Vietnam allows foreign applicants to have dual names

THE HANOI TIMES — Foreign nationals or stateless individuals applying for Vietnamese citizenship may retain part of their original foreign names, according to the revised Law on Vietnamese Nationality passed by the National Assembly on June 24.

According to the amended law, applicants who wish to retain their foreign citizenship while becoming Vietnamese citizens may combine a Vietnamese name with their foreign name, use a Vietnamese name, or use the name of another ethnic minority in Vietnam.

To be eligible for Vietnamese naturalization, foreign applicants must demonstrate an adequate command of the Vietnamese language to integrate into the community. They must also have resided in Vietnam continuously for at least five years, be financially self-sufficient, and have permanent residency. Unless they are minors who acquire Vietnamese citizenship through a Vietnamese parent, they must also have full legal capacity under Vietnamese law.

Applicants must abide by the Constitution and laws of Vietnam, as well as respect the culture, traditions, and customs of the Vietnamese people. Citizenship will be denied to anyone whose naturalization would harm Vietnam’s national interests.

The amended law also provides guidelines for individuals seeking to regain Vietnamese citizenship. Former Vietnamese citizens must revert to their original Vietnamese name, unless they apply to retain dual nationality. In such cases, they may opt for a combined Vietnamese and foreign name, pending approval from the state president.

Applicants who wish to retain their foreign nationality while acquiring Vietnamese citizenship must demonstrate that doing so complies with the laws of their country and does not compromise Vietnam's national security, public order, or the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese organizations and individuals.

The amendments also expand the President of Vietnam's responsibilities and authority regarding citizenship matters. The president now has the power to grant, reinstate, revoke, or deny Vietnamese citizenship; cancel previous citizenship decisions; and negotiate international treaties related to nationality.

Regarding overseas Vietnamese, the revised law stipulates that individuals who forfeited Vietnamese nationality under previous legal provisions are still considered Vietnamese citizens. Those without documentation proving their nationality may request confirmation from Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad.

The revised law also stipulates that individuals in key positions within the Communist Party of Vietnam, the state, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and political and social organizations, at either the central or local levels, as well as those in sensitive sectors such as national defense, security, and intelligence, must be solely Vietnamese citizens and reside in Vietnam.

The amended Law on Vietnamese Nationality will come into effect on July 1, 2025.

According to the National Assembly’s Committee for Legal and Judicial Affairs, the revision addresses the country's new development realities and responds to overseas Vietnamese's legitimate desire to acquire or regain Vietnamese nationality. The revision also aims to encourage top-tier experts and scientists to return home, invest, and contribute to national development and defense.