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Foreigners who do not understand Vietnamese but have signed documents with the police may face serious legal risks.
Does such a signature still have legal validity?
Can it affect a criminal case in Vietnam?
And is there still any way to protect one’s rights after signing?
These are questions that many foreign nationals only begin to ask when the situation has already become critical.
Many foreigners living, working, or traveling in Vietnam have experienced being invited by the police to work, give statements, or sign written records entirely in Vietnamese.
In a state of stress, fatigue, or the belief that “it’s just a formality,” many people sign documents without fully understanding what they contain.
In reality, this is one of the most common and dangerous legal risks for foreigners involved in criminal matters in Vietnam.
In criminal proceedings, a signature is not merely an administrative formality.
It can become a key piece of evidence used by investigating authorities to assess:
The credibility of statements
Legal responsibility
Even the role of the signer in the criminal case
Alarmingly, many foreigners only realize the seriousness of the situation later—when they are formally charged, detained, or when a lawyer reviews the file and discovers that the signed documents are entirely unfavorable.
A very common question from foreigners and their families is: “I don’t understand Vietnamese, but I already signed. Are those documents legally valid?”
The answer is not a simple yes or no.
Each case must be carefully reviewed based on specific circumstances.
Under the Vietnamese Criminal Procedure Code 2015 (currently in force), participants in criminal proceedings who do not know Vietnamese have the right to an interpreter.
Specifically, the law provides that participants may use their own spoken and written language and must be ensured the assistance of an interpreter.
This means:
The police must arrange an interpreter if they know or should know that the person does not understand Vietnamese
Statements, records, and procedural documents must be clearly explained through an interpreter
Failure to do so, or doing so merely in a formalistic manner, may constitute a procedural violation, which can be crucial for later legal defense
However, an important point must be noted:
A procedural violation does not automatically invalidate all signed documents.
Investigating authorities and courts will assess the matter comprehensively, based on multiple factors.
Based on DEDICA Law’s practical experience in advising and handling criminal cases involving foreign elements, the most common risks include:
In many cases, police records and statements are drafted entirely in Vietnamese.
By signing them, a foreigner may unintentionally confirm facts they never intended to admit or were never properly explained to them.
As a result, investigators may assume that:
The signer understood the contents
The statements were made voluntarily
There were no objections at the time of signing
Once documents have been signed, a lawyer entering the case later must spend significant time:
Reviewing the legality of procedural steps
Proving that the signer did not understand the content
Requesting exclusion of evidence, if legally justified
This is far more difficult than having a lawyer or interpreter involved from the very beginning.
In criminal cases, even a few lines in a signed record can affect how authorities determine:
Whether someone is a victim or a related person
Whether someone is a co-offender or merely a witness
The degree of fault and legal liability
This is why signing documents without understanding Vietnamese poses serious risks, especially for foreigners unfamiliar with Vietnam’s legal system.
This is one of the most frequent questions DEDICA Law receives.
The good news is: there are still legal options, if action is taken promptly and correctly.
Lawyers will carefully examine:
Whether an interpreter was provided
Whether the interpreter was qualified and independent
Whether rights and obligations were properly explained
Whether there were signs of coercion, pre-drafted records, or signing while exhausted or mentally unstable
These factors can become critical grounds for protecting a foreign client’s lawful rights.
In appropriate cases, lawyers may:
Request re-recording of statements
Challenge the voluntariness of the signature
Petition for exclusion of evidence if serious procedural violations exist
Such actions must be taken early, in accordance with proper procedures, and supported by solid legal arguments.
Each criminal case is different.
A foreigner may be a suspect, a victim, or a person with related rights and obligations.
Signing documents without understanding Vietnamese directly affects the legal strategy that should be adopted.
This is precisely why individuals should not attempt to handle criminal matters alone, especially in Vietnam.
Based on real-world experience, DEDICA Law strongly recommends that foreigners:
Do not sign any document you do not fully understand
Clearly request a qualified, independent interpreter
Exercise your right to have a lawyer involved from the earliest stage
Stay calm and do not sign under time pressure
Small decisions at the beginning can make a significant difference to the outcome of the entire case.
DEDICA Law LLC is a Vietnam-based law firm in Ho Chi Minh City with practical experience in advising, protecting rights, and providing criminal defense for:
Foreigners under investigation or prosecution in Vietnam
Foreign victims in criminal cases
Families and relatives of foreigners who are detained or held in custody
We understand the language barriers, legal differences, and psychological pressure that foreign clients face when dealing with Vietnamese law enforcement authorities.
📞 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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