Obtaining and registration of Vietnamese citizenship

Russians go to Vietnam not only to rest, but also to work. The republic is in dire need of educated specialists who will help raise the economy. The favorable climate contributes to staying in this country for good, becoming its full citizen. Vietnamese law offers several ways to acquire citizenship at once.

Vietnamese Citizenship Law. Who can apply for citizenship

To date, there is no Russian translation of the Vietnamese citizenship law. This act was last amended on July 15, 1988. And the new laws that were submitted for consideration back in 1999 were never adopted.

There is a translation of the Vietnamese law by the US Department of State. The English-language version of this act enshrines several provisions that must be met by a foreigner in order to become a resident.

Only those persons who have reached the age of 18 are eligible to apply for Vietnamese citizenship by naturalization. Vietnamese law retains nationality for citizens who wish to obtain residency by birth or descent.

Special attention in the legislation of Vietnam is given to dual citizenship. It is also important to study the item on the loss of residency, because the Vietnamese authorities are serious about this issue.

Who is prohibited by law from becoming a citizen

Vietnamese legislation assigns certain provisions to persons who are deprived of the possibility of acquiring dual citizenship:

1. A Russian citizen may be deprived of the right of residence in Vietnam if his actions threaten national security;
2. It is inadmissible to register citizenship for a person who is doing military or government service in other states;
3. A person has more than two terms of criminal punishment, which have not yet expired at the time of registration of citizenship;
4. If an international criminal arrives in Vietnam, the state will deny him citizenship and extradite him to the country from which he fled.

With its policy, Vietnam is trying not to create problems both at the foreign policy level and at home. Therefore, if we are talking about registration of citizenship for a citizen who has a constant source of income and an acceptable moral character, then there will be no problems in registration.

Methods for obtaining Vietnamese citizenship

The Vietnamese Citizenship Law of 1988 offers several ways to obtain citizenship. Each of these methods is applicable in a specific situation, depending on the circumstances. Let us consider in what cases it is possible to talk about obtaining Vietnamese citizenship.

Citizenship by birth and descent

A child who was born into a family of Vietnamese citizens has the unconditional right to Vietnamese citizenship. In this case, citizenship is counted automatically and you can only lose it upon the onset of eighteen years of age and an official refusal.

The same applies to cases when a child appeared in a family, one of whose parents is a citizen of Vietnam. If no claim is made from the other parent, the baby acquires the citizenship of the Republic.

However, Vietnamese citizenship is not automatic. The fact of birth in the territory of the Republic does not imply automatic acquisition of residency. The exception is situations when a child was born in Vietnam, and his parents do not have citizenship in principle, but permanently reside in the country.

The same applies to the situation when it comes to an abandoned child, the details of whose parents are unknown. In this case, the baby becomes a citizen of Vietnam.

In other cases, the child will undergo a naturalization procedure on a common basis.

By naturalization

Naturalization is one of the most common methods used by citizens of the Russian Federation.

So, in accordance with the law, citizenship of the Republic of Vietnam can be acquired if the list of special conditions is met.

Observing all these conditions, a citizen can generally obtain Vietnamese citizenship after 5 years from the moment of crossing the border.

For investment

As you can see, the Vietnamese legislation is still "raw" and does not fully provide for all the points that may arise during the adoption of citizenship. Thus, a citizen can obtain citizenship by directing investments in the development of any industry.

Despite the fact that this is not stipulated in the law, a citizen can enter Vietnam as a private person. Then, with a detailed business plan and investment package drawn up, he can come to the administration, where he will propose his project.

Provided that jobs are provided to local people, the Vietnamese authorities can make concessions and reduce the period for obtaining citizenship to three years.

An important condition is the fact of having a business even after three years from the moment a person entered the territory of Vietnam.

Business projects related to:

• Agriculture;
• Production;
• Import and export of goods.

For employment

Vietnamese law does not provide for simplification of the procedure for obtaining citizenship in employment. However, the availability of official income will increase the level of the citizen's willingness to become citizens of Vietnam, as a result of which the staff of the Citizenship Commission will give a positive answer.

Employment in Vietnam is mainly carried out on a work visa. However, after 5 years, subject to an extended visa, citizenship documents can be submitted.

Other methods

The combination of marriage with a citizen of Vietnam provides for simplified conditions for registration of citizenship. The term is reduced from 5 to 3 years. The main condition for obtaining residency in such a situation is being married at the time of filing documents for obtaining citizenship.

In what cases is dual citizenship possible?

Vietnam does not recognize dual citizenship. Therefore, when submitting documents, it is important to provide a paper in which there is a written refusal, signed and sealed at the consulate of the country where the citizen had original citizenship.

In the absence of this document, employees will not even accept papers that provide for the registration of citizenship.

The procedure for obtaining citizenship

The procedure involves a series of sequential actions that must be carried out in stages in order to ultimately obtain the long-awaited residency.

Necessary documents and requirements for them

First you need to collect a package of documents. The Vietnamese pay special attention to securities, as they consider non-compliance with the requirements in this matter as a reason for refusing to obtain a residence permit.

List of documents:

• General civil passport and its photocopy;
• Foreign passport and its photocopy;
• A certificate from the police station stating that the citizen has not been noticed for actions that contradict the calm way of life in Vietnam, as well as criminal punishments;
• Documents proving employment in Vietnam;
• Details of the account to which deductions from the homeland or salary are received;
• Birth certificate of children;
• Citizenship application;
• Health certificate;
• Written renunciation of citizenship that the future resident of Vietnam had up to this point;
• Receipt for payment of the state fee.

The list of documents is constantly changing. Other papers will be separately demanded from some citizens.

When submitting documents, it is important to draw up an application for passing the Vietnamese language proficiency test. Passing the test positive is the main condition for citizenship.

An application for passing the exam is drawn up according to the sample provided to the Citizenship Commission. The exam is scheduled a few days after the application was drawn up.

A positive result guarantees a quick review and a positive outcome of the acceptance procedure.

Where to contact

Documents are submitted to the administrative office, which is located in each territorial entity. A special Commission has been created in the administration, which accepts documents, considers them and makes a decision.

Procedure:

1. A package of documents with photocopies and the paid state fee is handed over to the employee;
2. The applicant receives a certificate confirming the acceptance of the papers;
3. After passing the exam, you must wait for the specified period;
4. The result is communicated by email, in person or by phone call.

Cost and terms

The amount of the state duty for paperwork is $ 80 in terms of US currency. The state fee is paid once, it is important to keep the receipt.

The paid state fee is valid for one year, so do not worry if the first time you did not manage to collect the correct package of documents. Even after a few months, the paid contribution will be valid.

Documents are considered within one calendar month. During this period, representatives of the Commission contact the citizen, report the result. In case of a positive coincidence, additional papers are required that will help in the production of a general civil passport.

A citizen can be notified of the need to appear before the Commission much earlier if there are controversial issues that require personal presence.

Possible reasons for refusal and what to do in this case

Like any other state, Vietnam offers its own special requirements for applicants. The reason for the refusal may be special circumstances:

1. Any failure to comply with the requirements of the authorities will be regarded as unwillingness to acquire citizenship and adopt Vietnamese legislation;
2. Lack of knowledge of the Vietnamese language;
3. Incorrectly assembled package of documents that does not correspond to the list or contains fake and invalid papers;
4. Being in government or military service in other countries;
5. Actions that threaten the people of Vietnam, power and integrity;
6. Immoral lifestyle of a citizen;
7. Lack of a permanent source of income or funds in the account;
8. Failure to pay the state fee.

In the future, it is planned to revise the Law on Citizenship and adopt a new, filled act, which will contain all the requirements. In the meantime, innovations in legislation remain at the level of oral norms or in the format of resolutions.

The Republic of Vietnam is developing very rapidly. The economy is creeping upward, also thanks to investments that are brought in by citizens who dream of obtaining citizenship of this country. It remains to overcome the difficulties that may arise in the course of obtaining citizenship.