How to Get a Vietnam Police Clearance Certificate

There are only two reasons why you landed on this article. Vietnam police clearance certificate is required for either applying for a work permit (for those teaching or otherwise working in Vietnam) or because you are planning to leave Vietnam soon. Note – if you’re planning out how to get married in Vietnam, you won’t need this certificate.

When you apply for a work permit after you’ve entered Vietnam and have been here for longer than six (6) months, it’s pretty common that you are required to submit a police clearance plus a police clearance from wherever you have been living the past two (2) years or six (6) months.

If you are planning to leave or probably have left Vietnam already, your new job will most likely ask you to submit a police clearance check from Vietnam. You should get this sorted out before leaving the country as it can be much complicated to do once you have left.

In this article, I will walk you through the step-by-step guide on how to get police clearance in Vietnam.

APPLYING VIETNAM POLICE CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS

You have to make a scanned copy of taking a high-quality photo of the following, you will have to upload them online:

• Printed online application form – sign then make a digital copy
• Your past addresses since you are 14 years old – but you can just use your last address at your home country, other countries if you lived there at least for two (2) years, and all addresses in Vietnam
• Passport photo page –
• Proof of residency (from landlord stamp from the local police that you have been registered)
• Current visa or work permit or TRC (temporary residence card) – back and front, plus other TRC/work permits
• Make photocopies of all your documents – you will have to submit this to the DOJ (Department of Justice)
• Fee – 200,000 VND plus 5,000 VND for an extra copy/each extra copies
• Computer/laptop and internet connection

HOW TO GET VIETNAM POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE

So, to the long yet accessible way to get your Vietnam police clearance. You will have to do things online first, then take your photocopies or mail them to the right office. That’s where you will be paying not through the online portal.

Online Application Form

I will divide this guide into three sections – the online application part, then heading to the DOJ, and collection time.

Online application form

Fill out the online application with correct details, double-check your information before submitting it. Any error will cause a delay. The website is both in Vietnamese and English. Fill out the information up to “Residence Process”.

• Hanoi City
• Ho Chi Minh City
• Da Nang City

Print the form

Print the application form and sign then make a digital copy (you cannot make a digital signature). Scroll down to the “UPLOAD FILE” section, next to “Application Form”, there’s an option to print. It will download your form so you can sign it.

Use of the certificate

Next, in the section “Other Information”, you will have to declare where you will be using the police clearance certificate.

• Type 1 – work permit
• Type 2 – outside Vietnam

If you need type two, the certificate will come in Vietnamese, you must go to an individual translation office and have it notarized.

Upload your documents

The next part is where you will upload your documents. You can only upload limited, so reserve it for the application form, passport, residential registration (from your landlord). Ignore the receipt as you will be paying at the physical office or via postal service.

In-person or postal

Then, you will be asked how you want to submit your documents and receive your certificate. Either through the post office (mail) or in person. If you choose in-person, on the drop-down menu, you will the address.

If you choose postal service, mark both boxes. On the first one is the address where you want your documents to be picked up. The second one is where you want your police clearance certificate to be delivered.

NOTE: Depending on the situation, you might have to both drop-off and pick up your documents at the post office instead of them coming to you.

Submit and collect your confirmation code

Once done, check the tick box to confirm that all the information you submitted is true and correct. Then hit next. Again, double-check all the information.

You will then be redirected to another page where you will see a six (6) digital code/confirmation code. Save this, you will have to show this so they can find your application in the system. Here are the addresses of DOJ where you can submit your documents in person:

• HCMC location – 143 Pasteur, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Hanoi location – 221 Tran Phu, Ha Dong
• Da Nang location – 16 Bạch Đằng, Thạch Thang, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam

DOJ Visit – Submit your Documents

Make sure that you have the original and photocopies of your documents plus cash and your confirmation code. I recommend you head there early to avoid the crowd. Here are the working hours:

• 8.00 am – 5.00 pm – get there at 7.30 am to get in line and find the right office, the last applicatin they will accept is no later than 16.00 (4pm) and there might be a lunch break between 12-1.30 pm
• There should be a parking lot for motorbikes, but you will have to push in your bike in the compound

Get on the queue

There should only be one queue but if you are confused, simply show your documents and confirmation code to some employee and they will point you to the right queue. Here, staff will check your passport and documents then will give you a queue ticket.

You might be either told to head straight inside the right office for your concern or come back in the afternoon if the queue is already too long. This is why you should go as early as you can or clear your entire day to make sure you have time to go back in the afternoon.

If you are told to go back in the afternoon, come by before 1.30, it’s when they will start calling the queue ticket numbers. If you miss your number, you will have to get another one.

In the office

Once you are inside the office, wait for your queue ticket to be called in. Then show all your documents including your confirmation code. The original will be returned to you and the photocopies will be stamped. They will more likely to print another copy of the application form and stamp it too.

You will be asked to sign the application form that they printed, double-check your name, date of birth and other details before signing and handing it back.

Payment

You then will be asked to head to the payment desk (look for the desk/window with the word “Phi”). You will be handed a paper that says you have paid. Head back to the first person who processed your documents, they will give you a paper showing when you can come and collect for Vietnam police clearance.

The collection date varies, it could be a week from your application day or two weeks. So, if you have to leave Vietnam, do this a month before you head out.

Collection Day

Find the room or office where the collection is happening. Hand in your payment receipt and collection date receipt. You might be asked to show an ID for confirmation. Check again that all your details are correct.

If anything is wrong from their side, you will be asked to head back to the main office where you submitted your documents. The staff will more likely help you. However, if you are the one who made a mistake, you have to start the process all over again (from online, DOJ, payment, etc..)

FROM ABROAD

You can still do this if you have left Vietnam already, it might take longer and you will have to make sure that the courier service is reliable.

I hope you find this guide on how to apply for a Vietnam police clearance certificate useful. If you are doing this during covid-19, remember to wear masks and you will be asked to sign a health declaration form.