Eligibility quiz
Were you adopted by one Vietnamese citizen, two Vietnamese citizens, or two parents of whom one is a Vietnamese citizen and the other a citizen of another country?
Benefits
Benefits for your childBenefits for your child
Vietnamese passport
Vietnamese citizens can get a Vietnamese passport for travel.
Live in Vietnam for life
Vietnamese citizenship gives a lasting right to live in Vietnam without a residence permit.
Citizens can enter and leave Vietnam, and Vietnam cannot send them to another country for trial or punishment.
Study in Vietnam
Vietnamese citizens have the right to study.
Admission, fees and financial help depend on education rules and individual circumstances.
Work in Vietnam
Vietnamese citizens can choose their occupation, job and workplace.
Paid workers have rights to fair and safe conditions, pay and rest.
Get help abroad
Vietnam protects the rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens abroad through its representatives.
Own property
Vietnamese citizens have the right to own property lawfully, with restrictions set by law.
Vote and run for office
Vietnamese citizens can vote from 18 and stand for the National Assembly or People's Councils from 21.
Some court decisions, imprisonment or loss of legal capacity can affect election rights.
Citizens also have freedoms of expression, belief and association, with limits set by law.
Access social support
Vietnamese citizens have a right to social security.
Social insurance benefits and an insurance book depend on participation and other conditions; some beneficiaries also receive health insurance.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find the local office
For a domestic adoption, find the commune People’s Committee that can handle the adoption. Depending on your family’s circumstances, this may be the office where you or your adoptive parent lives.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which commune People's Committee handles domestic adoption in your city, Vietnam?”
Get the adoption form
Your adoptive parent should get the adoption application form for a domestic adoption.
Find the adoption formSearches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I get the Vietnam domestic adoption application form?”
Fill in the form
Your adoptive parent should fill in and sign the adoption application form.
See how to fillSearches DuckDuckGo for “How does an adoptive parent fill in the Vietnam domestic adoption application form?”
Gather your documents
Your adoptive parent should prepare the documents required for the adoption application.
See required documentsHand in the application
Your adoptive parent should submit the application and documents for both of you to the commune People’s Committee handling the adoption.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit a domestic adoption application to the commune People's Committee in your city, Vietnam?”
Attend required adoption meetings
You and your adoptive parent should attend any checks, consultations or hand-over arrangements the office asks you to attend, and provide any consent it requests.
See what happensSearches DuckDuckGo for “What meetings and consent are required for a domestic adoption in Vietnam?”
Wait for the decision
Your adoptive parent should wait for the office to decide and respond if it asks for more information.
See what happensSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a domestic adoption decision take in Vietnam?”
Keep the adoption decision
Your adoptive parent should keep the decision recognising the adoption. You become a Vietnamese citizen on the date of that decision and can use it as proof of citizenship; no separate citizenship application is needed.
See how to use itSearches DuckDuckGo for “How can a child adopted by a Vietnamese citizen use a Vietnam adoption recognition decision as proof of citizenship?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificate *
Provide a copy of your birth certificate. For a nationality application, another valid record of your relationship with your adoptive parent can be used if the office cannot find the relationship in its records. For a domestic adoption, include the record that you were found abandoned or the decision accepting you into a care institution, if either applies to you.
* Only if you apply for domestic adoption or the nationality office cannot find your parent-child relationship in its records.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationAdoption decision *
Provide the decision recognising your adoption as proof of your relationship with your adoptive parents. Ask the office handling your application what form of the decision it needs.
* Only if one adoptive parent is Vietnamese and the other is a foreign citizen and they apply for your nationality.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParents' death certificates *
Provide the parent's death certificate or a court decision declaring them dead. For a domestic adoption, provide the relevant court decision instead if a parent is missing or lacks legal capacity.
* Only if a parent has died and you apply for domestic adoption or a nationality application.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParent's marital status *
Your adoptive parent needs proof of their marital status. This can be a marriage certificate for a married couple or confirmation that a single adoptive parent is not married.
* Only if you apply for domestic adoption.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParent's citizenship records *
Provide proof of your Vietnamese adoptive parent's citizenship. Ask the office handling your application which citizenship or identity records it accepts.
* Only if one adoptive parent is Vietnamese and the other is a foreign citizen and they apply for your nationality.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Military service for men
Vietnamese men may be called up for service in peacetime from ages 18 to 25, depending on health and other conditions.
The age extends to 27 after a college or higher education postponement.
Some people qualify for an exemption or postponement.
Citizenship can be lost
Citizenship can end through approved renunciation, a treaty or another legal case.
Vietnam can take it away for seriously harming its independence, development, defence or reputation if you live abroad or became a citizen through naturalisation.
A naturalisation decision can also be cancelled within five years for deliberate false statements or forged documents.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Vietnam Is Awesome
English Facebook group for people living in Vietnam interested in Vietnamese local life
Join on FacebookExpats In Vietnam
English Facebook group for people living in Vietnam interested in Vietnamese local life
Join on FacebookExpats in Da Nang City
English Facebook group for people living in Vietnam interested in Vietnamese local life
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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