If a Vietnamese employer, education provider or professional body requests RICS documents, Ginkgo Advisory can review the proposed UK preparation. Our London service covers solicitor certification, FCDO apostille and e-Apostille for eligible records, with the certificate and any supporting evidence identified separately.
Document identity: A RICS diploma, digital membership card and letter of good standing serve different purposes; none should be substituted for a university degree or transcript.
RICS certificate apostille for Vietnam without embassy legalisation
Since 11 September 2026, the Apostille Convention has applied to Vietnam. The Vietnamese Embassy in London notice confirms that covered UK public documents bearing a valid apostille no longer need its consular legalisation. For those documents, the authentication process ends at the apostille stage.
The document still needs to be the evidence requested. Qualification recognition, professional standing, translation and the recipient\’s document-format requirements remain separate matters.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors: certificates, records and verification
Identify the RICS document rather than its logo
RICS expressly distinguishes its digital membership card from the diploma issued when a person qualifies. The card identifies the membership year and designation, but it is not a replacement for the diploma. Tell the Vietnamese recipient whether you hold AssocRICS, MRICS or FRICS and which evidence it has requested. If the enquiry concerns a surveying degree, the academic certificate and transcript normally belong to the university’s record system. RICS recognition or accreditation of a course should not be mistaken for RICS having awarded that degree.
Use the appropriate replacement or good-standing route
RICS publishes separate replacement-diploma options for Associate, Professional and Fellow members and explains that active membership is required for those purchases. It also says the digital card is not proof of good standing. That letter involves additional matters, such as professional status, regulatory information and CPD, and should be requested from the membership team. Ask which document the Vietnamese employer or professional organisation needs before ordering both. An old diploma may evidence the original achievement while a current letter answers a different question about present standing.
Keep documentary authentication and recognition separate
Provide the complete diploma or letter, the membership number and the written Vietnamese request when seeking a legalisation review. Explain any difference between the name on the original diploma and current records. If an employer wants a “transcript”, clarify whether it means university marks, assessment evidence or professional status confirmation; these are not interchangeable documents. A digitally downloaded membership card does not itself settle the certification or format accepted for Vietnam document submission. Any apostille preparation should be scoped for the specific record without implying that a UK professional designation automatically authorises surveying practice in Vietnam.
Official RICS document guidance
- RICS membership card, diploma and good-standing distinctions
- RICS replacement diploma and membership support
Our solicitor certification service for RICS documents
Our solicitor certification service begins with the certificate, supporting records and available verification evidence. We identify the proposed certification statement and any source checks needed. Tell us if the recipient specifies an original, a certified copy, particular wording or a notary.
A true-copy certification and an issuer authenticity check address different questions. An online verification response can support the review, but it should not silently replace a certificate, transcript or current-status letter requested by the recipient. The FCDO apostille authenticates the relevant signature, seal or stamp; it does not establish the qualification\’s academic content or permission to practise a profession.
UK FCDO paper apostille and e-Apostille options
The GOV.UK legalisation guidance distinguishes the paper and electronic services. Eligibility, accepted certification and the required underlying document should be settled before selecting the service.
| Service | Document preparation | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Paper FCDO apostille | Suitable paper certification and the FCDO submission agreed for the record. | A physical apostille attached to the prepared document, with delivery arrangements confirmed. |
| UK FCDO e-Apostille | Available for eligible records prepared as a PDF electronically signed by a UK solicitor or notary. | For eligible documents, a digitally signed electronic package retained for digital submission and verification. |
For the electronic route, we review the record and arrange suitable solicitor electronic certification before FCDO submission. A digital certificate issued by the awarding body is a different document from the FCDO e-Apostille.
The UK electronic process uses an Advanced Electronic Signature or Qualified Electronic Signature, as explained in the FCDO electronic legalisation announcement. A scanned handwritten signature is different from that signing process. Preserve the issued file and its attachments when sharing it.
Electronic apostille recognition and the underlying record
The HCCH guidance explains that an e-Apostille has the same status as a paper apostille and cannot be refused solely because it is electronic where the Convention applies. Its e-APP background note separately addresses acceptance of the underlying electronic document. Check how the Vietnamese recipient requires the certificate and any translation to be presented.
Certificate, transcript, results statement or membership evidence
Use the actual document titles published by the issuer. Some bodies provide unit transcripts or statements of results; others provide membership evidence, a certifying statement or an award-confirmation letter. A general request for a transcript does not mean every organisation issues a university-style academic record.
Where regulated status matters, check the exact award and the relevant UK jurisdiction. The official qualification-search guidance provides a starting point. An organisation may offer regulated qualifications alongside other provision. Endorsement, membership, professional registration and a university degree are separate forms of evidence.
Using RICS records for employment or study in Vietnam
Obtain the employer\’s, institution\’s or local adviser\’s checklist. Identify which record is requested, whether each supporting document needs authentication, and whether separate documents or an appropriately certified set will be accepted. Combining files into one PDF does not itself establish that one apostille covers the whole set.
The Embassy notice calls for a Vietnamese translation of a non-Vietnamese document, notarised or certified under Vietnamese law. Ask the recipient how the certificate, supporting record and apostille should be translated and submitted. A UK brand name or an overseas training centre\’s association with it does not determine the issuing country of every document.
Frequently asked questions
Does my apostilled RICS document need a Vietnamese Embassy stamp?
No additional embassy legalisation is required for a qualifying UK public document bearing a valid apostille under the Convention.
Does an older professional certificate prove current membership?
It may record historical admission or achievement without confirming present standing. Identify whether the recipient needs a current membership confirmation, examination record or qualification certificate.
Can I begin the enquiry while I am in Vietnam?
Yes. Send clear copies and any official verification or sharing details. We will confirm the evidence, original-document requirements and delivery arrangements after review.
How much will certification and apostille cost?
Request an itemised quotation for the agreed source checks, solicitor certification, FCDO service and delivery. Include your deadline and any issuer replacement request already in progress.
Arrange RICS document certification and apostille with Ginkgo Advisory
Our service is overseen by KH Lam, LLB, LLM, a London-based solicitor of England and Wales regulated by the SRA and registered with the FCDO for apostille purposes. Ginkgo Advisory prepares and submits the documents; the FCDO issues the apostille.
Send the complete certificate and requested supporting records, exact qualification or membership title, issue date and reference, training centre where relevant, and the Vietnamese recipient\’s instructions. Explain name differences and any existing certification or apostille. We will assess the actual record and provide a quotation for the appropriate preparation.
UK apostille service · e-Apostille services for eligible documents · Contact Ginkgo Advisory