How to Find a Lawyer in Vietnam, and Check Them Before You Instruct

Where can I find a list of lawyers in Vietnam?

Every province and centrally run city has a bar association (Đoàn luật sư), and the bar associations and their lawyers make up the Vietnam Bar Federation (Liên đoàn Luật sư Việt Nam), the national body. According to the Federation, at 31 May 2026 Vietnam had more than 22,600 practising lawyers in more than 6,500 practising organisations.

The Hanoi Bar Association runs a public online search of its member lawyers and law practising organisations. The Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association publishes its contact details and disciplinary decisions on its website. When we checked in September 2026 we found no national searchable roll on the Federation's website, so confirm membership with the relevant provincial bar association. Use the bar associations' own websites, because some private law firm sites use similar names.

How do I check that someone is a qualified lawyer?

Under Law No. 65/2006/QH11 on Lawyers, as amended by Law No. 20/2012/QH13, a person may practise as a lawyer only if they hold a lawyer's practising certificate (Chứng chỉ hành nghề luật sư) and have joined a bar association. The Minister of Justice grants practising certificates, and the Vietnam Bar Federation issues the lawyer's card (Thẻ luật sư) once the person has joined a bar association.

Before you instruct anyone, ask to see their lawyer's card, note which bar association they belong to and the name of their law firm or law office, and check these with that bar association. A trainee lawyer (luật sư tập sự) is not yet a fully qualified lawyer. A new Law on Lawyers was being drafted in September 2026, so check whether the rules have changed if you read this later.

Can a foreign lawyer act for me in Vietnam?

Yes, within limits. Foreign law firms may practise in Vietnam through branches or foreign law companies licensed by the Ministry of Justice, and a foreign lawyer who practises in Vietnam needs a practising licence from the Ministry of Justice. Foreign lawyers may advise on foreign law and international law and, if they meet further conditions, on Vietnamese law.

Foreign lawyers may not take part in court proceedings in Vietnam, so a case before a Vietnamese court must be handled by a Vietnamese lawyer. In practice, many investors pair their usual international counsel with a Vietnamese lawyer who handles the Vietnamese-law points, the filings and any court work.

Which kind of professional do I need?

It depends on the task. Lawyers, notaries, tax agents and auditors are separately regulated in Vietnam, and each may do only the regulated work they are licensed for.

Lawyer

Company and investment set-up, contracts, land and real estate, employment, licensing, disputes, litigation and arbitration.

Notary

Notarising contracts and transactions, including those the law requires to be notarised such as many land and housing transactions, and certifying translations and signatures.

Tax agent

Tax registration, returns and other tax procedures with the Tax Department on the client's behalf.

Auditor

Statutory audits of financial statements, carried out by an audit firm on the Ministry of Finance's list of firms eligible to provide audit services.

Arbitrator or mediator

Commercial disputes resolved through the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC), its Vietnam Mediation Centre, or other registered mediators.

Where do I find a notary in Vietnam?

Notarisation is governed by Law No. 46/2024/QH15 on Notarisation, in force since 1 July 2025. Notaries (công chứng viên) are appointed by the Minister of Justice and work in notary practice organisations, which are either state notary offices (Phòng công chứng) or private notary offices (Văn phòng công chứng). The Department of Justice (Sở Tư pháp) of each province manages the notary offices in its area and can tell you which are operating.

Notarisation is carried out in Vietnamese, so if you do not use Vietnamese you will need an interpreter or a translation. Vietnamese embassies and consulates abroad can also notarise certain transactions, and certified copies and signature certifications (chứng thực) are also available from commune-level People's Committees.

How do I find a licensed tax agent or auditor?

Tax agents (đại lý thuế) are businesses that provide tax procedure services. Their activities are now governed by Ministry of Finance Circular No. 109/2026/TT-BTC, in force since 24 July 2026, which replaced Circular No. 10/2021/TT-BTC. Under it, competency assessments for tax agent staff are run by assessment bodies that report results to the Tax Department (Cục Thuế), and staff already working may continue until 31 December 2026 under the transitional rules. Ask the agent for its registration and its staff's qualifications, and check them with the Tax Department.

For audit, the Ministry of Finance publishes lists of audit firms eligible to provide audit services, of practising auditors registered for audit practice and of auditors registered to audit public-interest entities, in the accounting and audit services section of mof.gov.vn. The Vietnam Association of Certified Public Accountants (VACPA) is the professional body for practising auditors.

What should I agree before instructing a lawyer in Vietnam?

The Law on Lawyers requires a written legal services contract. It should name the client and the law practising organisation, and set out the scope of the work, the timetable, each side's rights and obligations, how the fee is calculated and how much it is, expenses, liability for breach and how disputes will be resolved. The law allows fees to be charged by the hour, as a fixed fee for the matter, as a percentage of the value of the claim, contract or project, or as a fixed fee under a long-term retainer.

Before you sign, confirm the lawyer's card and bar membership, ask who will actually do the work and whether they have experience in your sector, and ask for a conflict check, because a lawyer may not act for clients with conflicting interests in the same matter. Agree the working language (court proceedings and notarisation are in Vietnamese), whether VAT is added to the fees, when bills are sent, and how either side can end the engagement.

What can I do if I have a complaint about a lawyer?

Raise it first, in writing, with the lawyer and the head of their law firm or law office. If that does not resolve it, complain to the bar association the lawyer belongs to, with the lawyer's name, the dates involved and copies of your contract and correspondence.

Bar associations have commendation and discipline councils and can discipline members who breach the law or the Code of Professional Ethics and Conduct for Vietnamese Lawyers. The Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association publishes its disciplinary decisions on its website.

Is free legal help available in Vietnam?

Yes, for eligible individuals. Law No. 11/2017/QH14 on Legal Aid, in force since 1 January 2018, provides free legal services to listed groups, such as people with revolutionary merit, members of poor households, children, ethnic minority people living in areas with especially difficult conditions, accused persons aged 16 to 18, and certain other people in difficulty. Legal aid is provided mainly by state legal aid centres under provincial Departments of Justice, and by law firms and legal advice organisations that take part in the scheme.

Legal aid is for individuals in need, not for businesses or investors.

Does Be Vietnam Wise recommend or list lawyers?

Not at present. Be Vietnam Wise does not list any lawyers, notaries, tax agents or auditors, and it does not recommend or refer anyone. If listings appear on the app's Find a Lawyer page in future, they will be paid listings, clearly marked, and not endorsements, so you should still check the lawyer with their bar association yourself before instructing anyone.

Vietnamese law firms, notaries and tax agents who would like to be listed can contact us.