The Hanoi Department of Justice (Sở Tư pháp) is located at Số 221 Trần Phú, phường Hà Đông, TP. Hà Nội, phone 024 3355 6789. Foreigners mainly deal with it to apply for, regain or renounce Vietnamese nationality, for intercountry adoption, or to look up notary offices and approved translators. Criminal record certificates are now issued by the provincial police (since 1 March 2025), while marriage registration, birth registration and certification are done at commune-level People’s Committees.
Contact details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Authority | Hanoi Department of Justice |
| Address | Số 221 Trần Phú, phường Hà Đông, TP. Hà Nội |
| Phone | 024 3355 6789 |
| Website | sotuphap.hanoi.gov.vn |
| not published | |
| Opening hours | Office hours, Monday – Friday (call ahead before visiting) |
What do foreigners do at the Department of Justice?
- Applying for, regaining or renouncing Vietnamese nationality: files are lodged at the Department of Justice where you live.
- Intercountry adoption: the Department seeks substitute families, matches children and organises the handover.
- Looking up notary offices, lawyers and translator collaborators approved by the Department.
- Registering branches of foreign law firms and managing foreign lawyers practising in the province.
- Receiving civil-status files with a foreign element when the applicant has no residence in Vietnam.
Procedures now handled elsewhere
| Procedure | Where to apply |
|---|---|
| Criminal record certificate | Hanoi Police (Records Division); or online via VNeID / the National Public Service Portal |
| Marriage registration with a foreigner | Commune/ward People’s Committee where the Vietnamese partner lives |
| Birth registration for a child with a foreign parent | Commune/ward People’s Committee |
| Recording a foreign marriage or divorce | Commune/ward People’s Committee |
| Certificate of marital status | Commune/ward People’s Committee where you reside |
| Certified copies, translators’ signatures | Any commune/ward People’s Committee or a notary office |
| Consular legalisation | Consular Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) or an authorised foreign affairs office |
| Visas, residence cards, visa extensions | Hanoi Police Immigration Office |
Tips before you visit
- Bring your passport and a valid temporary or permanent residence card.
- Foreign documents need consular legalisation (unless exempt) and a certified Vietnamese translation.
- Many procedures can be filed online via the National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn); call ahead to confirm reception hours.
- If you do not read Vietnamese, bring an interpreter or use a support service.
FAQ
Where do foreigners in Hanoi apply for a criminal record certificate?
Since 1 March 2025, at the Hanoi Police or online via VNeID or the National Public Service Portal, not at the Hanoi Department of Justice. See the criminal record guide.
Where do I register a marriage with a foreigner in Hanoi?
At the commune/ward People’s Committee where the Vietnamese partner lives, within 5 working days.
Does the Hanoi Department of Justice translate or certify documents?
No. Certification is done at commune/ward People’s Committees or notary offices; the Department approves the list of translator collaborators.
Departments of Justice in all 34 provinces
Need help with procedures for foreigners?
Info Travel, a Vietnam visa and immigration services company for foreigners, helps with nationality and marriage files, translation, legalisation, visas and residence cards in Hanoi. Zalo/WhatsApp: +84327828822 / Hotline: +84903782118
Sources: the Hanoi Department of Justice website and the Ministry of Justice list of provincial departments (dgts.moj.gov.vn), checked October 2026; Decree 120/2025/ND-CP; Official Letter 454/BTP-TCCB. Contact details may change; please call to confirm before visiting.
