Responsibilities of State Agencies in Nationality Administration

Responsibilities of Ministries, Ministerial-Level Agencies, Provincial People’s Committees, and Vietnamese Diplomatic Missions Abroad

1. The Ministry of Justice shall be responsible before the Government for performing the unified state management of nationality affairs; promulgate forms and templates for handling nationality matters; compile and maintain national statistics on the settlement of nationality matters to report to the Prime Minister for submission to the President.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, shall guide Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad in handling nationality matters and compiling statistics on nationality cases resolved by these missions for submission to the Ministry of Justice.

3. Other ministries and ministerial-level agencies, within their respective functions, duties, and powers, shall coordinate with the Ministry of Justice in implementing state management of nationality affairs.

4. The provincial-level People’s Committees shall review and provide opinions on applications for naturalization in Vietnam, resumption of Vietnamese nationality, renunciation of Vietnamese nationality, deprivation of Vietnamese nationality, and annulment of decisions on naturalization in Vietnam in accordance with this Law; and annually compile and report statistics on nationality cases to the Ministry of Justice.

5. Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad shall review and provide opinions on applications for resumption of Vietnamese nationality, renunciation of Vietnamese nationality, and deprivation of Vietnamese nationality; and annually compile and report statistics on nationality cases to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.

This provision is guided by Chapter V of Decree No. 191/2025/NĐ-CP, effective from July 1, 2025,

Pursuant to the Law on Vietnamese Nationality dated November 13, 2008;
the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality dated June 24, 2014; and
the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality dated June 24, 2025;

the Government hereby promulgates a Decree detailing and providing measures for the implementation of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality.

Chapter V – Responsibilities of Agencies in State Management of Nationality

Article 33. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice shall assist the Government in the unified state management of nationality affairs, with the following duties and powers:

1. Promulgate or submit to competent authorities for promulgation legal normative documents on nationality and organize their implementation.

2. Direct, guide, train, and provide professional development for officers handling nationality matters.

3. Disseminate, publicize, and educate on nationality laws.

4. Issue, guide the use of, and manage nationality registers and related document templates.

5. Inspect, resolve, and handle within its competence nationality cases, complaints, denunciations, and violations related to nationality.

6. Examine dossiers and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security in verifying nationality-related documents as prescribed by law.

7. Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security in negotiating and concluding international treaties on nationality.

8. Perform tasks prescribed in Clause 1, Article 4 of this Decree.

9. Research and apply information technology in nationality administration and dossier processing.

10. Maintain and archive nationality dossiers.

11. Consolidate and compile data and statistics on nationality cases settled, and report to the Prime Minister.

Article 34. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Missions

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, shall manage nationality affairs at Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad, with the following duties and powers:

a) Direct and guide diplomatic missions to uniformly implement legal normative documents on nationality;
b) Direct missions in updating, accessing, and using the nationality database;
c) Inspect nationality-related activities at diplomatic missions;
d) Provide professional training in nationality matters for diplomatic and consular officers;
đ) Disseminate and educate nationality laws to Overseas Vietnamese;
e) Direct missions to regularly update foreign nationality laws for effective management and resolution of nationality cases;
g) Handle complaints, denunciations, and violations on nationality within its competence;
h) Revoke documents related to Vietnamese nationality issued unlawfully by diplomatic missions;
i) Compile and submit to the Ministry of Justice data and statistics on nationality cases handled at diplomatic missions.

2. Vietnamese Diplomatic Missions Abroad shall perform the following duties and powers:

a) Receive and resolve within competence applications for naturalization, resumption, and renunciation of Vietnamese nationality; prepare dossiers for submission to the President proposing deprivation or annulment of nationality decisions; issue Certificates of Vietnamese Nationality and Certificates of Vietnamese Origin as prescribed by law;
b) Update, access, and utilize the nationality database;
c) Revoke and invalidate Vietnamese passports, identity cards, or electronic IDs of persons who have renounced, been deprived of, or had annulled decisions on Vietnamese nationality while residing abroad, as prescribed by law;
d) Assign diplomatic or consular officers to handle nationality dossiers;
đ) Disseminate and educate nationality laws to Vietnamese citizens abroad;
e) Regularly update nationality laws of the host country to effectively manage and resolve nationality matters within competence;
g) Maintain nationality registers and nationality dossiers;
h) Consolidate and report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on nationality cases handled;
i) Resolve complaints, denunciations, and violations related to nationality within competence;
k) Organize formal and meaningful ceremonies for the presentation of the President’s Decisions on Naturalization of Vietnamese Nationality.

Article 35. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Public Security

1. The Ministry of Public Security shall coordinate with the Ministry of Justice in resolving nationality cases, with the following duties and powers:

a) Verify or direct competent police agencies to verify the personal background of applicants for naturalization, resumption, or renunciation of Vietnamese nationality; deprivation or annulment of nationality decisions; confirmation of Vietnamese nationality or Vietnamese origin;
b) Direct competent police agencies to verify the authenticity of nationality-related documents issued by competent police authorities as proof of Vietnamese nationality under Clauses 2 and 3, Article 11 of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality, at the request of the Department of Justice, diplomatic missions, or other competent bodies;
c) Direct the registration of residence, and issuance of Vietnamese passports, identity cards, or electronic IDs to persons naturalized or resuming Vietnamese nationality; cancel residence registration and revoke or invalidate such documents for those who have renounced, been deprived of, or had annulled nationality decisions, as prescribed by law;
d) Coordinate in handling violations of nationality laws.

2. Direct provincial-level police agencies to coordinate with provincial Departments of Justice and relevant authorities in resolving nationality cases in accordance with the law.

Article 36. Responsibilities of Provincial-Level People’s Committees

1. The provincial-level People’s Committees shall manage nationality affairs within their localities, with the following duties and powers:

a) Receive and resolve within competence applications for naturalization, resumption, or renunciation of Vietnamese nationality; prepare dossiers for submission to the President proposing deprivation or annulment of nationality decisions; issue Certificates of Vietnamese Nationality and Certificates of Vietnamese Origin as prescribed by law;
b) Direct the updating, access, and use of the nationality database;
c) Disseminate and educate nationality laws;
d) Maintain nationality registers and nationality dossiers;
đ) Resolve complaints, denunciations, and handle violations of nationality laws within competence;
e) Compile and submit to the Ministry of Justice data and statistics on nationality cases handled;
g) Organize formal and meaningful ceremonies for the presentation of the President’s Decisions on Naturalization of Vietnamese Nationality;
h) Revoke documents related to Vietnamese nationality unlawfully issued by the provincial Department of Justice.

2. The Department of Justice shall assist the provincial-level People’s Committee in performing the tasks and powers specified at Points a, b, c, d, e, and g, Clause 1 of this Article.

Legal Basis:

Article 40, Law on Vietnamese Nationality (2008)
Chapter V, Decree No. 191/2025/NĐ-CP