We do not make or apply for police clearance certificates. Passport Seva (PSK, POPSK or the Regional Passport Office) or the police issue the PCC to you directly. We apostille and translate the PCC you already hold.
What changed in September 2026
Until recently, an Indian PCC for Vietnam went through consular legalisation: MEA attestation in New Delhi, then a stamp from the Vietnam Embassy. Vietnam's accession to the Apostille Convention took effect on 11 September 2026, and that changed the route for personal documents.
Vietnam's work permit rules already allowed this. Decree 219/2025 says a foreign criminal record certificate must be legalised unless an international treaty exempts it. The Apostille Convention is that treaty. In our processing, PCCs and other personal documents for Vietnam now receive the MEA apostille and nothing more on the Indian side.
Some employers and agents in Vietnam still send the old checklist with "embassy legalisation" on it. If yours does, send us the list and we will look at it with you before anything is stamped.
The work permit rule: six months, apostille, Vietnamese
For a work permit, Decree 219/2025 asks for three things from your criminal record certificate:
- Issued no more than six months before the work permit application is submitted
- Legalised, or apostilled where the treaty applies
- Translated into Vietnamese
The six months run from the issue date printed on your PCC to the day your employer files the application in Vietnam. Your flight date does not matter. Apostille, translation, courier and the employer's own paperwork all happen inside that window. A PCC collected too early can run out while the job offer is still being finalised. Ask your employer when they plan to file, then apply for the PCC with that date in mind.
Which PCC you hold decides the first step
Passport office PCC
MEA apostille only
The quickest route, which matters when the six-month clock is running. ₹1,000.
Police-issued PCC
State authentication first
For a certificate from a police station, SP or Commissioner. Notary + SDM costs ₹1,500 in total where it is accepted. The Home Department route uses the state that issued the PCC and is on quote.
The Vietnamese translation
The decree says the translation must follow Vietnamese regulations, and employers handle this in different ways. Some take a translation prepared in India. Others have the translation certified or notarised in Vietnam before filing. We translate PCCs into Vietnamese, and before we begin we ask which of these your employer follows, so you pay for the format that will actually be used.
Translate after the apostille. Then the Vietnamese version covers the apostille certificate as well as the PCC.
What to send and how it runs
- The original PCC, with its issue date clearly visible
- A clear copy of your passport (front and back pages)
- The date your employer plans to file the work permit
- Your employer's checklist and translation instructions
- Photo on WhatsAppWe check the PCC type and the issue date against your filing date.
- Original to usOffice drop-off in Delhi, or courier from your city.
- ApostilleDirectly at the MEA, or after Notary + SDM or Home Department for a police PCC.
- Vietnamese translationIn the format your employer confirmed.
- Scan and returnA scan for your employer, and the original back to you by secure courier.
We give you a time estimate with the price, before you send anything.
Questions about PCC apostille for Vietnam
My PCC already has a Vietnam Embassy stamp from last year. Can I use it?
Probably not for a work permit. The decree wants a certificate issued within six months of filing, so a PCC from last year is too old whatever stamps it carries.
Do I still need to visit the Vietnam Embassy in Delhi for my PCC?
No. For a PCC the MEA apostille is now the last step in India. The embassy stage still applies to company documents, which we cover on our Vietnam documents page.
When should I apply for the PCC if my start date is three months away?
Ask your employer for the filing date. Apply close enough to it that the PCC is still under six months old on that day, while leaving time for the apostille and translation.
Will a police-station PCC be accepted in Vietnam?
The decree speaks of a criminal record certificate from the competent authority and does not name the issuing office. Most employers are used to the passport office PCC. If you only have a police certificate, show it to your employer first.
Can you apostille my degree at the same time?
Yes. Degrees for Vietnam also get the MEA apostille. Send both together. Each document is priced separately, and the PCC can go first if its six-month window is tighter.