Eligibility quiz
Is one of your biological parents or grandparents a Vietnamese citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
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 your local office
Find the Department of Justice for the province or city where you live.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Vietnam Department of Justice handles citizenship applications for your city?”
Download the application forms
Get the Vietnamese citizenship application and personal history forms. Use the minor application and parents’ agreement forms for a child.
Find the formsSearches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download the 2025 Vietnam citizenship application and personal history forms for adults and children?”
Fill in the forms
Complete and sign the forms, choose a Vietnamese name and ask to keep your other citizenship in the application if you want to do so. If you apply with your child, complete and sign your child’s forms; a child aged 15 to 17 also signs the application.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I complete the 2025 Vietnam citizenship application and personal history forms for an adult or child?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the Department of Justice.
See required documentsHand in your application
Take three identical sets of your completed forms and documents to the Department of Justice in person, and pay the VND 3,000,000 fee there as directed. If you apply with your child, bring your child’s application too; keep the receipt or correct anything the office says is missing.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit and pay for a Vietnam citizenship application at the Department of Justice in your city?”
Wait for the decision
Respond to requests for more information, and give up your other citizenship if the Ministry of Justice instructs you to do so. You will receive notice of the decision; if approved, it confirms that you have been granted Vietnamese citizenship.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I submit a Vietnam citizenship application to the Department of Justice?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Get a copy of your birth certificate showing that your Vietnamese parent is your biological parent. If it does not show the relationship, provide another valid document that does; if you are a minor applying with a parent, also provide proof of your relationship to that parent.
Parent's citizenship records
Get a copy of a document showing that your biological parent is a Vietnamese citizen. Being from Vietnam alone is not enough for this application.
Considerations
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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