Certified Vietnamese Translation Singapore: Work Visa and PR

💡 Quick answer: Certified Vietnamese translation Singapore rules differ by authority: MOM (EP, S Pass) accepts translation by a professional service provider - no notarization needed. The ICA (PR applications) requires the translation to also be notarized. Dao Huy provides a signed certificate of accuracy with every certified Vietnamese translation, format-mirrored and ready for MOM or for notarization for ICA.

What certified Vietnamese translation Singapore immigration authorities actually require

Singapore attracts tens of thousands of Vietnamese professionals and skilled workers each year. Whether you are applying for an Employment Pass (EP), an S Pass, or making the move to Permanent Residency (PR), you will almost certainly need to translate some of your Vietnamese documents into English. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) each have distinct rules about what kind of certified Vietnamese translation Singapore authorities will accept - and understanding the difference before you file saves significant time and money.

A certified Vietnamese translation is a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator - called a certificate of accuracy or statement of accuracy - confirming that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of the translator's knowledge. This differs from a notarized translation, which requires an additional step: a notary public witnesses the translator's signature and stamps the document. For Singapore immigration, which standard you need depends on whether you are applying via MOM or ICA.

This guide covers what MOM and ICA each require for Vietnamese documents, which Vietnamese documents are most commonly needed, how format-mirroring works for Vietnamese immigration paperwork, and what the process costs and takes in time. For broader context on when notarization is or is not required alongside a certified translation, see this guide to certified translation and notarization.

Do Singapore work passes (EP and S Pass) require a notarized or just a certified translation?

For both the Employment Pass and the S Pass, MOM's official guidance is clear: "For non-English documents, you must upload the original document together with an English translation as 1 file. The translation can be done by a translation service provider." No notarization is mentioned anywhere in this requirement. A professional certified translation with a signed statement of accuracy from the translator fully satisfies what MOM needs.

This matters practically because notarization adds time and cost. For an EP or S Pass application, you can skip the notary entirely. You upload the Vietnamese original and the English certified translation combined as a single PDF, and the translator's signed statement of accuracy is part of that file.

The Employment Pass currently carries a minimum qualifying salary of S$5,600 per month for most sectors (S$6,200 for financial services), updated from January 2025. The S Pass minimum qualifying salary is S$3,300 per month (S$3,800 for financial services), effective from September 2025. Both thresholds rise by age tier under the COMPASS assessment framework MOM introduced to evaluate pass applications based on qualifications, salary, and diversity contribution.

In practice for document translation, this means the following steps:

• Upload the Vietnamese original (for example, your bằng đại học or bảng điểm) and the English certified translation combined into one PDF.
• The translation does not need to be stamped or notarized for MOM submissions.
• The translator's signed statement of accuracy is included within the combined file.
• MOM may request additional supporting documents during review - keep originals accessible throughout the process.
• If your name differs across documents (a common issue with Vietnamese naming variants), submit an explanation letter alongside the translations.

This is exactly the type of certified Vietnamese translation I prepare for EP and S Pass applicants: a complete, format-mirrored English rendering of your Vietnamese academic credentials, employment records, or professional certificates, with my signed certificate of accuracy attached and ready for MOM upload.

What does the ICA require for Vietnamese documents in a Singapore PR application?

The rules shift significantly once you move from a work pass to a Permanent Residency application through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). ICA accepts translations from one of the following sources:

• The issuing country's embassy - in this case, the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore, located at 10 Leedon Park, Singapore 267887;
• A notary public in Singapore or in Vietnam; or
• A privately translated document that is then attested by the Vietnamese embassy or notarized by a notary public.

In practice, the most efficient route for most Vietnamese PR applicants is to have the translation professionally certified first, then take it to a Singapore notary public for notarization. Singapore notary public fees typically run S$50 to S$100 per document for notarizing a certified translation.

ICA's statement that it does not endorse any private translation companies is standard disclaimer language, not a restriction on who can prepare the translation. It simply means ICA evaluates the quality of the document itself rather than the name of the translator. A complete, accurate, format-mirrored translation will clear review regardless of where it originates.

Key figures for Singapore PR applications: the application fee is S$100 per person. If granted, additional fees include S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for the Re-Entry Permit, and S$50 for the Identity Card - a total of S$120 on grant. ICA targets processing within 6 months when all required documents are complete, though some cases take longer depending on the eligibility category and supporting documentation.

The table below summarizes the translation standard for each Singapore immigration track:

Which Vietnamese documents are most commonly required for Singapore immigration?

The specific document checklist depends on your eligibility category, but the following Vietnamese documents appear most frequently in EP, S Pass, and PR applications from Vietnamese nationals.

Educational qualifications

Most work pass and PR applications depend heavily on educational credentials. You will typically need your bằng đại học (Bachelor's degree) and bảng điểm đại học (academic transcript). Both are issued in Vietnamese by the university and require certified English translation. MOM's qualification verification process uses these to confirm you meet EP or S Pass salary and qualification thresholds. For a detailed guide to translating Vietnamese educational credentials, see this guide to Vietnamese diploma and transcript translation.

Other academic credentials that may be needed include high school graduation diplomas (bằng tốt nghiệp THPT), vocational certificates, or postgraduate degrees - especially for roles in healthcare, law, or engineering where MOM requires documented professional qualifications before approving the pass.

Personal status documents

For PR applications involving family ties - such as a spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR holder - the most commonly required documents are:

• Giấy khai sinh (birth certificate): issued by the People's Committee (Ủy ban nhân dân) of the district or commune where the birth was registered. Vietnamese birth certificates list parents' full names, the child's date and place of birth, and a registration number. All field names and entries must be reproduced exactly in the certified translation.
• Giấy chứng nhận kết hôn (marriage certificate): also issued by the local People's Committee. Vietnamese marriage certificates include both parties' full Vietnamese names with complete diacritics, dates, place of registration, and an official stamp. The translator must reproduce the stamp description and all signature block information faithfully.
• Lý lịch tư pháp (judicial record / police clearance): issued by Vietnam's Department of Justice (Sở Tư pháp). It confirms whether the applicant has any criminal record in Vietnam. For a detailed breakdown of what must appear in a certified translation of this type of document, see this guide to what a certified translation must include.

Vietnamese name order is family name first, then middle name, then given name - the reverse of Western convention. This must be handled carefully in translation: ICA and MOM cross-check names across all submitted documents, so any inconsistency (such as a name rendered without diacritics on one page) can trigger a request for clarification. The name Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang must not be stripped to Nguyen Thi Thu Trang in the certified translation if the original carries full diacritics.

Employment and financial records

If you worked in Vietnam before moving to Singapore, or if you are applying through an investor or self-employed PR track, you may also need:

• Giấy xác nhận công tác (employment confirmation letter): a letter from a Vietnamese employer confirming your role, dates of employment, and salary. This is translated along with any Vietnamese-language employment contracts if required.
• Sao kê ngân hàng (bank statement): Vietnamese bank statements may be required as proof of funds or financial history, particularly for investor PR tracks or certain ICA eligibility categories.

How format-mirroring makes Vietnamese immigration translations ICA- and MOM-ready

Format-mirroring means the certified translation reproduces the layout, structure, and visual organization of the Vietnamese original - not just the words. For a Vietnamese university degree (bằng đại học), this means matching the field labels, graduation date line, signature block, university seal description, and diploma number in their corresponding positions in the English version.

This approach matters for Vietnamese immigration documents for two concrete reasons. First, it lets the immigration officer verify the translation against the original field by field - critical when the document contains an official stamp (con dấu), an authorizing signature, and a registration number that must all correspond. Second, it removes ambiguity about what each Vietnamese field means in English, particularly important given how Vietnamese administrative documents differ across issuing People's Committees, courts, universities, and hospitals.

Vietnamese documents regularly contain marginal notes, correction stamps, and handwritten additions that are part of the official record. A translation that omits them - even if they appear to be minor administrative notations - is incomplete under ICA and MOM standards and will be returned for correction. Every element visible in the original, including stamps, seals, signature blocks, and any handwritten corrections, must appear in the certified translation. For more on this, see this guide to apostille and certified translation for Vietnamese documents.

How much does certified Vietnamese translation Singapore cost, and how long does it take?

Below are indicative rates for certified Vietnamese document translation for Singapore immigration. Prices are in Australian dollars (AUD). At a typical AUD/SGD exchange rate of approximately 0.90, AUD 100 is roughly S$90.

These are indicative ranges per standard page (approximately 350 Vietnamese source words). Multi-page documents are quoted per page. Rates do not include Singapore notary public fees (typically S$50 to S$100 per document), which apply only to ICA PR and LTVP submissions requiring notarization.

For EP and S Pass applications where notarization is not required, the total cost is the translation fee alone. For ICA PR submissions, budget the translation fee plus S$50 to S$100 per document for a Singapore notary appointment after the translation is complete.

Note on the September 2026 apostille transition: Vietnam officially joins the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 September 2026. From that date, Vietnamese public documents destined for Singapore - a Hague member state since 1978 - can be apostilled by Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), replacing the current consular legalization chain in many cases. This will simplify the authentication process for some ICA submissions, though the requirement for a certified translation itself is unchanged. The certified translation remains the core deliverable regardless of whether the original Vietnamese document carries an apostille.

FAQ

Source: MOM - Employment Pass Documents Required; ICA - Permanent Residence

About the author

Dao Huy (Lucas) is a professional Vietnamese translation services specialist working across English, Vietnamese, Chinese, and French, with more than 7 years of experience in legal, academic, immigration, and financial translation. Certified Vietnamese translation for Singapore immigration - from educational qualifications and police clearance records to birth certificates, marriage certificates, and employment documents - is a regular part of the work he delivers for applicants at every stage of the MOM and ICA processes.

If you need certified Vietnamese translation for a Singapore Employment Pass, S Pass, or PR application, Dao Huy provides accurate, format-mirrored translations with a signed certificate of accuracy, ready for MOM upload or for notarization for ICA. Offering professional Vietnamese translation services across legal, immigration, and academic documents, get a free quote at daohuy.com.