A police check, also known as a criminal background check, is needed for workers in Vietnam applying for a work permit. Without it, your company will not be able to apply for a work permit. Having been through the process and done it ourselves 3 times, we have put together a guide on how to get a police check in Vietnam. This post is specifically on how to get the police check in Hanoi, without using a visa agent. Here is a cost-effective, step-by-step guide.
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1. Fill in the police check Vietnam form online
Firstly, you will need to head to the Department of Justice website. CLICK HERE for the link. Fill in the form. You only need to fill in the sections that have an asterisk (*). Once you have completed the form, you will be given a code. Make note of this! Whilst printing the document is not 100% required, we highly recommend you print it anyway to save yourself some hassle when you get to the Department of Justice.
2. Prepare your documents
Next, you will need to prepare the following documents to take with you to the Department of Justice:
- Your printed application form (the one you filled in online)
- Your passport
- A photocopy of every page of your passport
- A residence confirmation letter
The residence confirmation letter
This is simply a piece of paper that confirms your address. To get this, you will need to ask your landlord to obtain it for you from the local police station. We have heard fellow expats say that they have been charged up to 500,000 vnd for this. However, we have requested this several times from our landlord and have never been charged.
Note: You only need the residence confirmation letter for where you are currently living. There is no need to get one for places you have previously lived.
3. Go to the Department of Justice in Hanoi
Next, head to the Hanoi Department of Justice in Ha Dong. The address:
221 Trần Phú, P. Văn Quán, Hà Đông, Hà Nội
The location is on the main road and is easy to find. If you take a motorbike taxi or car, your driver should be able to find it easily, so no need to worry about that.
Opening times:
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 11:00 am / reopens: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am – 11:00 am
Sunday: Closed
Once you arrive, go straight to the desk outside at the front. A member of staff will look at your passport and hand you a ticket with a number on it. This number is the position you are in the queue. After you have your ticket, head inside and take a seat.
Get comfy and wait for your number to be called. Here is the trickiest part, you will need to know numbers in Vietnamese, as there is no English caller, nor any monitor to show the number being called. Don’t worry though, the caller is clear and will call the number several times if no one shows.
Once your number has been called, just head to the desk and give them your documents. You won’t need to do anything else other than pay the police check fee.
The official cost of a police check
The official cost of the police check is 200,000 vnd.
4. Choose how to receive your results
Once you have paid the police check application fee, you can choose to collect your results in person or to get them delivered by post. The cost to get your police check certificate delivered is just 30,000 vnd, so this is your best option.
Head to the desk at the back, take an envelope, write your address, and hand it to the staff member. Pay the 30,000 vnd postage fee and finally take your receipt.
5. Wait 2 weeks for your results
Once you have made your application, it takes around 14 days to get the results. If you’re in a rush, you may want to consider using an agent. Whilst much more expensive than doing it yourself, an agent may be able to get your police check within a matter of days.
