Conditions, Dossier, Order, and Procedures for Applying for Vietnamese Nationality
Conditions for Naturalization in Vietnam
1. Foreign nationals and stateless persons who are permanently residing in Vietnam may be granted Vietnamese nationality if they submit an application for naturalization in Vietnam and satisfy the following conditions:
a) Having full civil act capacity in accordance with Vietnamese law;
b) Observing the Constitution and laws of Vietnam, respecting the traditions, customs, and practices of the Vietnamese people;
c) Having sufficient proficiency in the Vietnamese language to integrate into the Vietnamese community;
Specifically: “Sufficient proficiency in the Vietnamese language” means the ability to listen, speak, read, and write Vietnamese appropriate to the applicant’s living and working environment in Vietnam;
d) Having resided in Vietnam for five years or more up to the time of application for naturalization;
đ) Having the ability to secure livelihood in Vietnam.
The ability to secure livelihood in Vietnam may be proven by the applicant’s property, lawful income, or sponsorship by an organization or individual in Vietnam.
2. Applicants for naturalization in Vietnam may be granted Vietnamese nationality without having to satisfy the conditions set out in Points c, d, and đ, Clause 1 above, if they fall into one of the following categories:
a) Being the spouse, natural parent, or natural child of a Vietnamese citizen;
b) Having rendered special meritorious contributions to the cause of building and defending the Vietnamese Fatherland;
A person deemed to have made such contributions must be one who has been awarded Orders, Medals, or other high honors by the State of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, or the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, or who is officially recognized by competent Vietnamese authorities on the basis of dossiers and opinions of relevant agencies and organizations, and relevant sectoral laws;
c) Where naturalization is deemed to be in the interests of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
This applies to persons with exceptional talents in science, economics, culture, society, arts, sports, health, or education, who have received international awards, orders, or medals, or who are certified by their employing organizations and confirmed by ministerial-level state agencies as having outstanding talent, and for whom there are grounds to conclude that their naturalization will result in long-term, positive contributions to Vietnam in the relevant field.
Notes:
- A person who is granted Vietnamese nationality must renounce their foreign nationality, except for those falling within Clause 2 above, or in special cases where the President grants permission.
- Applicants for naturalization must choose a Vietnamese personal name, which shall be recorded in the Decision on naturalization.
- Naturalization shall not be granted if it is deemed prejudicial to the national interests of Vietnam.
- Applicants must be permanent residents in Vietnam and must hold a Permanent Residence Card issued by the competent Public Security authority of Vietnam.
- The period of residence in Vietnam is counted from the date of issuance of the Permanent Residence Card.
Application Dossier for Naturalization
An application dossier for naturalization in Vietnam shall include:
- Application form for naturalization in Vietnam;
- Copy of Birth Certificate, Passport, or other substitute document;
- Curriculum vitae declaration;
- Judicial record certificate issued by the competent Vietnamese authority for the period of residence in Vietnam, and judicial record certificate issued by competent foreign authority for the period of residence abroad (issued within 90 days prior to the submission of the dossier);
- Documents proving Vietnamese language proficiency;
- Documents proving residence and period of permanent residence in Vietnam;
- Documents proving the ability to secure livelihood in Vietnam.
Order and Procedures for Processing the Application
- Applicants shall submit their dossiers to the Department of Justice of the province/city where they reside. If the dossier is incomplete or invalid, the Department of Justice shall notify the applicant immediately for supplementation or correction.
- Within 05 working days from receipt of a complete and valid dossier, the Department of Justice shall request the provincial-level Public Security authority to verify the applicant’s identity and background.
- Within 30 days from receipt of the request, the provincial Public Security authority shall conduct verification and return the results to the Department of Justice. During this period, the Department of Justice shall also review the documents in the dossier.
- Within 10 working days from receipt of the verification results, the Department of Justice shall finalize the dossier and submit it to the Chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee.
- Within 10 working days from receipt of the dossier, the Chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee shall review, make conclusions, and forward recommendations to the Ministry of Justice.
- Within 20 days from receipt of the recommendations, the Ministry of Justice shall re-examine the dossier. If the applicant is deemed eligible for naturalization, the Ministry shall notify the applicant in writing to complete procedures for renunciation of foreign nationality, except where the applicant seeks to retain their foreign nationality or is stateless.
- Within 10 working days of receipt of the foreign nationality renunciation document, the Minister of Justice shall report to the Prime Minister, who shall submit the matter to the President for consideration and decision.
- In cases where the applicant seeks to retain their foreign nationality or is stateless, the Ministry of Justice shall, within 20 days from receipt of the recommendations of the Chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee, re-examine the dossier and, if conditions are met, report to the Prime Minister for submission to the President for consideration and decision.
(Additional procedural details about supplementation of dossiers, deadlines, special cases involving national security, and the President’s decision are retained as provided under Articles 19, 20, and 21 of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality 2008 and Article 11 of Decree No. 16/2020/ND-CP.)
Legal Grounds:
- Articles 19, 20, and 21 of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality 2008;
- Section 1, Chapter II, Article 11 of Decree No. 16/2020/ND-CP detailing implementation of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality.
