Retain Foreign Nationality When Applying for Vietnamese Citizenship

An applicant may ask to retain foreign nationality when applying for Vietnamese citizenship, but the request is not available to everyone and approval is not automatic. The first practical question is whether the applicant belongs to an eligible family, ancestry, minor-child, special-contribution or national-benefit category. Only then should the applicant address evidence from the foreign country, the proposed Vietnamese or combined name, and translation formalities.

This nationwide guide addresses that narrow decision. General naturalization eligibility, permanent residence, language testing and the complete local filing workflow are covered only briefly. Applicants filing in southern Vietnam can also use the more locally focused Ho Chi Minh City Vietnamese citizenship application guide.

Key takeaways

Retention is limited to specified applicants. Under the law effective from July 1, 2025, the relevant categories include certain applicants with Vietnamese spouses, children, parents or qualifying grandparents, qualifying minors, people with special contributions and people considered beneficial to Vietnam. The President must still permit retention.
Two countries must agree. Vietnamese permission cannot prevent the applicant’s present country from withdrawing its nationality under that country’s own law.
The evidence route depends on the foreign country. Submit an official foreign document showing that retention is lawful when such a document exists. If that legal system does not issue one, Vietnam provides a prescribed declaration route, together with a separate undertaking not to misuse the foreign nationality.
Name choice is part of the legal decision, not a translation edit. An applicant requesting retention may choose a combined Vietnamese–foreign name. Translations must still reproduce the names appearing in each source document faithfully.

Who this guide is for

This countrywide guide is for foreign nationals applying to acquire Vietnamese citizenship while asking Vietnam to let them keep an existing nationality. It is particularly relevant to a foreign spouse or biological child of a Vietnamese citizen; an applicant with a Vietnamese parent or qualifying grandparents; a minor applying with a parent; or a person relying on a special-contribution or national-benefit category.

A typical file combines a current and former passport, birth certificate, marriage or relationship records, proof of the relative’s Vietnamese citizenship, a foreign nationality certificate or retention document, and any marriage, divorce or name-change record needed to connect different names. Depending on the issuing country, working language pairs may include English–Vietnamese, Chinese–Vietnamese, Korean–Vietnamese, Japanese–Vietnamese, French–Vietnamese or Russian–Vietnamese. These are practical examples, not an official ranking of applicant nationalities.

This guide is most useful when the foreign country does not issue a document called a retention certificate, the passport name differs from the proposed Vietnamese name, or a translated document must still undergo authentication of the translator’s signature before filing.

Who may retain foreign nationality when applying for Vietnamese citizenship?

Vietnam’s amended nationality law links retention to specified exceptions in Article 19 rather than creating a general right to dual nationality. The relevant categories include:

an applicant with a Vietnamese-citizen spouse or biological child;
an applicant with a Vietnamese-citizen biological parent or qualifying paternal or maternal grandparents;
a person with a special contribution to building and defending Vietnam;
a person whose naturalization is considered beneficial to Vietnam; and
a qualifying minor applying with a parent.

The precise conditions and exemptions differ between these categories. The controlling text is the 2025 law amending the Law on Vietnamese Nationality. It states that eligible applicants may retain foreign nationality only when retention complies with the foreign country’s law, the nationality will not be used to harm protected Vietnamese interests, and the President permits it.

Marriage therefore creates a possible route, not an automatic entitlement. A provincial Department of Justice, embassy, lawyer or translation provider cannot promise that the President will approve the request.

The two-country test applicants often miss

Permission from Vietnam answers only the Vietnamese side of the question. The applicant must separately determine what happens under the law of the current country when Vietnamese citizenship takes effect.

The other country may:

allow multiple nationality without prior permission;
require permission before another nationality is acquired;
require a notification after acquisition;
cause automatic loss when a citizen voluntarily acquires another nationality; or
apply different rules according to age, residence, ancestry or acquisition method.

This is the article’s most important counterintuitive point: a Vietnamese decision allowing retention does not bind the foreign country. A valid foreign passport is useful identity evidence, but it may not conclusively establish what that country’s nationality law will do on the effective date of Vietnamese naturalization.

What evidence must support the retention request?

The applicant should build the retention portion of the file as a separate evidence unit. The Vietnamese government’s explanation of Decree 191/2025/NĐ-CP identifies two possible evidence paths:

Official-document path: provide a document issued by the competent foreign authority showing that retaining that nationality is consistent with the foreign country’s law.
No-document path: if the foreign law does not provide for issuance of that kind of document, use the prescribed declaration confirming both that no such document is issued and that retention is lawful under that country’s law.

Both paths also require an undertaking that the applicant will not use the foreign nationality to harm the lawful rights or interests of persons or organizations, or Vietnam’s security, national interests, public order or safety. The government describes these requirements in its official guidance on documents for applicants seeking to retain foreign nationality.

Do not substitute an improvised explanation letter merely because an embassy says it cannot issue a retention certificate. First confirm whether the prescribed Vietnamese declaration applies and obtain reliable advice on the foreign law being declared.

Practical retention-document checklist

Documents commonly needed to support a foreign-nationality retention request
Document	What it proves	Main translation risk
Current and former passports	Identity, present nationality and historical spellings	Name order, omitted middle names and different transliterations
Nationality certificate or retention permission	Foreign authority’s treatment of nationality	Missing operative wording, conditions, validity date or issuing authority
Prescribed no-document declaration	Why no official retention document is available	Using a generic letter instead of the current form
Non-misuse undertaking	Compliance with the Vietnamese statutory condition	Combining it informally with another declaration
Marriage, birth and citizenship records	The family relationship supporting eligibility	An incomplete relationship chain or inconsistent parent details
Name-change, marriage or divorce record	Why the applicant has used more than one name	Silently rewriting the source name to match the current passport

How retention affects the applicant’s Vietnamese name

The amended law requires a naturalization applicant to have a name in Vietnamese or another language of Vietnam’s ethnic communities. It adds an important option for a person who simultaneously requests retention of foreign nationality: that applicant may choose a name combining a Vietnamese name and a foreign name. The selected name must be recorded in the President’s decision granting Vietnamese citizenship.

This makes the name decision more consequential than choosing a convenient spelling for a translation. The approved name may become the foundation for later Vietnamese civil-status and identity records.

Prepare a name map before translating

Create a one-page working table containing:

the name exactly as printed in the current foreign passport;
all names in earlier passports;
the birth name and parents’ names;
married, divorced, adopted or court-changed names;
each non-Latin-script form and its existing romanization;
the proposed Vietnamese or combined Vietnamese–foreign name; and
the document that legally connects each version.

The map is an organizational aid, not a substitute for official evidence. If a birth certificate says one thing and a passport says another, the translator should not conceal the discrepancy. Translate or transliterate what the source displays, then use the relevant marriage, divorce, adoption or name-change record to explain the connection.

For broader cross-border packet planning, see CertOf’s dual-citizenship document translation checklist. Keep that general material secondary here: the decisive Vietnamese rule is that the chosen combined name belongs in the citizenship request and decision, not retroactively inside translations of foreign records.

Vietnamese translation and authentication requirements

The National Public Service Portal says foreign-issued documents in an in-country naturalization file must generally be consularly legalized unless an exemption applies. Foreign-language documents must be translated into Vietnamese, and the translator’s signature on the translation must be authenticated under Vietnamese law. The same official listing provides the current forms and document quantities in its naturalization procedure.

For international readers, certified translation is a useful bridge term. It is not the most precise Vietnamese label. The important local terms are:

dịch sang tiếng Việt — translated into Vietnamese;
bản dịch tiếng Việt — Vietnamese translation;
chứng thực chữ ký người dịch — authentication of the translator’s signature; and
hợp pháp hóa lãnh sự — consular legalization.

A company-issued certificate of accuracy may help document quality and responsibility, but it should not be assumed to replace the Vietnamese signature-authentication step. The distinction between a translation certificate and notarization is explained more generally in certified versus notarized translation and who signs CertOf’s translation certificate.

Can applicants translate their own records?

Do not treat self-translation as automatically acceptable merely because the applicant speaks Vietnamese. Vietnamese authentication rules focus on the translator’s eligibility and authentication of that person’s signature. The official authentication decree includes procedures for translators who are registered collaborators and, in limited personal-use circumstances, other translators who can establish the required language qualifications. The relevant rules appear in Decree 23/2015/NĐ-CP.

The lower-risk approach is to ask the receiving Department of Justice which translator-signature route it will accept before ordering or signing anything. Being the applicant and being bilingual are not, by themselves, proof that the final translation satisfies the authentication procedure.

Apostille timing: a live transition

Vietnam deposited its accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on December 31, 2025, but the Convention does not enter into force for Vietnam until September 11, 2026, according to the Hague Conference on Private International Law. Before that date, do not assume that an apostille replaces the applicable consular-legalization chain.

For documents submitted on or after the effective date, check the current rule for the issuing country, any objections between states, the document type and the receiving authority. Apostille, legalization and translation remain different operations.

Where and how the request moves through Vietnam

An applicant residing in Vietnam files through the provincial Department of Justice for the place of residence. An eligible applicant using an overseas route files through the competent Vietnamese representative mission. Under the amended nationality law, the file then passes through identity and background checks, provincial review where applicable, Ministry of Justice review, submission through the Prime Minister and final consideration by the President.

If the Ministry of Justice concludes that an ordinary applicant otherwise qualifies, the standard route may require the applicant to complete renunciation of the foreign nationality. A case requesting retention follows the separate decision path instead. That procedural fork is why the retention evidence should be resolved before the packet is finalized.

Official cost, timing and document-volume benchmarks

The current National Public Service Portal listing publishes the following benchmarks for the in-country procedure:

Published benchmarks for an in-country Vietnamese naturalization application
Official benchmark	Published figure	Why it matters
Naturalization fee	VND 3,000,000, with specified exemptions	This does not include foreign records, legalization, translation, authentication, legal advice or delivery costs.
Published processing period	105 days	It is an administrative benchmark, not a commercial promise or guaranteed end-to-end calendar.
Foreign criminal-record recency	Issued no more than 90 days before filing	Ordering it too early can cause expiry while other foreign documents are being legalized and translated.
Many core packet items	Three originals or copies, depending on the item	Names and page sets must remain identical across duplicate filing units.

Local offices execute a national procedure; they do not create separate provincial nationality law. Practical differences concern intake, document inspection and access to translators whose signatures can be authenticated.

A safer preparation sequence

Confirm the legal category. Identify the exact Article 19 route that makes the applicant eligible to request retention.
Check the foreign-country consequence. Determine whether acquisition causes automatic loss, requires prior permission or triggers notification.
Ask what proof exists. Obtain the competent foreign document, or confirm that the prescribed Vietnamese no-document declaration is the correct alternative.
Freeze the identity record. Build the name map and choose the proposed Vietnamese or combined name without altering source records.
Plan authentication before translation. Determine whether each foreign document needs legalization or qualifies for an exemption, and how the translator’s signature will be authenticated.
Translate complete documents. Include stamps, seals, annotations, endorsements and relevant reverse pages.
Protect the 90-day document. Obtain the foreign criminal-record evidence late enough that it remains valid when the complete packet is filed.
Assemble matching sets. Verify that every set contains the same source pages, translations and name spellings.

Choosing a document-service route in Vietnam

No commercial provider can approve nationality retention. Compare providers according to what must happen to the documents, not according to claims of government connections.

Document-service routes and their limits
Commercial route	Useful for	Verify before paying	Limit
Vietnamese translation agency that arranges local authentication	Vietnamese translation, printing and delivery to an appropriate authentication office	Who signs, where that signature is registered or authenticated, whether legalization must be completed first, and whether revisions are included	The agency cannot decide eligibility or guarantee acceptance
Vietnamese public or private notary-office route	Working with an eligible translator and completing the required signature-authentication or notarial step	Whether the office handles the language, whether the foreign source first needs legalization, and which originals must be presented	Notary staff do not decide the foreign nationality law
CertOf online document-preparation route	Digital translation, layout reconstruction, complete-page review and cross-document name checking	Whether the receiving office will require a locally eligible translator or additional signature authentication after delivery	CertOf is not a Vietnamese authority, notary or nationality law firm

For a digital-first preliminary translation or name-consistency review, applicants can upload documents securely to CertOf and review the online ordering workflow. If timing is important, use the published translation turnaround benchmarks only as CertOf service data—not as a forecast of government processing.

Official resources and when to use them

Authorities and professional resources relevant to a retention request
Resource	Use it for	What it cannot do
National Public Service Portal	Current procedure, forms, document quantities, fee and published processing period	It does not provide personal legal advice on foreign nationality loss
Provincial Department of Justice	Confirming intake, original-document comparison and the accepted translator-signature route	It cannot promise the President’s final decision
Vietnamese embassy or consulate with jurisdiction	Overseas filing instructions and Vietnamese consular formalities	It does not control the applicant’s foreign nationality law
Foreign nationality authority or consulate	Explaining whether a retention document exists and identifying the competent authority	A consulate may not provide an individualized legal opinion or special letter
Qualified nationality lawyer	Assessing the two-country legal effect and unusual declarations	No lawyer can guarantee presidential approval

Fraud warnings and procedural complaints

Avoid any intermediary claiming guaranteed dual citizenship, a fixed presidential approval date or an inside relationship with the Ministry of Justice. The law leaves the final decision with the President, so those promises are incompatible with the stated process.

Another common source of confusion is treating acquisition of Vietnamese nationality, confirmation of an existing Vietnamese nationality and issuance of a Vietnamese passport as interchangeable procedures. They have different legal questions and document paths. Verify the procedure name before paying a lawyer, agent or translation provider.

If the problem concerns an intake office refusing to receive a compliant file, failing to publish the procedure or mishandling an administrative step, use the National Public Service Portal’s reflections and recommendations channel. A procedural complaint is different from challenging the substance of a nationality decision. The amended nationality law states that competent Vietnamese administrative decisions concerning nationality under the law are not subject to administrative complaint or litigation, so obtain qualified advice before assuming a particular remedy is available.

Common failure points

Eligibility assumed from marriage alone: the applicant overlooks the separate presidential-permission requirement.
Foreign law checked too late: the applicant learns after filing that prior permission was required or nationality will be lost automatically.
Wrong replacement for a retention certificate: a free-form letter is used instead of the prescribed declaration.
Name repaired inside the translation: the translator changes the source spelling to match the proposed Vietnamese name, weakening document integrity.
Certificate of accuracy treated as the final local formality: the applicant does not arrange authentication of the translator’s signature.
Criminal record ordered first: its 90-day window expires while older civil records are being legalized.
Apostille assumed prematurely: the applicant applies the Convention before its September 11, 2026 effective date for Vietnam.

Frequently asked questions

Can every naturalization applicant keep foreign nationality?

No. The request is tied to specified Article 19 categories and remains subject to the foreign country’s law, the statutory non-misuse condition and presidential permission.

Does marriage to a Vietnamese citizen guarantee dual nationality?

No. Marriage may place an applicant within a category allowed to request retention, but it does not guarantee approval or prevent the other country from withdrawing its nationality.

What if my country does not issue a retention letter?

Vietnamese procedure provides a declaration route when that country’s law does not provide for issuance of the document. Use the current prescribed form and confirm the foreign-law statement; do not invent an embassy letter.

Can I choose a combined Vietnamese–foreign name?

An applicant simultaneously requesting retention of foreign nationality may choose a combined Vietnamese–foreign name. The selected name must be stated in the application and recorded in the decision granting Vietnamese citizenship.

Should my translator change my passport name to the proposed Vietnamese name?

No. The translation should reproduce the source document faithfully. Connect different names with a name map and the underlying marriage, divorce, adoption or name-change evidence.

Is a CertOf certified PDF sufficient by itself?

Do not assume so. Vietnamese procedure requires translation into Vietnamese and authentication of the translator’s signature. Confirm the final local authentication route with the receiving Department of Justice or mission before ordering.

Can I file entirely online?

The public-service listing includes an online channel and accepts specified electronic copies. However, when a photocopy is used, the listing says the original must be available for comparison. Follow the current instructions of the authority receiving the particular file.

Does an apostille already replace legalization in Vietnam?

Not before September 11, 2026. After that date, check whether the Convention applies between the issuing country and Vietnam and whether the particular document falls within it.

Will Vietnam treat me as a foreign citizen after approving retention?

Within Vietnamese territory and in relations with Vietnamese authorities, the amended law generally recognizes only Vietnamese nationality for a Vietnamese citizen who also holds foreign nationality, subject to treaty exceptions.

Prepare the translation after confirming the legal route

CertOf can help translate passports, birth and marriage certificates, nationality records and name-change evidence; preserve seals and annotations; reconstruct readable layouts; and identify inconsistent names before the packet is finalized.

CertOf does not determine whether retention is legally available, obtain permission from a foreign government, authenticate a translator’s signature in Vietnam or represent applicants before Vietnamese authorities. Before submitting, confirm the required local authentication step with the receiving office.

Upload the foreign records for translation and name-consistency review.

Disclaimer: This guide provides general document-preparation information, not Vietnamese or foreign nationality legal advice. Nationality consequences depend on the applicant’s category, current nationality, age, family history and the law in force when citizenship is acquired. Verify both countries’ current rules with the competent authorities or qualified counsel before relying on a retention strategy.

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