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Our work covers a range of issues including:
political – diplomatic cooperation
global and regional issues
trade and Investment
sustainable socio-economic development
education, training, science and technology
security and defence
people-to-people links
The UK presence in Vietnam includes the embassy in Hanoi and consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City. Department for International Development programmes are run out of an office in Hanoi and the British Council has an active presence in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Services for British nationals
Visas
For information about whether you require a visa to the United Kingdom and how to apply go to UK visas and immigration. Should you need to ask a question about UK visas or your visa application you will find telephone, email and webchat contact details here. Staff at our Embassy/High Commission/Consulate and visa application centre(s) cannot help with any visa enquiries.
Out-of-hours emergency assistance
British nationals who need emergency assistance outside normal office hours should call +84 (0) 4 3936 0500 where they will be given details on how to proceed and how to contact a consular officer if needed. If you are in the UK and concerned about a British national in Vietnam, please call 020 7008 1500.
Consular appointment
We are open to the public by appointment only from 09:00-11:45 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and from 14:00 – 15:30 on Wednesday (except public holidays).
For legalisation or notarial services: Please read further information below under ‘Notarial and Documentary Services’
For Marriage/Civil Partnership Registrations: These services are only provided at the British Embassy in Hanoi, please visit the following link for further information.
For Emergency Travel Documents: Please read further information below under ‘Emergency travel documents’
Emergency travel documents (ETD)
We may be able to provide an emergency travel document if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen, damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel. If you are due to travel in the next 5 working days, you should contact your nearest consulate as soon as possible.
For all other applications, please check what you must bring with you and then make an appointment at your nearest consulate using the links below. Please call your nearest consulate for advice before making an appointment if:
you have never applied for a British passport before
you are applying on behalf of a child
An emergency travel document does not guarantee entry to every country. Read what an emergency travel document does.
Please check country specific visa requirements prior to applying for the ETD. You will need to visit Vietnam Immigration to obtain an exit visa.
Book an appointment for an emergency travel document in Hanoi.
Book an appointment an emergency travel document in Ho Chi Minh City.
Passport renewal
For information on how to apply for your first passport or renew an existing passport, please visit the overseas passport section of this website.
Please note that our Embassy and Consulate General cannot deal with individual enquiries about passport applications.
Marriages
We can issue affirmations or affidavits of marital status. For information on getting married in Vietnam, see getting married abroad.
Births and deaths
Information on how you can register a birth or death which occurred overseas.
The British Embassy in Hanoi and British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City no longer accept applications to register births or deaths which occurred overseas. This service has now transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK.
There are no changes to the entitlement to register a birth or death. The processing time will remain the same. However, you will now need to allow extra time for the documents to be sent to and from the UK.
Travel advice
Information on staying safe and avoiding problems when living or travelling abroad, with links to our embassies, high commissions and other diplomatic posts across the world.
Notarial and documentary services
Information about official documents, certificates, letters, and notes available at British Embassy in Hanoi and the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
Legalisation Service
How to get official confirmation that your UK public documentation is genuine so it can be accepted by foreign authorities. The UK does not require any documents to be legalised for use within the UK.
Lists of local service providers
Lists of Lawyers, Translators/Interpreters, Medical Facilities and Funeral Directors in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Please note that inclusion in these lists does not constitute official endorsement by the British Embassy or the UK Government.
Prisoner pack
Vietnam - Prisoner pack: An explanation of the Vietnamese legal and prison system.
Guides we produce
We also produce the following guides that you may find useful in specific circumstances.
Living in Vietnam
Adopting in Vietnam
How else we can help
In addition to the services listed above we can also:
provide information about transferring funds
provide appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital
help people with mental health illness
do all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained
offer support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping
contact family or friends for you if you want
make special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters
UK law says we have to charge for some services. Details of our current fees and the standards of service you can expect to receive are on display in all our consular offices.
What our consulates cannot do for you
Although we try to help British nationals in a wide range of situations, we cannot:
get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings
help you enter a country, for example, if you do not have a visa or your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or procedures
give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers
get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people
pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money from public funds, which you will have to pay back
make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation
make business arrangements on your behalf