What changes on 11 September 2026?
Until now a Finnish document heading to Vietnam has gone through the full consular chain: certification in Finland, legalisation by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (€30 per signature) and legalisation at the Vietnamese embassy. When the Convention enters into force, these steps disappear.
From 11 September 2026 a document only needs the apostille certificate from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV, €38 per document). The change applies between Finland and Vietnam because Finland did not object to Vietnam's accession; only Germany, Austria and Czechia objected, and for them the Convention does not take effect with Vietnam.
Which route should you pick now?
The deciding question is when the document is needed in Vietnam. If the recipient needs it before mid-September, it still goes through the full consular chain, and it should be started right away since the chain has several authority steps.
If the document is needed only after 11 September 2026, it usually pays to wait for the apostille route: it is faster and cheaper. We always confirm the recipient's requirements, though, since during the transition some recipients may still ask for the old-style legalisation.
What happens to already legalised documents?
Nothing: a document that went through the full consular chain is properly legalised and does not need reprocessing. The change only concerns new documents certified after the Convention enters into force.
Legalisation or apostille, handled
We tell you right away which route your document needs and when to set it in motion.
See the legalisation service