Location:
Vietnam
Part of:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office

The UK and Vietnam set up their diplomatic relations in 1973. The two countries entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2010, demonstrating the breadth and depth of existing cooperation and shared level of ambition for the future.

The Strategic Partnership provides a comprehensive framework for cooperation under these priority areas:

  • 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.

Our services

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.

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 visit the relevant link below to book an appointment.

British Embassy Hanoi

British Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City

Emergency travel documents (ETD)

We may be able to provide an emergency travel document if 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.

Book an appointment for an emergency travel document in Hanoi

Book an appointment an emergency travel document in Ho Chi Minh City

Passport renewal

Details of how to get a passport extension or emergency child travel document can be found here. 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.

Births, deaths and marriages

Information on how you can register a birth or death which occurred overseas, and legal documents for couples marrying or entering into civil partnerships abroad.

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.

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 (link) 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

Our people

Giles Lever

Giles Lever

British Ambassador to Vietnam

    Contact us

    British Embassy Hanoi

    Central Building, 4th floor
    31 Hai Ba Trung

    Hanoi
    Vietnam

    Office opening hours:
    Monday to Thursday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.45pm
    Friday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.00pm to 3.00pm

    Consular public hours (for notarial and documentary services - by appointment only):
    Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 09:00am to11:45am
    Wednesday: 2:00 pm to 3:30pm

    Access and opening times

    British Consulate-General Ho Chi Minh City

    25 Le Duan Street,
    District 1
    Ho Chi Minh City
    Vietnam

    Office opening hours:
    Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 4:45pm
    Friday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.00pm

    Consular public hours (for notarial and documentary services - by appointment only):
    Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 09:00am to 11:45am
    Wednesday: 02:00pm to 03:30pm

    Access and opening times

    Corporate information