Hanoi (VNA) - Amendments to the Vietnamese Nationality Law, including the relaxation of policies for acquiring or re-acquiring Vietnamese nationality, aim to implement the Party's guidelines and the State's laws concerning overseas Vietnamese affairs.
According to Vo Thi Hanh from the Ministry of Justice, the refinements make it easier for foreigners and the OV community to return home for investment, production, and business, and promote the development of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
The Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality was approved by the National Assembly on June 24. On July 1, the Government issued Decree No. 191/2025/ND-CP detailing certain articles and measures for the implementation of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality. On the same day, the Ministry of Justice promulgated Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BTP, providing regulations on the use and management of nationality registers and forms of nationality-related documents. Both documents took effect from July 1, 2025.
Regarding the conditions for acquiring Vietnamese nationality, the law stipulates that an applicant for Vietnamese nationality who has a spouse or biological child that is a Vietnamese citizen may be granted Vietnamese nationality without having to meet the following conditions: sufficient knowledge of the Vietnamese language to integrate into the community; having resided in Vietnam for at least five years; and the ability to ensure a stable life in the country.
Applicants for Vietnamese nationality who fall under one of the following categories may also be granted Vietnamese nationality without having to meet the above conditions. These include citizens who have a biological father or mother, or paternal or maternal grandparents who are Vietnamese citizens. Also included under the law are those who have made special contributions to Vietnam’s nation-building and defence cause, those whose acquisition of Vietnamese nationality brings benefits to the country, and minors applying for Vietnamese nationality together with their father or mother.
Under previous regulations, applicants for Vietnamese nationality were required to have a Vietnamese name, which they could choose themselves and which was specified in the Decision on Naturalisation. The Law on Vietnamese Nationality, amended and supplemented in 2025, now allows applicants for Vietnamese nationality who simultaneously apply to retain their foreign nationality to choose a combined name consisting of both a Vietnamese name and a foreign name. This provision aims to facilitate cases in which individuals apply for the acquisition or resumption of Vietnamese nationality while retaining their foreign nationality, especially when they reside and work in countries of which they are nationals.
Applicants may retain their foreign nationality if it complies with the laws of that country, and they do not use their foreign nationality to infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of agencies, organisations, or individuals, or to undermine national security, interests, public order, or social safety of Vietnam. Approval of the State President is required in these cases.
This is one of the most significant changes introduced by the amended and supplemented law when compared with previous regulations.
Notably, the revised law does not specify particular cases eligible for re-acquiring Vietnamese nationality. Accordingly, all individuals who have lost Vietnamese nationality and submit an application for its restoration may be considered for reinstatement.
Applicants must resume their former Vietnamese name. In cases where they simultaneously request to retain their foreign nationality, they may choose a combined name consisting of both the Vietnamese and foreign names. This name must be clearly stated in the Decision on the re-acquisition of Vietnamese nationality.
Applicants may retain their foreign nationality if they meet two conditions: the retention of the foreign nationality is consistent with the laws of that country; and the foreign nationality is not used to infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of agencies, organisations, and individuals, or to undermine national security, interests, public order, and social safety of Vietnam, and such retention is approved by the President.
The law also contributes to administrative procedure reform by shortening the processing time for nationality application dossiers at the provincial-level Department of Justice.
Previously, under Clause 1, Article 21 of the 2008 Law on Vietnamese Nationality (except for applications for re-acquisition of nationality), applicants for Vietnamese nationality were required to submit their dossiers to the provincial/municipal Department of Justice in their place of residence in Vietnam. However, under the new provisions in Clause 7, Article 1 of the amended law, applicants may submit their dossiers to the Department of Justice if residing in Vietnam, or to the Vietnamese representative missions abroad if residing overseas.
In addition, the law supplements provisions on children’s nationality and changes of nationality for minors, on the relationship between the State and citizens in certain cases under Article 5 of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality, and on documents proving Vietnamese nationality./.
Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of Law on Vietnamese Nationality passed
A key amendment was made to Clause 2, Article 16, which now stipulates that a child born to one parent who is a Vietnamese citizen and the other a foreign national shall be granted Vietnamese nationality, if both parents agree to choose Vietnamese nationality for the child during birth registration with competent Vietnamese authorities
