New nationality regulations: Easier path to Vietnamese citizenship

Vietnamese citizenship confers numerous rights and benefits, including fundamental political, civil, economic, cultural, and social rights. These are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution and the country’s legal framework.

To address the issue of stateless individuals, the amended Law on Nationality, which takes effect on July 1, 2025, introduces several important changes compared to the 2008 law and its 2014 amendment.

Facilitating access to Vietnamese citizenship

Vietnamese citizenship reflects the individual’s bond with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and gives rise to rights and obligations between citizens and the State. In Vietnam, every individual has the right to a nationality.

Children of ethnic Vietnamese families from Cambodia, who have not yet obtained Vietnamese citizenship, have relocated with their parents to the floating village on Tri An Lake in Tri An commune.

To broaden the scope of eligible applicants for Vietnamese citizenship, Clause 5 of Article 1 in the 2025 amended Law stipulates that foreign nationals and stateless persons may be granted Vietnamese citizenship if they meet the following conditions:

• Have full legal capacity in accordance with Vietnamese law (except for minors applying through their Vietnamese parent);
• Abide by the Constitution and laws of Vietnam;
• Respect Vietnamese culture, traditions, and customs;
• Possess sufficient Vietnamese language skills to integrate into the local community;
• Reside permanently in Vietnam for at least five years by the time of application;
• Demonstrate financial capability to sustain life in Vietnam.

At the same time, individuals applying for Vietnamese nationality who have a spouse or biological child that is a Vietnamese citizen may be granted Vietnamese nationality without having to meet the following conditions: being able to speak Vietnamese sufficiently to integrate into the Vietnamese community; residing permanently in Vietnam; and having the financial means to ensure their livelihood in Vietnam.

Also under Clause 5, Article 1 of the amended Law on Nationality 2025, individuals applying for Vietnamese citizenship who fall into any of the following categories:

• Have a biological father or mother, or paternal or maternal grandparents who are Vietnamese citizens;
• Have made exceptional contributions to the cause of building and defending the Vietnamese Fatherland;
• Are deemed beneficial to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
• Are minors applying for Vietnamese citizenship along with their father or mother;

may be granted Vietnamese citizenship without having to meet the following conditions:

• Proficiency in Vietnamese sufficient to integrate into the Vietnamese community;
• Currently residing in Vietnam;
• Having resided in Vietnam for at least five years at the time of applying for citizenship;
• Having the financial capability to sustain life in Vietnam.

Additional key updates

“Clause 16 of Article 1 introduces an important provision: when parents change their nationality by acquiring or restoring Vietnamese citizenship, the nationality of their underage child living with them will automatically follow. Similarly, when parents renounce their Vietnamese citizenship, the child’s nationality will change accordingly, unless the parents request otherwise” stressed Vice Chairman Duong Van Tin of Dong Nai Lawyers Association.

According to Mr Tin, in order to make the process of applying for the restoration of Vietnamese nationality more streamlined, the 2025 amended Law on Nationality has abolished the requirement to provide documents proving eligibility to restore Vietnamese nationality as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 23 of the 2008 Law on Nationality, from the application dossier for returning to Vietnamese citizenship.

“As of July 1, 2025, individuals applying to renounce Vietnamese citizenship are no longer required to submit a judicial record certificate issued by Vietnamese authorities. This change is stipulated in Point b, Clause 12, Article 1 of the 2025 amended Law on Nationality” said lawyer Luu Hong Khanh of the Dong Nai Bar Association.

Thus, from July 1, 2025, an individual applying to restore Vietnamese nationality will only need to submit the following documents:

• • An application for restoration of Vietnamese nationality;
  • A copy of the birth certificate, passport, or other valid substitute document;
  • A personal background declaration;
  • Documents proving judicial record information issued by a competent foreign authority in accordance with the laws of that country for the period during which the applicant resided abroad. The judicial record document must be issued no more than 90 days prior to the date of application submission;
  • Documents proving that the applicant previously held Vietnamese nationality.

Reported by D.Phu