Criminal Record Certificate

A criminal record certificate is currently one of the documents commonly required for various procedures, such as employment applications, work permit applications, visa dossiers, immigration documents, nationality-related procedures, marriage registration with a foreign national and other legal procedures.

However, not everyone clearly understands what a criminal record is, how many types of criminal record certificates are available, what documents are required, and whether Criminal Record Certificate No. 1 or No. 2 should be requested in each specific case.

This article provides key information about criminal record certificates and important points to note when carrying out this procedure.

What is a criminal record?

Under the 2009 Law on Criminal Records, a criminal record refers to information on the criminal convictions of a person who has been convicted under a legally effective criminal judgment or decision of a court, the status of sentence enforcement, and whether the person is prohibited from holding certain positions or establishing or managing enterprises or cooperatives in cases where an enterprise or cooperative has been declared bankrupt by a court.

In simple terms, a criminal record is an information basis used to determine whether an individual has a criminal conviction, whether such conviction has been expunged, and whether the individual is prohibited from holding certain positions or establishing or managing enterprises or cooperatives under a court decision.

What is a criminal record certificate?

A criminal record certificate is a document issued by a competent authority, showing information on an individual’s criminal conviction status and whether the individual is prohibited from holding certain positions or establishing or managing enterprises or cooperatives in certain cases prescribed by law.

A criminal record certificate is commonly used to prove:

• Whether an individual has a criminal record;
• Whether the criminal record has been expunged;
• Whether the individual is prohibited from holding certain positions or establishing or managing enterprises or cooperatives where required by law.

How long is a criminal record certificate valid?

Vietnamese laws on criminal records do not prescribe a fixed validity period applicable to all criminal record certificates. In practice, whether a criminal record certificate is accepted depends on the requirements of the receiving authority, the type of procedure and the intended purpose of use.

For example, work permit dossiers, nationality-related dossiers, overseas study, immigration, marriage registration or visa applications may require a criminal record certificate issued within a specific period before submission.

Therefore, before applying for a criminal record certificate, clients should clearly identify the intended purpose and the validity requirement of the receiving authority to avoid obtaining a certificate that may no longer be accepted.

How many types of criminal record certificates are there?

Criminal record certificates are currently divided into 02 types: Criminal Record Certificate No. 1 and Criminal Record Certificate No. 2.

Criminal Record Certificate No. 1

Criminal Record Certificate No. 1 is issued to:

• Vietnamese citizens;
• Foreign nationals who have resided or are currently residing in Vietnam;
• State agencies, political organizations and socio-political organizations upon request for personnel management, business registration, establishment or management of enterprises or cooperatives.

Certificate No. 1 is commonly used for employment applications, work permit applications, visa dossiers, marriage registration, nationality-related procedures, corporate dossiers and other administrative procedures.

Criminal Record Certificate No. 2

Criminal Record Certificate No. 2 is issued to criminal procedure-conducting authorities for investigation, prosecution and trial purposes; or issued at the request of an individual so that the individual can know the full contents of their criminal record. The National Public Service Portal also states that Certificate No. 2 may be issued to criminal procedure-conducting authorities or at the request of an individual.

What is a criminal record certificate used for?

A criminal record certificate may be used for various dossiers and procedures. Depending on the purpose, the receiving authority may require Certificate No. 1 or Certificate No. 2.

In general, Criminal Record Certificate No. 1 is commonly used for:

• Employment applications in Vietnam or overseas;
• Work permit applications for foreign employees in Vietnam;
• Visa, overseas study or immigration dossiers;
• Marriage registration with a foreign national;
• Naturalization, renunciation or restoration of nationality procedures;
• Business establishment or management dossiers;
• Other administrative procedures as required by the receiving authority.

Criminal Record Certificate No. 2 is generally used in cases related to legal proceedings or when an individual wishes to know the full contents of their own criminal record.

Which authority is competent to issue a criminal record certificate?

Depending on the applicant, a criminal record certificate may be issued by the Department of Justice or the National Center for Criminal Records.

The Department of Justice issues criminal record certificates to:

• Vietnamese citizens permanently or temporarily residing in Vietnam;
• Vietnamese citizens residing overseas, in certain cases based on their place of residence before leaving Vietnam;
• Foreign nationals currently residing in Vietnam.

The National Public Service Portal states that Vietnamese citizens submit their applications to the Department of Justice where they permanently reside, or where they temporarily reside if they have no permanent residence; foreign nationals residing in Vietnam submit their applications to the Department of Justice where they reside.

The National Center for Criminal Records issues criminal record certificates to:

• Vietnamese citizens whose permanent or temporary residence cannot be determined;
• Foreign nationals who previously resided in Vietnam but have left the country.

What documents are required to apply for a criminal record certificate?

The application dossier for a criminal record certificate may vary depending on the applicant, the type of certificate requested and the submission method.

In general, an individual requesting a criminal record certificate should prepare:

• Application form for issuance of a criminal record certificate using the applicable form;
• A copy of the citizen identification card, personal identification card, identity card or passport of the person to whom the certificate is issued;
• Power of attorney if another person is authorized to apply for Criminal Record Certificate No. 1, except where the authorized person is the parent, spouse or child of the applicant;
• Documents proving eligibility for fee exemption or reduction, if applicable.

The National Public Service Portal notes that online applicants use interactive electronic declaration forms under the new forms; in some cases, applicants may not need to attach copies of identity documents if the system can retrieve the relevant data.

Note: An individual applying for Criminal Record Certificate No. 2 cannot authorize another person to carry out the application procedure. This should be clearly stated on the website, because apparently even paperwork enjoys setting traps.

Processing time for issuance of a criminal record certificate

The standard processing time for a criminal record certificate is 10 days from the date the competent authority receives a valid request.

If the applicant is a Vietnamese citizen who has resided in multiple places, has resided overseas, is a foreign national, or if verification of automatic criminal record expungement is required, the processing time may be extended but must not exceed 15 days.

For Nhị Gia’s service, the actual completion timeline will be advised after reviewing the dossier, residence history, nationality, type of certificate requested and document status of each client.

Fee for issuance of a criminal record certificate

Under Circular No. 16/2025/TT-BTC, from January 1, 2026, the fee for providing criminal record information is VND 200,000 per person per request. For students aged 16 or older, university students, persons with meritorious service to the revolution and eligible relatives of martyrs, the fee is VND 100,000 per person per request. If more than 02 certificates are requested in one application, an additional fee of VND 5,000 per certificate applies from the third certificate onward.

Certain cases are exempt from fees, including children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, persons from poor or near-poor households, and persons residing in certain specially disadvantaged areas as prescribed by law.

Procedures for applying for a criminal record certificate

Applicants may request a criminal record certificate through one of the following methods:

• Direct submission to the competent Department of Justice;
• Submission by postal service;
• Online submission via the National Public Service Portal or the provincial public service system;
• Submission via the national digital identity application where the procedure is available and the applicant meets the digital identity account requirements.

When submitting the application, the applicant must provide complete and accurate information in the declaration form. After the application is received, the applicant will be notified of the application code, expected result date and payment instructions. The National Public Service Portal currently allows applicants to track the processing status online.

Results may be received directly, by postal service, or in electronic form through the provincial administrative procedure settlement system if the application is submitted online.

Criminal record certificate application service at Nhi Gia

If you have questions about the procedure for obtaining a criminal record certificate, do not have sufficient time to prepare the dossier, cannot appear in person at the competent authority, or need support for foreign-related cases, Nhị Gia can provide consultation and assistance based on each specific case.

With experience in handling legal dossiers and procedures for individuals, enterprises and foreign nationals in Vietnam, Nhị Gia supports clients with:

• Advising on the appropriate type of criminal record certificate based on the intended purpose;
• Reviewing conditions, documents and personal information before submission;
• Guiding dossier preparation for Vietnamese citizens in Vietnam, Vietnamese citizens overseas, foreign nationals currently residing in Vietnam, and foreign nationals who previously resided in Vietnam;
• Supporting applications for Criminal Record Certificate No. 1 and No. 2 according to the applicable case;
• Monitoring the application progress and assisting when supplementation is requested;
• Providing clear cost consultation before implementation;
• Supporting result collection and handover upon request.

Nhị Gia currently supports services related to criminal record certificates, including:

• Criminal Record Certificate No. 1;
• Criminal Record Certificate No. 2;
• Dossiers for Vietnamese citizens in Vietnam or overseas;
• Dossiers for foreign nationals currently in Vietnam or who previously resided in Vietnam;
• Dossiers in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and other provinces/cities depending on each specific case.

For consultation on criminal record certificate procedures, please contact Nhị Gia via Hotline 1900 6654 or email info@nhigia.vn for detailed support.