On the morning of June 24, 2025, the National Assembly passed a law amending and supplementing several provisions of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality, introducing many important and positive changes for Vietnamese people living overseas.
Eased requirements for acquiring Vietnamese citizenship.
The new law opens wider opportunities for those who have never held Vietnamese citizenship and wish to acquire it:
- Expanded priority groups (with certain requirements waived).
- Those whose father, mother, paternal grandparents, or maternal grandparents are Vietnamese citizens may be allowed to retain their original nationality and be exempt from certain requirements:
- Having sufficient Vietnamese language skills to integrate into the Vietnamese community.
- Having held permanent residence in Vietnam for at least five years as of the date of applying for Vietnamese citizenship.
- Having the financial means to support themselves in Vietnam.
Previously, only those with direct family tiesu2014such as a spouse, biological father, biological mother, or biological child of a Vietnamese citizenu2014could be exempt from the requirements above. In addition, minors with a father or mother who is a Vietnamese citizen will no longer be required to meet the civil legal capacity requirement as before.
This change will have a very positive impact on Vietnamese Americans who were born and raised in the U.S. but wish to obtain Vietnamese citizenship as well:
- Reduces the paperwork burden for parents seeking Vietnamese citizenship to obtain a Vietnamese passport for their U.S.-born child.
- Encourages more people to restore their original citizenship, making it easier to stay connected to their homeland.
Encourages individuals with exceptional contributions to acquire Vietnamese citizenship.
In addition to the expanded policies for people of Vietnamese origin, the 2025 amended Law on Vietnamese Nationality also provides special incentives for foreign nationals who have made significant contributions to Vietnam, including:
- Investors.
- Experts in fields such as technology, engineering, healthcare, and more.
- Highly qualified scientists, scholars, and academics.
- And individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Vietnamu2019s socio-economic development.
They may be considered for Vietnamese citizenship without having to renounce their original nationality, and may also be exempt from several requirements:
- Having sufficient Vietnamese language proficiency to integrate into the Vietnamese community.
- Having held permanent residence in Vietnam for at least five years as of the date of applying for Vietnamese citizenship.
- Having the financial means to support themselves in Vietnam.
This policy is not only a legal milestone but also a national strategy aimed at:
- Attract global talent and proactively welcome skilled individuals to drive national development.
- Enhance regional competitiveness.
- Allowing them to retain their original nationality gives investors and experts greater peace of mind when choosing Vietnam as a place to work, invest, or live long-term.
- Eased requirements for restoring Vietnamese citizenship.
Trước đây, người đã mất quốc tịch có thể xin trở lại quốc tịch Việt Nam nếu thuộc một trong các trường hợp sau:
- Xin hồi hương về Việt Nam;
- Có vợ, chồng, cha đẻ, mẹ đẻ hoặc con đẻ là công dân Việt Nam;
- Có công lao đặc biệt đóng góp cho sự nghiệp xây dựng và bảo vệ Tổ quốc Việt Nam;
- Có lợi cho Việt Nam;
- Thực hiện đầu tư tại Việt Nam
Previously, individuals who had lost Vietnamese citizenship could apply to restore it if they fell into one of the following categories:
This policy makes it easier for people of Vietnamese origin who previously lost their citizenship to restore Vietnamese nationality, reflecting todayu2019s migration realities and the desire to stay connected to their homeland.
More flexible rules on name usage.
Before the law was passed by the National Assembly, some delegates proposed that applicants for Vietnamese citizenship should not be required to adopt a name entirely in Vietnamese. Instead, they suggested allowing applicants to keep their original name or use a Vietnamese-adapted name to better align with international integration needs. The Government adopted this recommendation and formally revised Clause 4 of Article 19 and Clause 4 of Article 23 of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality. Accordingly, individuals applying to acquire or restore Vietnamese citizenshipu2014while also requesting to retain a foreign nationalityu2014may choose a combined name that includes both a Vietnamese name and a foreign name. For example: Nguyu1ec5n Anna Thu1ea3o, Lu00ea John Minh, Phu1ea1m David Hu01b0ng, Jenny Nguyu1ec5n, ...
This brings significant practical benefits:
- Respects personal identity in an international environment.
- Makes it easier to live and work abroad.
- Makes it easier to use a consistent name on documents in both countries.
- Aligns with international practice and the integration needs of dual nationals.
Conclusion
We hope that once the amended law officially takes effect, the process of applying for or restoring Vietnamese citizenshipu2014as well as renewing a Vietnamese passport for Vietnamese people living in the United Statesu2014will become easier, more convenient, clearer, and more accessible.
