Vietnamese citizenship in 2026: how a foreigner can get it
5 years with permanent residence, Vietnamese language and giving up your passport - but since July 2025 the rules are softer for relatives of Vietnamese citizens. Conditions, fee and timeline.
The short answer: a foreigner obtains Vietnamese citizenship by naturalisation after 5 years of living in the country with permanent residence, with Vietnamese language skills and their own means of support. The President of Vietnam makes the decision, and the previous citizenship generally has to be given up. From 1 July 2025 amendments to the nationality law eased the rules for relatives of Vietnamese citizens and allowed applications through embassies.
The Vietnamese passport opens 48 destinations without a prior visa, so nobody gets it for travel. It suits those building a life and business in Vietnam who want to work and hold property without the limits that apply to foreigners.
Who can get Vietnamese citizenship
- Permanent residence and 5 years of permanent residence, counted from the date the permanent residence card was issued.
- Vietnamese language good enough to live and work in the country: understanding, speaking, reading and writing.
- Means of support: assets, lawful income or a guarantee from a Vietnamese organisation or citizen.
- Respect for the Constitution and laws, traditions and customs of Vietnam, and full legal capacity.
- A Vietnamese name, chosen when applying.
Vietnamese citizenship by marriage and by descent
Spouses, parents and children of Vietnamese citizens, as well as people whose father, mother, grandfather or grandmother is Vietnamese, may skip the language, residence period and means-of-support requirements. The same relief goes to people with special merits to Vietnam and those whose citizenship benefits the state: outstanding scientists, athletes, investors. A child with at least one Vietnamese parent is a citizen by birth.
How to apply and what it costs
In the country, the application goes to the provincial Department of Justice where you live, and since 1 July 2025 also through a Vietnamese embassy or consulate abroad. The Ministry of Justice and security agencies then check the documents, and the President signs the decision.
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Naturalisation fee | 3,000,000 dong, ~$120 |
| Translation and apostille | at translator and issuing-country rates |
| Criminal record certificates from all countries of residence | at issuing authorities' rates |
The mandatory state payment totals about $120 per applicant, excluding translations, apostilles and certificates. People with special merits are exempt from the fee. In-country processing takes about 105 days on average under the regulations, but with checks and the President's decision it often takes longer in practice.
The fee is about $120, and the decision rests with the President of Vietnam
The law does not stop you from applying for Vietnamese citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: an application without permanent residence or with a miscounted period, documents without an apostille and Vietnamese translation, criminal record certificates missing for some countries of residence, a request to keep the previous citizenship without grounds. Murblz specialists check whether you meet the general conditions or the exceptions for relatives, prepare the documents, apostilles and translations and see the application through to the decision.
The cost of support depends on the grounds and the family; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
Dual citizenship
Vietnam works on the basis of a single nationality: on naturalisation the previous citizenship is generally given up. It can be kept in exceptional cases - relatives of Vietnamese citizens, people with special merits and those whose citizenship benefits the state - if the President permits it and the second passport is not used against Vietnam's interests. Whether your home country lets you keep its citizenship depends on its own rules.
Taxes and a country overview are on the taxes in Vietnam and Vietnam: all programs pages, and the cost of living in our article on the cost of living in Vietnam.
How we help
Murblz specialists check whether you meet the general conditions or the exceptions for relatives, prepare the documents, apostilles and translations, help file the application in Vietnam or through an embassy and see it through to the decision.
Living in Vietnam
Visas, residence and grounds for moving.
Learn more →Taxes in Vietnam
When tax residence starts and what rates foreigners pay.
Learn more →A company in Vietnam
Registration with an investment certificate and capital.
Learn more →Ho Chi Minh City
Districts, rent and life in the business capital.
Learn more →Hanoi
Where to live and what life in the capital costs.
Learn more →An apartment in Vietnam
What a foreigner can buy and for how long.
Learn more →FAQ
How many years do you need to live in Vietnam for citizenship?
Can you get Vietnamese citizenship by marriage?
Does Vietnam allow dual citizenship?
How much does Vietnamese citizenship cost?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
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