I. Applicants
1. Foreign nationals and stateless persons wishing to apply for Vietnamese nationality must meet the following conditions:
(i) Possess full civil capacity under Vietnamese law (except for adolescents who apply for Vietnamese nationality due to their father or mother being Vietnamese);
(ii) Comply with the Constitution and laws of Viet Nam and respect the traditions, customs, and practices of the Vietnamese people, demonstrating a commitment to legal and cultural integration;
(iii) Have sufficient knowledge of the Vietnamese language to integrate into Vietnamese society;
(iv) Be currently residing in Viet Nam;
(v) Have resided in Viet Nam for five years or more as of the date of application for Vietnamese citizenship;
(vi) Be able to ensure a livelihood in Viet Nam.
2. Applicants for Vietnamese citizenship who have a spouse or child who is a Vietnamese citizen are exempt from conditions (iii), (v), and (vi), but they must comply with condition (iv) by being currently residing in Vietnam, as well as conditions (i) and (ii).
3. Applicants for Vietnamese citizenship who have a parent or grandparents who are Vietnamese citizens, or who have made special contributions to Viet Nam, or who are beneficial to the State of Viet Nam, or who are minors applying for Vietnamese nationality with a parent (the main applicant), are exempt from conditions (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi).
These exceptional applicants are not required to renounce their original citizenship while applying for Vietnamese nationality, as long as the laws of their original country allow them to retain dual citizenship.
II. Documents to Submit:
Applicants for Vietnamese nationality must submit three sets of documents, with each set comprising the following:
1. For Adults (18 Years of Age or Older):
- A completed Application Form for Vietnamese nationality;
- A copy of the Birth Certificate, Passport, or other valid substitute documents;
- A National Police Certificate issued by a relevant Australian agency for the period during which the applicant resided overseas. This certificate must be issued no more than 90 days prior to the submission date of the application;
- Documents proving Vietnamese language proficiency: a copy of the certificate indicating that the person has studied in Vietnamese in Vietnam, such as a copy of a doctorate diploma, master's diploma, bachelor's diploma, university graduation certificate, college graduation certificate, vocational school graduation certificate, high school graduation certificate, or a copy of the Vietnamese language certificate according to the Vietnamese proficiency framework for foreigners;
- Documents proving residence and the length of permanent residence in Vietnam, such as a Permanent Residence Card issued by the competent authority of Viet Nam.
* Please note: Those who are exempted from certain conditions as prescribed in Clauses 2 and 3, Article 19 of the Law on Nationality are exempt from submitting the corresponding documents and must submit the following documents instead:
- If the spouse is a Vietnamese citizen, a copy of the Marriage Certificate is needed. If the biological father, biological mother, or biological child is a Vietnamese citizen, a copy of the Birth Certificate or other valid documents proving the relationship is required. If the grandparents are Vietnamese citizens, a copy of valid documents proving the relationship is necessary.
2. For Minors (Under 18 Years Old):
- A completed Application form for Vietnamese nationality.
- Minors who wish to return to Vietnamese nationality with their parents must submit a copy of their Birth Certificate or other valid documents proving the relationship.
- If minors request to return to Vietnamese nationality with their father or mother, a written agreement with the signatures of both parents is required.
3. A person applying for Vietnamese nationality while retaining their foreign nationality must submit the following documents:
- Documents issued by an Australian authority regarding the retention of foreign nationality in accordance with Australian law. If Australian law does not stipulate the issuance of this type of document, a written commitment by applicant stating that the competent foreign authority does not issue this type of document must be provided. This commitment should also affirm that the application to retain foreign nationality while applying for Vietnamese nationality complies with the laws of that foreign country.
- A commitment not to use foreign nationality to harm the legitimate rights and interests of agencies, organizations, and individuals, or to infringe upon the security, national interests, social order, and safety of Viet Nam.
4. Document Requirements:
- Documents issued by competent Australian authorities must be legalized unless consular legalization is exempted under Vietnamese law or international treaties to which Viet Nam is a party.
- Documents in foreign languages must be translated into Vietnamese, and the translation must be notarized, or the translator's signature must be certified according to Vietnamese law.
- In cases where the law requires the submission of copies, applicants may provide photocopies of the original documents, certified copies from the original, or documents issued from the original book. If a submitted document is a copy of the original, the original must be available for comparison so that the official can verify and confirm the comparison through a signature.
- Other documents, such as applications and declarations, must have certified signatures in accordance with the law.