Vietnamese Birth Certificate for Canada PR: Apostille or Translation?
💡 Quick answer: For Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry, IRCC needs a certified English or French translation of your Vietnamese birth certificate (giấy khai sinh) - not an apostille, not a notarized copy, not a certified true copy from a Vietnamese notary. Vietnam's September 2026 apostille does not change this: IRCC does not require apostille for its own immigration processing.
- IRCC requires only a certified translation of your Vietnamese birth certificate and a plain scan of the original - no apostille, no certified true copy from a Vietnamese notary office.
- The translator must be a member of a recognized professional translation association - in Canada (ATIO, STIBC, OTTIAQ) or abroad.
- Vietnam joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 September 2026, but IRCC has not changed its requirements. Apostille is not part of the Canadian permanent residence process.
- If no recognized certified translator is available, IRCC accepts a translation with a sworn affidavit from the translator as an alternative to certification.
- Do not pay to apostille or notarize your Vietnamese birth certificate before translation - IRCC asks for neither of those steps.
What does IRCC require for a Vietnamese birth certificate?
When you submit a permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) through Express Entry, every document not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation. For your Vietnamese birth certificate Canada IRCC submission, this means two things: a plain scan of the original document and a certified English or French translation signed by a qualified translator.
That is the complete list. IRCC does not require an apostille from Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It does not require a certified true copy stamped by a Vietnamese notary. The birth certificate does not need to be notarized or authenticated in Vietnam before reaching the translator. You upload the scan and the certified translation together in the IRCC online portal.
Birth certificates are typically required when declaring dependent children or when IRCC needs to verify identity. The document must be legible and complete, with all stamps, seals, and handwritten annotations visible - the translation must capture every element, including annotations and the issuing authority's details.
Apostille, certified true copy, or certified translation: the key distinction
Three authentication terms confuse nearly every Vietnamese applicant, and each one answers a different question about a document.
| Step | What it does | Who provides it | Needed for Canada PR? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apostille (Vietnam MOFA, from Sept 2026) | Confirms the Vietnamese official's seal is genuine | Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs | No |
| Certified true copy (bản sao công chứng) | Notarized photocopy confirming it matches the original | Vietnamese notary office or People's Committee | No - a plain scan is sufficient |
| Certified translation | Translates the content into English or French with the translator's signed certificate | A certified translator | Yes, required |
| Translation affidavit | Notarized sworn statement by the translator confirming accuracy | Translator and notary or commissioner of oaths | Alternative if no certified translator is available |
In practice, Vietnamese applicants often spend extra money getting their birth certificate apostilled or notarized before translation. IRCC requires neither step. Save the time and the fee.
Who qualifies as a certified translator for IRCC?
IRCC requires the translation to come from a translator who is a member in good standing of a recognized professional translation association. In Canada, the main bodies are ATIO (Ontario), STIBC (British Columbia), and OTTIAQ (Quebec). IRCC also explicitly accepts translators abroad who belong to an equivalent recognized association - physical location in Canada is not required.
IRCC does not accept translations by family members, friends, or a representative who is also a translator for the same applicant. Self-translation is never accepted under any circumstances.
If a recognized certified translator is not available, IRCC allows the translation to be accompanied by a sworn affidavit - a notarized statement from the translator confirming accuracy. This is the accepted fallback route. For accurate, complete certified Vietnamese civil document translation that meets IRCC's standards, the translator's signed certification accompanies every page with no separate notarization needed.
Does Vietnam's September 2026 apostille change anything for Canada PR?
Vietnam acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention, with the Convention entering into force on 11 September 2026. Vietnamese public documents - including birth certificates issued by People's Committees - can now carry an apostille from Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This matters for countries that require document authentication before accepting foreign public documents. It does not change what IRCC needs. Canadian immigration does not use apostille in its own processing: IRCC officers assess documents directly and do not verify foreign official seals through the apostille channel. Getting an apostille on your Vietnamese birth certificate for a Canadian PR application adds cost and time with no procedural benefit.
For a broader comparison of what IRCC requires from Vietnamese documents in general, see the guide on apostille versus certified translation for IRCC applications. The same rules apply to civil documents across the board: see the companion guide on the Vietnamese marriage certificate for Canadian permanent residence.
What if your Vietnamese birth certificate is unavailable or lost?
If the original birth certificate (giấy khai sinh) is lost or was never separately issued, obtain a civil registration extract (trÃch lục khai sinh) from the commune or district People's Committee where the birth was registered. IRCC accepts this as primary evidence of birth when the original is unavailable, provided it carries the issuing authority's official stamp.
Translate the civil registration extract the same way: a certified English or French translation by a qualified translator, submitted alongside a scan of the extract. No apostille needed for this document either. For the distinction between these document types and what each one proves, see the guide on certified true copy versus certified translation.
FAQ
Does IRCC require a certified true copy of my Vietnamese birth certificate?
No. For a standard permanent residence application, a plain scan of your original Vietnamese birth certificate is sufficient. IRCC only asks for a certified true copy if they make an explicit written request - do not certify copies in advance unless asked.
Can I use the Vietnam MOFA apostille instead of a certified translation for IRCC?
No. The apostille confirms the authenticity of a Vietnamese official's seal. IRCC does not use apostille in its review process: it needs a certified translation of the document's content. An apostilled Vietnamese birth certificate without a certified translation will not satisfy IRCC's requirements.
Does my Vietnamese birth certificate need to be notarized before translation for IRCC?
No. You do not need to notarize, apostille, or obtain a certified true copy of your Vietnamese birth certificate before having it translated for an IRCC application. The translator works from your original document or a clear copy of it.
Can a translator based in Vietnam prepare the certified translation for my IRCC application?
Yes, if they are a member of a recognized professional translation association abroad. IRCC explicitly allows translators in Canada or abroad to certify translations for immigration applications. Membership in a recognized translation body is the key requirement, not the translator's physical location.
What if my birth certificate and passport show different spellings of my name?
Submit both documents with certified translations for each. Note the name discrepancy in a cover letter and explain it - Vietnamese name transliterations often vary between documents issued at different times. Translate each document exactly as written and do not adjust the translation to make names match. IRCC officers are familiar with name variation in Vietnamese civil documents.
Written by Dao Huy (Lucas), Vietnamese translator & localization specialist (EN · ZH · FR → Vietnamese). See translation services → · Certified Documents →