10 working days from a complete application, plus a few more days if you request postal delivery. Verify the current fee before paying.
Do I need a translation or an apostille for the certificate?
The U.S. Consulate in Vietnam reads Vietnamese, so you do not need a translation for the interview, and no apostille or legalization is required for the U.S. immigrant visa. The National Visa Center does require a certified English translation when you upload the certificate earlier in the process. Vietnam joins the Apostille Convention on September 11, 2026, but that applies to documents used in other member countries, not the United States.
I lived in Vietnam and another country. Do I need more than one certificate?
Yes. The Vietnam certificate covers only your time in Vietnam. The consulate also wants an original police certificate from every other country (not the U.S.) where you lived for more than six months since age 16. List every residence and gather each country's certificate before your interview.
What if my certificate shows a conviction or my record is not clean?
That moves beyond getting the document into legal questions about your specific history, and how a record affects a visa depends on facts only a professional should assess. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney before your interview rather than relying on a general guide. This page only explains how to obtain the certificate, not how a record is weighed.
Key takeaways
- ✓
Get Certificate of Judicial Record No. 2 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2), never No. 1. The U.S. Consulate rejects No. 1 because it hides expunged convictions.
- ✓
Since March 1, 2025 the Ministry of Public Security (the police) issues it, not the old Department of Justice or National Center for Judicial Records. Most older guides are now wrong on this point.
- ✓
Apply online with a Level 2 VNeID account (about 170,000 VND) or in person at your provincial Police Department (200,000 VND). For No. 2 you must apply yourself; no power of attorney.
- ✓
Every applicant age 16 or older needs one, plus an original police certificate from every other country (not the U.S.) where they lived since age 16.
- ✓
No apostille or legalization is required for the U.S. visa, and no translation is needed at the Vietnam interview, but NVC wants a certified English translation at the document stage.
- ✓
Issue it within about 6 months of your interview. Whether a record is clear, and what any entry means for admissibility, is a legal question for an immigration attorney, not this guide.
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