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Many foreigners who have worked in Vietnam face a frustrating situation: they possess employment certificates, reference letters, or contracts—but these documents cannot be used because they lack a valid signature or company seal.
The result is often confusion and stress, especially when these documents are required for a work permit in countries like Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan.
Under Vietnamese law on notarization and certification, a document must satisfy certain conditions to be accepted:
This explains why employment confirmation letters without a company seal are often rejected. Notary offices have no legal basis to verify whether such documents were genuinely issued by a company.
In practice, many foreigners worked for small businesses, companies that have ceased operations, or simply cannot reconnect with the legal representative. In these cases, obtaining a proper seal becomes extremely difficult.
A critical point many people overlook: notarization (or certification) is a mandatory first step before consular legalization.
According to Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP on consular legalization, documents must:
This means if your document cannot pass the notarization stage, the process effectively stops—you cannot proceed to consular legalization.
This is why many applicants find their documents “stuck” despite visiting multiple notary offices.
The good news: this situation is not always hopeless.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each case must be assessed based on the type of document, its origin, and the requirements of the receiving country.
From a legal perspective, the strategy is not always to “fix” a defective document—but to build a legally sound alternative.
Possible approaches may include:
The key idea is this: instead of insisting on a non-compliant document, it is often more effective to create a structured, legally coherent dossier that can withstand scrutiny.
That said, the appropriate approach depends heavily on the specific requirements of the destination country. For example, work permit requirements in South Korea differ significantly from those in Taiwan.
In certain cases, documents may still be processed if:
However, it is important to clarify:
“Each case must be individually assessed. The feasibility of processing depends on the specific details of the documents involved.”
This is where many applicants make costly mistakes—trying multiple approaches without a clear legal strategy.
In practice, DEDICA has supported many foreign clients who were close to giving up after repeated notarization refusals.
In one case, a client who had worked in Vietnam’s technical sector needed to prepare documents for a work permit in Japan. However:
Instead of attempting to notarize invalid documents, DEDICA’s legal team:
As a result, the application was accepted after following the correct legal process.
Of course, not every case will have the same outcome. But the key takeaway is: there is often a viable path forward—if approached correctly from the beginning.
You should consider seeking legal advice if:
Continuing without a clear legal direction may cost you valuable time—while job opportunities abroad may not wait.
An experienced lawyer can help you:
Most importantly, they help you understand both your legal limitations and your real opportunities.
Being refused notarization due to a missing company seal does not necessarily mean your journey ends here.
In many cases, it simply means you need a different legal approach—one that aligns better with both Vietnamese regulations and your actual circumstances.
DEDICA, with extensive experience supporting foreign individuals and international businesses in handling legal documentation in Vietnam, understands these challenges and how to resolve them effectively and lawfully.
📞 Hotline: (+84) 39 969 0012 (Available via WhatsApp, WeChat, Zalo)
🕒 Working Hours: Monday – Friday (8:30 – 18:00)
Contact us today for a free initial consultation with our experienced lawyers!
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