Quick summary: Relocation and investment citizenship applications almost always require Type 2 police certificate because it records complete criminal history including expunged convictions. Type 2 cannot be delegated — the applicant must submit in person or online using their own digital ID account. Processing takes 10 days by law, up to 15 days if verification is needed; the certificate is usually accepted by receiving countries only within 3–6 months of issuance.
A single sheet of paper, costing a few hundred thousand dong, is responsible for more delays than almost any other personal document we process. The delays do not stem from the issuing agency. They come from three places: requesting the wrong type of certificate, requesting it too early, and declaring information on the foreign application that does not match what the certificate states.
The third place is the most dangerous, and almost no one warns about it.
How are Type 1 and Type 2 certificates different?
The 2009 Police Record Law establishes two types of certificates. Vietnamese residents applying for domestic jobs are familiar with Type 1, so they often default to Type 1 for relocation applications. This is the first mistake.
| Criterion | Type 1 | Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Who can request | Individuals, agencies, organizations | Judicial authorities; individuals applying for themselves |
| Expunged convictions | Not recorded | Recorded |
| Non-expunged convictions | Recorded | Recorded |
| Prohibitions on holding office or establishing business | Only recorded if requested | Recorded |
| Can be delegated to someone else | Yes | No |
| Used for foreign relocation applications | Usually not accepted | Standard requirement |
The receiving country wants to know the complete history, not just non-expunged convictions. For this reason, Type 2 is nearly always the default, even though their guidance letters simply mention "police certificate" in general terms.
Where do I request a Type 2 police certificate?
Under the Police Record Law, the issuing authority is the Department of Justice in the district where you are registered as a permanent resident; if you have no permanent registration, it is where you are temporarily registered. People residing abroad submit through the Department of Justice where they were last registered before leaving.
There are currently three submission channels:
- In person at the one-stop counter of the Department of Justice or the provincial/city Administrative Service Center.
- Online through the Provincial or National Public Service Portal.
- Online through the VNeID mobile application — requires a Level 2 digital ID account. This is the fastest option if you already have an account, and you can choose to receive a physical copy.
Starting July 2025, provincial administrative departments will be reorganized following a merger. Before you go, open the public services page of your province or city to see current contact information and submission locations, to avoid going to an old office.
Why can't someone else apply on my behalf?
The law prohibits delegation for Type 2 because the certificate contains the most complete information about a person's criminal history. This creates three common difficult situations:
Child studying abroad. The family application requires your child's certificate from the age specified by the program (usually 16 or 18 and above). If your child cannot return from abroad, they must submit online themselves — meaning they must have a Level 2 VNeID account before leaving the country. Many families discover this only after the child has departed.
Elderly parent. If grandmother or grandfather is not comfortable with phones, they must submit in person. Relatives can accompany, but the person signing the form must be the parent.
Spouse posted far away. There is no shortcut. Schedule early.
With multi-generational applications, coordinating the timing of certificate requests for each family member is a project in itself.
How long does it take and what is the cost?
The law sets a processing time of 10 days from receipt of complete application. If verification is required — multiple prior residences, being a foreigner, or convictions that need checking — the time does not exceed 15 days. In practice, many places are faster, especially with online VNeID submission, but plan according to the legal timeline.
Fees follow the current rate of approximately 200,000 Vietnamese dong per request; some applicants qualify for a reduction. If you need multiple copies, request them all in one application: from the third copy onward, there is only a small additional charge per copy. Having spare copies is very useful if one is retained by an agency and you need to submit elsewhere.
Remember to add time for translation and notarization by the consulate after you receive the certificate — this is covered separately in the guide on translation, notarization, and legalization.
Common declaration errors that delay applications
The application form for Type 2 certificate asks for more information than people realize. Common errors we see:
- Residential history from age 14 onwards. Omitting one place where you lived means the Department of Justice must verify further, or the certificate will be incomplete. Record in chronological order, including time in dormitories or abroad.
- Parents' and spouse's names. Type 2 records this information. It must match the birth certificate and marriage certificate submitted in the same relocation application.
- Names with tone marks and middle names. A single missing or extra character compared to your ID is enough for the foreign receiving country to ask questions.
- Purpose of use. Write clearly "for relocation application / visa application." Leaving it blank or vague sometimes triggers follow-up questions.
- Place names after reorganization. Your birthplace on the birth certificate may list an old province, while the certificate lists it under the new administrative boundary. Not wrong, but needs a line of explanation in the cover letter with your application.
The most dangerous pitfall: the certificate says one thing, the foreign application says another
Nearly all application forms from relocation programs have a question like: "Have you ever been arrested, prosecuted, or convicted in any country?"
Many people had a minor conviction twenty years ago, already expunged, and they consider it not to exist. They mark "no." But the Type 2 certificate still records that conviction, and this certificate is in the same application file.
To the adjudicator, this is no longer about a minor old conviction. This is false statement, and false statement is a far more serious reason for rejection than the conviction itself. Some countries even flag the false statement in your file, affecting future visa applications.
Our principle: obtain Type 2 first, read it carefully, then fill out the foreign application. Whatever appears on the certificate, declare and explain it, with translated court verdict and expungement decision attached. The background check process for investment programs like Grenada is becoming increasingly thorough — read more about what due diligence checks in Caribbean programs.
If I have lived in another country, what else do I need?
The Vietnamese certificate only reflects history within Vietnam. If you have lived in another country for a certain period (usually 6 or 12 months or more within the past 10 years, depending on the program), the receiving country will require an additional police certificate from that country.
Each country has different procedures and timelines: some issue online in a few days, some require fingerprinting and postal mail taking weeks, some only issue upon request from a third-country immigration authority. This document is usually the slowest in the entire file, so start on it first.
Disadvantages and risks to know in advance
- Short validity period. If the certificate is issued too early, it may expire before your application is submitted. The correct order is: finalize the program, prepare time-sensitive documents, then request the certificate.
- No workaround for absent parties. No delegation allowed, so a family member living far away becomes a bottleneck for the entire application.
- Digital version may not work abroad. The digital certificate on VNeID has legal value within Vietnam, but for consular notarization and foreign submission, you typically need a paper copy with official stamp. Select the option to receive a physical document when submitting.
- Old convictions do not disappear. An expunged record in Vietnam does not mean the foreign program ignores it. Each program has its own criteria for evaluation.
- A name error causes multiple documents to be redone. Correcting a name on the certificate means requesting a new one, translating it again, and notarizing it again.
Checklist before submitting the application form
- [ ] Confirm with your advisor: Type 2 certificate required, for whom, from what age.
- [ ] Ask exactly how many months from issuance the certificate is accepted.
- [ ] Every family member needing a certificate already has a Level 2 VNeID account (especially those leaving soon).
- [ ] Complete list of residences from age 14 onward for each person.
- [ ] Cross-check parents' and spouse's names against birth certificate and marriage certificate.
- [ ] Confirm correct spelling, tone marks, and middle names.
- [ ] Request all needed copies in one application.
- [ ] Read the certificate before filling out the foreign application form.
- [ ] If previously lived abroad: start requesting the foreign country's police certificate immediately.
Next steps
Do two things this week: verify that all family members have a Level 2 VNeID account, and ask your advisor in writing how many months before submission the certificate must be issued. These two answers determine when you should submit the application form.
If you are still deciding between countries, the program recommendation tool helps narrow your choices; each country has different background requirements. The complete timeline of your application, from signing to receiving your passport, is covered in the guide on processing timelines for investment programs.
