Please note:
The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the entities or individuals whose names appear on the following lists. Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement by the Department or the U.S. government. The order in which they appear has no significance. The information on the list is provided directly by the local service providers; the Department is not in a position to vouch for such information.
U.S. citizens may be asked to present a “certificate of good conduct” or “lack of a criminal record” for a variety of reasons for use abroad including adoption, school attendance, employment, etc.
U.S. citizens can request a criminal background check in the U.S. or in Vietnam.
To obtain a criminal background check in Vietnam:
- Persons who have been living in Vietnam for 6 months or more can request this document from their local provincial justice office.
- If you no longer live in Vietnam, but need a criminal background check for the period of time you stayed in Vietnam, you can request it from:
The National Center for Criminal Checks
9 Tran Vi Street, Mai Dich Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi
Tel: (024) 320-11313 or (024) 668-41313 within Vietnam and ((84-24) 320-11313 or (84-24) 668-41313 from the U.S.
Email: ttlltpqg@moj.gov.vn
Guidance for foreigners who resided in Vietnam to apply for criminal record certificates can be found at the National Center for Criminal Record’s webpage.
Note: Foreigners who cannot appear in person when requesting a criminal background check may provide a Power of Attorney authorizing another person along with photocopies of the requestor’s current passport and the requestor’s passport previously used in Vietnam (if different from current passport) to obtain the criminal background check. The Power of Attorney and copy of the U.S. passport must be authenticated by a Vietnamese Embassy overseas or by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Consular Department. The Power of Attorney must be translated into Vietnamese by a Vietnamese notary public.
Getting your fingerprints taken:
Please contact the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for taking fingerprints. IOM offices are located at:
Hanoi:
Green One UN House
304 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Tel: (+84.24) 3850 0373, (+84.24) 3736 6259
Appointment is required.
Ho Chi Minh City:
1B Pham Ngoc Thach Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: (028) 3822-2057 within Vietnam, (011) (84-28) 3822-2057 from the U.S.
Email: hcmc@iom.int
The IOM office charges $65 per person for this service. Please note that IOM is the only office in Vietnam that provides this service for U.S. citizens.
You also can find information about fingerprinting on the Criminal Records Check page on our webpage and instructions on taking fingerprints can be found at the FBI’s website. There you can print out your own fingerprint cards, find FBI records check procedures, and mailing information.