The Lao Cai Department of Justice (Sở Tư pháp) is located at Tổ 2, phường Yên Bái, tỉnh Lào Cai, phone 0216 3852 391. 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 | Lao Cai Department of Justice |
| Address | Tổ 2, phường Yên Bái, tỉnh Lào Cai |
| Phone | 0216 3852 391 |
| Website | stp.laocai.gov.vn |
| contact-stp@laocai.gov.vn | |
| Opening hours | Office hours, Monday – Friday (call ahead before visiting) |
Since 1 July 2025, Lao Cai also covers the former province(s) of Yên Bái; the former Yên Bái Department of Justice has been merged into the Lao Cai Department of Justice.
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 | Lao Cai 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 | Lao Cai 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 Lao Cai apply for a criminal record certificate?
Since 1 March 2025, at the Lao Cai Police or online via VNeID or the National Public Service Portal, not at the Lao Cai Department of Justice. See the criminal record guide.
Where do I register a marriage with a foreigner in Lao Cai?
At the commune/ward People’s Committee where the Vietnamese partner lives, within 5 working days.
Does the Lao Cai 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 Lao Cai. Zalo/WhatsApp: +84327828822 / Hotline: +84903782118
Sources: the Lao Cai 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.
