South African Embassy in Hanoi: Address & Hours (2026)

The Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Hanoi is on the 3rd floor of Central Building, 31 Hai Ba Trung Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi, tel. +84 24 3936 2000, consular email consular.hanoi@dirco.gov.za. The office is open Monday to Friday 9:00–12:30 and 13:00–17:00; the consular section receives the public 9:00–12:00. It accepts civic applications from South Africans (travel documents, IDs, births, marriages, citizenship), legalises documents and assists citizens in distress. Info Travel supports South African nationals in Vietnam with visas, residence cards, exit permits, apostilles and translations – WhatsApp +84327828822.

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Contact details of the South African Embassy

Item	Details
Address	3rd Floor, Central Building, 31 Hai Ba Trung Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi
Phone	+84 24 3936 2000; fax +84 24 3936 1991; after-hours emergency +84 904 002 972
Email	consular.hanoi@dirco.gov.za (consular); admin.hanoi@dirco.gov.za (administration)
Website	https://dirco1.azurewebsites.net/hanoi/ (Department of International Relations and Cooperation – DIRCO)
Opening hours	Office: Mon–Fri 9:00–12:30, 13:00–17:00. Consular: Mon–Fri 9:00–12:00
Consular district	All of Vietnam

The embassy opened in Hanoi on 1 October 2002. South Africa has no consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, so citizens in the south also deal with the embassy.

Consular services for South African citizens

Civic and immigration services (with the Department of Home Affairs): travel documents/passports, identity documents, birth registration, birth, marriage and death certificates, citizenship, South African visas and permits.
Core consular services: legalisation of documents, end-user certificates, commissioner of oaths.
Registration of South Africans Abroad (ROSA).
Assistance with deaths and arrests in Vietnam.

The embassy states that incomplete applications are not accepted and that it offers no financial assistance for repatriation. A consular tariff list is published on the website.

What to know before you go

Getting in: the embassy is on the 3rd floor; sign in with security at the building’s main entrance first.
Book by phone: several people report that appointments are arranged by calling, and that emails are often answered slowly or not at all. Afternoon calls tend to get through more easily.
Passport forms: visitors say only original application forms collected at the embassy are accepted, not printouts from the internet.
Waiting times: passports are processed in South Africa and visitors mention waits of around six months – apply early.
South African visa appointments for Vietnamese applicants can be rescheduled; leave plenty of margin before travel dates.
The waiting room is small and quiet. Closed on Vietnamese and South African holidays (e.g. Freedom Day 27 April, Heritage Day 24 September).

Common reasons foreigners contact their embassy in Vietnam

Lost passport: get a police report, then apply at the embassy for an emergency travel document. The Vietnamese visa is lost too, so arrange a new visa or exit procedures before buying a flight.

Overstay: the embassy stresses that it cannot intervene when citizens break Vietnam’s visa or work-permit rules. If you have overstayed, deal with immigration as soon as possible – Info Travel can explain the fine and exit-permit process so you do not lose more money on tickets.

English teachers: many South Africans teach English in Vietnam; a work permit needs apostilled degrees and an SAPS police clearance with notarised translations. Then apply for a temporary residence card, or a visa extension while you wait.

New passport: once issued, transfer your visa/TRC into it.

Family visiting can apply for a Vietnam e-visa.

Help with a South African passport in Vietnam

The embassy accepts travel-document (passport) and ID applications from citizens; files are sent to Home Affairs in South Africa, so processing is slow. Applicants normally attend in person (identity checks, fingerprints where required) with a complete file – incomplete applications are refused.

Info Travel helps with phone booking guidance, copies, photos and translations; keeps your stay legal with visa extensions while you wait; and once the new passport arrives transfers your visa/TRC and handles immigration formalities – within what the embassy permits.

Consular legalisation, MOFA certification and notarised translation

South Africa has been party to the Apostille Convention since 1995, and Vietnam applies it from 11 September 2026, so the apostille is the main route for public documents.

a) South African documents for use in Vietnam: obtain an apostille from the competent South African authority (DIRCO’s legalisation section in Pretoria or a High Court, depending on the document), then a notarised Vietnamese translation. Legalisation through the Vietnamese Embassy in Pretoria is a fallback. Unless exempted under an international treaty, documents need an apostille or legalisation.

b) Vietnamese documents for use in South Africa: obtain an apostille from the Consular Department of MOFA or the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs, with an English translation. If a South African authority asks for legalisation, the embassy in Hanoi offers document legalisation.

Info Travel runs the full chain: Vietnamese–English translation, notarisation, apostille or consular certification, submission and collection. See consular legalisation in Vietnam and apostille vs consular legalisation; quotes on WhatsApp.