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| The Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Vietnamese Citizenship is approved by the National Assembly on June 24__Photo: VNA |
Amendments to the Law on Vietnamese Citizenship, including the relaxation of policies for acquiring or re-acquiring Vietnamese citizenship, 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 Citizenship was approved by the National Assembly on June 24. On July 1, the Government issued Decree 191/2025/ND-CP detailing certain articles and measures for the implementation of the Law on Vietnamese Citizenship. On the same day, the Ministry of Justice promulgated Circular 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 citizenship, the law stipulates that an applicant for Vietnamese citizenship who has a spouse or biological child that is a Vietnamese citizen may be granted Vietnamese citizenship 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 citizenship who fall under one of the following categories may also be granted Vietnamese citizenship 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 defense cause, those whose acquisition of Vietnamese citizenship brings benefits to the country, and minors applying for Vietnamese citizenship together with their father or mother.
Under previous regulations, applicants for Vietnamese citizenship were required to have a Vietnamese name, which they could choose themselves and which was specified in the Decision on Naturalization. The Law on Vietnamese Citizenship, amended and supplemented in 2025, now allows applicants for Vietnamese citizenship who simultaneously apply to retain their foreign citizenship 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 citizenship while retaining their foreign citizenship, especially when they reside and work in countries of which they are nationals.
Applicants may retain their foreign citizenship 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, organizations, 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 citizenship. Accordingly, all individuals who have lost Vietnamese citizenship 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 citizenship, 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 citizenship.
Applicants may retain their foreign citizenship if they meet two conditions: the retention of the foreign citizenship is consistent with the laws of that country; and the foreign citizenship is not used to infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of agencies, organizations, 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 Citizenship (except for applications for re-acquisition of citizenship), applicants for Vietnamese citizenship 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 citizenship and changes of citizenship for minors, on the relationship between the State and citizens in certain cases under Article 5 of the Law on Vietnamese Citizenship, and on documents proving Vietnamese citizenship.- (VNA/VLLF)
