In 2020, where can résumés, diplomas, and TOEIC certificates be certified in Vietnam?

In 2020, where can résumés, diplomas, and TOEIC certificates be certified in Vietnam? - Illustrative Photo

1. Authentication of Personal Résumé in Vietnam

A résumé is considered a statement of personal information, encompassing the most basic information about an individual. For this type of document, the authentication required is merely the authentication of the signature.

To be specific, according to Official Dispatch 1520/HTQTCT-CT dated March 20, 2014, guiding the authentication of résumés, the commune-level People's Committee (including communes, wards, and commune-level towns) is only responsible for authenticating the signature of the person who made the résumé; the person making the résumé must take responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided. If the authentication officer at the commune-level People’s Committee is well-acquainted with the individual and trusts the content of the résumé, they may confirm the accuracy of the résumé. It is recommended that the commune-level People's Committee does not include opinions about legal compliance or policies of the State and localities in the résumé of citizens.

Simultaneously, according to Section 7 of Official Dispatch 1352/HTQTCT-CT dated March 10, 2015, and Article 24 of Decree 23/2015/ND-CP, one of the instances where signature authentication is performed is for the signature of the person making the résumé. Specifically:

Article 24. Signature Authentication Procedures

...

4. The procedures for signature authentication as stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article shall also be applied in the following cases:

a) Authentication of the signatures of multiple individuals on a single document;

b) Authentication of the signature of the person making the personal résumé;

c) Authentication of signatures on documents personally created in accordance with the law;

d) Authentication of signatures on authorization letters in cases where the authorization is without remuneration, non-compensatory, and does not involve the transfer of property ownership or real estate usage rights.

Regarding the authority to authenticate, pursuant to Article 5 of Decree 23/2015/ND-CP, the district-level Justice Division of districts, towns, and provincial cities has the authority to authenticate signatures on documents, irrespective of the residence of the authentication requester. Specifically:

Article 5. Authority and Responsibility for Authentication

1. The district-level Justice Division (hereinafter referred to as the Justice Division) has the authority and responsibility to:

a) Authenticate copies from the originals of documents issued or certified by competent authorities of Vietnam, foreign authorities, or joint authorities of Vietnam and foreign countries;

b) Authenticate signatures on documents or papers;

...

5. The authentication of copies from the originals, signature authentication, and certification of contracts and transactions involving movable assets and wills as stipulated in this Article does not depend on the residence of the requester.

Moreover, according to Section 1 of Official Dispatch 1352/HTQTCT-CT dated March 10, 2015, both the Justice Division and the commune-level People's Committee have equal authority in signature authentication, regardless of the language of the document.

In summary, a personal résumé signature can be authenticated at any authorized authentication office, whether it is the district-level Justice Division or the commune-level People's Committee, anywhere in Vietnam, regardless of the registered domicile. The requester of the authentication must be responsible for the content of the signed document.

Note Especially, as per Article 15 from Circular 01/2020/TT-BTP issued on March 3, 2020, from April 20, 2020, the authentication officer only needs to record the authentication certification in the format specified in Decree 23/2015/ND-CP, and if the specific law provides differently, then follow the specific law. The requester for authentication is responsible for the entire content in their résumé. Fields with no content should be struck through before requesting authentication.

Article 15. Authentication of Signatures in Personal Résumés

1. The regulations on signature authentication in Section 3 of Decree 23/2015/ND-CP apply to the authentication of signatures on personal résumés. The authentication officer shall not record any remarks on the résumé, only the authentication certification as specified in Decree 23/2015/ND-CP. If specific laws provide differently for recording remarks on personal résumés, then follow those specifics.

2. The requester for authentication is responsible for the entire content in their personal résumé. For fields with no content in the résumé, they must be crossed out before requesting authentication.

2. Authentication of Other Documents: University Diplomas, Language Certificates (TOEIC, TOEFL), etc. in Vietnam 

According to Article 5 of Decree 23/2015/ND-CP, the authority to authenticate various types of documents is as follows:

1. The district-level Justice Division (Justice Division) has the authority and responsibility:

a) To authenticate copies from originals of documents issued or certified by competent authorities of Vietnam, foreign authorities, or joint authorities of Vietnam and foreign countries;

...

2. The commune-level People's Committee (hereinafter referred to as commune-level People's Committee) has the authority and responsibility:

a) To authenticate copies from originals of documents issued or certified by competent authorities of Vietnam;

Additionally, Section 1 of Official Dispatch 1352/HTQTCT-CT dated March 10, 2015, further emphasizes the authority for authenticating copies from originals of various documents:

1. Authority and Responsibility for Authentication (Article 5):

1.1. Authority for authenticating copies from originals:

Authority for the Justice Division and the commune-level People's Committee in authenticating copies from originals is based on the issuing body. The Justice Division authenticates copies from originals of documents issued or certified by competent authorities of Vietnam, foreign authorities, or joint authorities of Vietnam and foreign countries (Clause 1a); the commune-level People's Committee only authenticates copies from originals of documents issued or certified by competent authorities of Vietnam (Clause 2a).

Therefore, for University Diplomas, College Diplomas, Language Certificates, or other certificates issued by competent authorities of foreign countries or by joint authorities of Vietnam and foreign countries, authentication must be done at the district-level Justice Division. Meanwhile, for University Diplomas, College Diplomas, or Language Certificates issued by Vietnamese authorities, authentication can be performed at any competent commune-level People's Committee. According to Clause 5, Article 5 of Decree 23/2015/ND-CP, the authentication of these documents does not need to return to the place of registered domicile; it can be authenticated at any authorized office.

Note: For island districts lacking the commune-level People's Committee, the Justice Division shall perform the authentication in accordance with Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 5 of Decree 23/2015/ND-CP.

Nguyen Trinh

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