Diploma Recognition for Vietnamese Graduates Returning from Overseas Study

When you need diploma recognition

Not every returning graduate needs to file for diploma recognition. Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) processes recognition on request, based on what the diploma holder needs it for, not as a blanket requirement for anyone who studied abroad. You typically need it for civil service appointments, state sector employment, and enrollment in a further degree programme at a Vietnamese university. Private employers in Vietnam often accept a foreign diploma directly, though some multinational and larger domestic firms still ask for MOET recognition as a formality during hiring.

The legal basis: Circular 13/2021 and its 2024 update

Recognition currently runs under Circular 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT, issued April 15, 2021, which sets out the conditions, procedures, authority and process for recognizing foreign diplomas for use in Vietnam. MOET amended part of that framework through Circular 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT, issued May 2, 2024, which updated Article 7 and replaced two appendices covering documentation and outcomes. The amended rules took effect November 2, 2024, with the gap between issuance and effect built in to give provincial offices time to prepare the software, servers and equipment the new online process needs, according to Vietnam's government policy portal .

Who processes your application

The Department of Quality Management (Cục Quản lý chất lượng) under MOET runs recognition through its Diploma Recognition Center, published at naric.edu.vn . Since November 2, 2024, the entire application runs through the National Public Service Portal rather than in-person submission, and the center's site provides document checklists and a QR-code credential verification tool alongside the application system.

Step by step

1. Confirm you need recognition for your specific purpose, civil service, state employment or further study in Vietnam

2. Register on the National Public Service Portal and open a diploma recognition application

3. Upload your diploma, transcript and supporting documents matching your education level and programme type, following the checklist on naric.edu.vn

4. Wait for review, which can include verification with your foreign institution for complex cases

5. Receive your recognition decision, which you can also verify later through the center's QR-code lookup

Timeline

MOET's Department of Quality Management processes standard applications within 20 working days of receiving complete documentation. Cases that need international verification, for example confirming a lesser-known institution's accreditation status with authorities in the host country, can take up to 45 working days. Build that longer window into your plan if your university or programme is not widely known in Vietnam.

Why applications get rejected

• Diplomas from unlicensed joint or collaborative programmes that were never properly authorized to operate

• Distance or online study completed while physically based in Vietnam, without the proper authorization for that arrangement

• Degrees from institutions that are not accredited in their home country

• Programmes that are not officially recognized within the foreign country's own education system

If you studied through a joint or transnational programme

Many Vietnamese students complete a degree through a partnership between a Vietnamese university and a foreign one, sometimes studying part of the programme in Vietnam and part abroad. These joint programmes need separate authorization from MOET to operate, on top of accreditation for the foreign partner institution. Before you apply for recognition, confirm your specific joint programme appeared on MOET's list of licensed transnational programmes for the years you studied, since this is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected.

How long the recognition stays valid

Once MOET recognizes your diploma, the decision does not expire and covers all future uses of that same diploma, whether for a civil service application now or a further degree years later. Verify a previously issued recognition decision at any time through the Diploma Recognition Center's QR-code lookup tool, useful if an employer wants to confirm your document independently.

Recognition track record

Between January 2017 and November 2023, the Diploma Recognition Center processed 37,436 applications and approved 35,662 of them, a 95.26 percent approval rate. Most applicants during that period held diplomas from the United Kingdom, Australia, China, the United States and Russia, according to figures reported by the Department of Quality Management . If you studied at an accredited, licensed institution in one of these common destinations, your file is likely to move through review without complications.

Common pitfalls

• Applying for recognition you do not need, when your employer would have accepted the diploma directly

• Not confirming your programme was a licensed joint programme, if you studied through a partnership between a Vietnamese and foreign institution

• Missing the switch to the National Public Service Portal and trying to submit documents the old way after November 2, 2024

• Underestimating processing time for a lesser-known institution, then missing an application or registration deadline

Confirm with your employer, agency or university exactly what they need before you file. Recognition is straightforward for diplomas from accredited institutions in well-known destinations, and the online process introduced in November 2024 removed the need to travel to a provincial office to submit your file.