Circular No. 157/2016/TT-BTC stipulates the fee levels, collection procedures, payment, management, and utilization for consular certification and legalization fees.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on the level of collection, collection regime, submission, management, and use of fees for reviewing and approving fire prevention and firefighting design
consular certification fee legalizationconsular legalization

On the basis of the Law on Fees and Charges dated November 25, 2015;

On the basis of Article 1. This Decree regulates the use of state assets to pay investors when implementing construction projects under the Build-Transfer Contract form (hereinafter referred to as BT Project) in accordance with the provisions of the law. June 25, 2015;

Decree No. Decision No. 120/2016/NĐ-CP dated August 23, 2016 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Fees and Charges;

Decree No. 111/2011/NĐ-CP December 5, 2011 Government Decree on consular certification and consular legalization;

Decree No. 215/2013/NĐ-CP dated December 23, 2013 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

At the proposal of the Director of the Policy Department;

The Minister of Finance issues this Circular to stipulate the levels of collection, the system of collection, payment, management, and use of consular certification fees and consular legalization fees as follows:

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

2. Applicability:

This Circular stipulates the levels of collection, the system of collection, payment, management, and use of consular certification fees and consular legalization fees.

第二条 组织和实施奖励工作的支出水平，如政府第152/2025/NĐ-CP号决定关于分级授权和奖励领域的分权规定

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals requesting consular certification, consular legalization, providing copies of documents; state administrative agencies authorized to carry out consular certification, consular legalization, providing copies of documents; and other organizations and individuals related to the collection, payment of consular certification fees and consular legalization fees.

Article 2. Persons Paying Fees

Organizations and individuals (domestic or foreign) when receiving consular certification, consular legalization, provision of copies of documents from state administrative agencies authorized to do so according to request or legal provisions must pay the fee (hereinafter referred to as consular certification and consular legalization fee) in accordance with this Circular.

Article 3. Fee Collection Organizations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs; provincial and municipal foreign affairs agencies (in cases where they are authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) have the responsibility to organize the collection, declaration, payment, management, and use of consular certification fees and consular legalization fees in accordance with this Circular.

Article 4. Cases Exempted from Payment of Fees

1. In cases where international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party, has joined, or agreed upon provide different provisions, such provisions shall be implemented.

2. Foreign organizations and individuals are exempted from paying consular certification and consular legalization fees based on diplomatic relations "on the principle of reciprocity."

Article 5. Level of Fee Collection

1. Levels of consular certification and consular legalization fees are as follows:

a) Consular certification: VND 30,000 (thirty thousand) per instance.

b) Consular legalization: VND 30,000 (thirty thousand) per instance.

c) Issuance of copies of documents: VND 5,000 (five thousand) per instance.

2. Consular certification and consular legalization fees are collected in Vietnamese Dong (VND).

Article 6. Declaration and Payment of Fees

1. Not later than the fifth day of each month, the fee collection organization must transfer the amount of fees collected in the previous month to the account for pending budget payments opened at the State Treasury.

2. Fee collecting organizations shall declare fees monthly and settle accounts annually in accordance with Clause 3, Article 19 and pay fees in accordance with Clause 2, Article 26 of Circular No. 156/2013/TT-BTC dated November 6, 2013 issued by the Minister of Finance guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Tax Administration; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Tax Administration; and Decision No. 83/2013/NĐ-CP dated July 22, 2013 of the Government.

Article 7. Management and Use of Fees

1. Fee collecting organizations shall remit the entire amount of fees collected into the State budget in accordance with the current State Budget Classification. The cost for fee collection activities shall be covered by the State budget within the organization's budget estimate in accordance with the State budget expenditure regulations.

2. In cases where fee collecting organizations are allocated costs for operations in accordance with the Government's or Prime Minister's regulations on the self-management and self-responsibility mechanism for the use of staff quotas and administrative management funds for state agencies:

a) For applications for consular certification and consular legalization submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The fee collecting organization (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) may retain 30% (thirty percent) of the fees collected before remitting them to the State budget to cover the costs of fee collection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For applications for consular certification and consular legalization submitted to provincial and municipal foreign affairs agencies: The fee collecting organization (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) may retain 20% (twenty percent) of the fees collected; transfer 10% (ten percent) of the fees collected to provincial and municipal foreign affairs agencies before remitting them to the State budget to cover the costs of fee collection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and provincial and municipal foreign affairs agencies.

The content of expenditures shall be carried out in accordance with Clause 2, Article 5 of Government Decree No. 120/2016/NĐ-CP dated August 23, 2016 detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Fees and Charges.

b) The remaining 70% (seventy percent) of the consular certification and consular legalization fees collected, the fee collecting organization shall remit into the State budget in accordance with the current State Budget Classification.

Article 8. Implementation organization and enforcement clauses

1. This Circular takes effect from January 1, 2017, replacing Circular No. 36/2004/TT-BTC dated April 26, 2004 of the Minister of Finance stipulating the system of collection, payment, and management and use of consular legalization and consular certification fees; Circular No. 98/2011/TT-BTC dated July 5, 2011 and Circular No. 01/2013/TT-BTC dated January 2, 2013 of the Minister of Finance amending and supplementing Circular No. 36/2004/TT-BTC.

2. Other contents related to the collection and payment of fees not specified in this Circular shall be implemented in accordance with the Law on Fees and Charges; Government Decree No. 120/2016/NĐ-CP dated August 23, 2016 detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Fees and Charges; Circular No. 156/2013/TT-BTC dated November 6, 2013 of the Minister of Finance guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Tax Administration; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Tax Administration; and Decision No. 83/2013/NĐ-CP dated July 22, 2013 of the Government and the Circular of the Minister of Finance on printing, issuing, managing, and using types of receipts for fees and charges under the State budget and any amendments, supplements, or replacements thereof (if any).

3. Organizations and individuals subject to payment of fees and relevant agencies are responsible for implementing this Circular. Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Finance for review and guidance./.