

A criminal record certificate is a document issued by the Department of Justice of Vietnam or the National Center for Criminal Records to Vietnamese citizens or foreigners residing in Vietnam or who had lived in the country before.
It is used to determine whether an individual‘s criminal record convictions have any influence on holding a position in the office, managing cooperatives or businesses, or not. If you need a criminal record certificate for teaching English in Vietnam, this article by VTJ will provide a step-by-step guide on how to obtain it.
Before applying for a criminal record certificate, it’s important to understand who is eligible. According to the Law on Criminal Records:
These two cases have the right to request the competent authority to issue their criminal record certificate for their time in Vietnam.
The location where you should apply depends on your current residency status. According to Article 44 of the 2009 Law on Criminal Records regarding the authority to issue Criminal Record Certificates:
Examples:
There are three main methods to apply for a criminal record certificate in Vietnam. Each method has its own advantages and procedures.
This is the most straightforward method for those currently in Vietnam:
Foreigners in Vietnam or their authorized representatives will submit the application directly at the Department of Justice where the foreigner resides and receive the result at the place of submission.
Examples:
Watch this video by teacher Brian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhLXn_IXM7Y
Discover Related Guides: Vietnam Police Check: What You Need to Know
To save time and effort, foreigners can apply online by following these steps:
Note: After completing the online declaration, you still need to submit the application in person or send it by post.
This method is convenient for those who cannot apply in person.
1. Download and fill out the request form for a criminal record certificate according to form 03/2013/TT-LLTP (if applying personally) or form 04/2013/TT-LLTP (if authorizing someone else), you can download here: https://dichvucong.gov.vn/p/home/dvc-chi-tiet-thu-tuc-hanh-chinh.html?ma_thu_tuc=2.000488.
2. Send one set of documents along with the original declaration form above via postal service to the Department of Justice where you reside for processing. When submitting the application, you need to pay the fee for issuing the Criminal Record Certificate and postal service fee by one of these 3 methods:
3. Receive an appointment slip for the result: via email address, phone, or text message of the person requesting the certificate.
4. Receive the result at the address stated in the Registration Form for receiving results via postal service.
Related Guides: Vietnam Temporary Residence Card (TRC): Essential Guide
Hopefully, after reading our article, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to acquire a criminal record certificate for teaching in Vietnam. Good luck and see you in the next posts!
Hi, I’m trying to obtain a police check from the time I lived in Vietnam . I have all the documents and need to send it via postal. But what are the bank details to pay for it? Everything is giving the methods but what are the actual payment details to pay direct bank transfer or even by postal???