The criminal record certificate is the “ticking-clock” document in a WP dossier: valid only 06 months up to the filing date. Too early — expired at filing; too late — the whole timeline slips. Under Decree 219/2025, an interconnected procedure (Article 6.3) can waive submission — but not everyone qualifies.
The standard: 06 months and required contents
Per Article 18 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP: a criminal record certificate or written confirmation that the foreign worker is not serving a sentence, has no unexpunged record, and is not under prosecution — abroad or in Vietnam — issued no more than 06 months before the filing date.
Two sources: (1) Judicial Record No. 1 from Vietnam’s Department of Justice — for those resident in Vietnam; (2) a foreign police check — from the competent authority of the worker’s country of residence. Foreign documents need consular legalization + notarized Vietnamese translation.
Interconnection and Apostille — two ways to lighten the load
Interconnection (Article 6.3): where interconnected issuance of the criminal record and the WP has been carried out, no submission of the record is needed — the authority looks it up. Ask the local receiving authority whether interconnection applies instead of defaulting to preparation.
Apostille: Vietnam joined the Hague Apostille Convention in late 2025 — documents from member states need only an Apostille stamp instead of multi-step consular legalization. Check whether the issuing country is a member before proceeding.
Managing the 6-month clock
The realistic WP timeline is 4–6 weeks, with consular legalization taking 2–4 weeks. Strategy: obtain the criminal record last — after degrees and experience letters are legalized; file as soon as it arrives. If it arrives early while the dossier isn’t ready, the clock keeps ticking.
Traps: foreign police checks show an issue date different from the receipt date — the 06 months run from the issue date, not the day you hold it. And Vietnam’s Record No. 1 itself takes 10–15 days to process — don’t let this become the final bottleneck.
Practical recommendations
First, ask about interconnection first — if submission is waived, save 2–4 weeks. Second, get the criminal record last among clocked documents; count 06 months from the issue date. Third, check Apostille — Hague members get the Apostille stamp, faster than traditional consular legalization.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the criminal record valid for a WP dossier?
No more than 06 months from issue date to filing date (Article 18, Decree 219/2025). Expired means the dossier is returned.
Vietnamese or foreign criminal record?
Depends on residence: Vietnam residents get Judicial Record No. 1 from the Department of Justice; those abroad get their country’s police check. Foreign documents need consular legalization + notarized translation.
What is the interconnected procedure?
Per Article 6.3 of Decree 219/2025: where criminal-record and WP issuance are interconnected, no record submission is needed — the authority looks it up. Ask the local authority whether it applies.
Can Apostille replace consular legalization?
Yes — for documents from Hague Convention members (Vietnam joined in late 2025). Faster than traditional multi-step legalization.
When should the criminal record be obtained?
Last among the documents — after degrees/experience are legalized; file as soon as it arrives to maximize the 6-month clock.
For detailed advice on criminal records for WP dossiers, companies may contact FLAT Law Firm.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council. Content was prepared by the FLAT Law Firm AI Legal Council and has not been reviewed by a human lawyer.
