Amendment to Nationality Law: Strengthening national unity for national development
WVR - The amendment and supplementation of certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law contribute to strengthening national unity, promoting ethnic harmony policies, and attracting high-quality human resources to contribute to the country's development in the new era.
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| Ms. Vo Thi Hanh, an official at the Department of Judicial Administration, Ministry of Justice. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
The Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law No. 79/2025/QH15 was passed by the 15th National Assembly on June 24, 2025.
On July 1, 2025, the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law officially took effect.
The necessity of enacting the law
The drafting of the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law aims to institutionalize the Party's guidelines and policies, particularly Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW dated March 26, 2004, by the Politburo regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs.
The new nationality policies affirm that our Party and State always consider the overseas Vietnamese community an inseparable part of the Vietnamese national community. This is concretized by many open policies and specific measures to facilitate compatriots visiting the homeland, relatives, investing, doing business, cooperating in science and technology, and engaging in cultural and artistic activities.
Simultaneously, this step also promptly and satisfactorily addresses the demands of overseas Vietnamese related to nationality issues in accordance with the Constitution, Vietnamese law, and the spirit of Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW.
Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, by the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, requires "special mechanisms for nationality acquisition, property ownership, income, and working environment to attract, utilize, and retain leading scientists, experts, and 'chief engineers' both domestically and internationally who can organize, manage, direct, and implement key national tasks in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and AI development...".
Accordingly, the amendment and supplementation of certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law, including "relaxing" policies for acquiring/reacquiring Vietnamese nationality and simplifying administrative procedures in the nationality field, aim to continue timely and fully institutionalizing the Party's guidelines and State laws regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs, creating more favorable conditions for foreigners and the overseas Vietnamese community to return to invest, produce, do business, and promote scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation...
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| The overseas Vietnamese bloc participates in the parade celebrating the 80th National Day. (Photo: An La) |
Notable new points
According to Ms. Vo Thi Hanh, an official at the Department of Judicial Administration, Ministry of Justice, the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law introduces many new points, particularly facilitating the conditions and procedures for acquiring Vietnamese nationality.
The law stipulates that individuals applying for Vietnamese nationality who have a spouse or biological child who is a Vietnamese citizen may acquire Vietnamese nationality without meeting the conditions: Sufficient Vietnamese language proficiency to integrate into the Vietnamese community; residing in Vietnam for five years or more up to the time of applying for Vietnamese nationality; having the ability to ensure a livelihood in Vietnam. Applicants for Vietnamese nationality who fall into one of the following categories: having a biological father/mother or paternal/maternal grandparents who are Vietnamese citizens; having made special contributions to the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; benefiting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; minors applying for Vietnamese nationality following their father or mother can be admitted without the conditions: knowing Vietnamese; residing in Vietnam; residing in Vietnam for five years or more; having the ability to ensure a livelihood in Vietnam...
Applicants for Vietnamese nationality who have a spouse or biological child or biological father/mother or paternal/maternal grandparents who are Vietnamese citizens; have made special contributions to the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; benefiting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; minors applying for Vietnamese nationality following their father or mother can retain foreign nationality if they meet the conditions including that retaining foreign nationality is in accordance with the laws of that country; not using foreign nationality to harm the legitimate rights and interests of agencies, organizations, individuals, infringe on the security, national interests, social order, and safety of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and are permitted by the President.
This is one of the significant changes in the Vietnam Nationality Law (amended and supplemented in 2025) compared to previous regulations.
The new regulation in Article 19 allows cases with a biological father/mother or paternal/maternal grandparents who are Vietnamese citizens; foreign investors, scientists, and experts to acquire Vietnamese nationality under more relaxed conditions (exempt from conditions on residing in Vietnam, knowing Vietnamese, and having the ability to ensure a livelihood in Vietnam).
The perspective of drafting the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law is to continue maintaining the principle of one Vietnamese nationality. Therefore, according to the provisions of Clause 6, Article 19, Clause 5, Article 23 of the Vietnam Nationality Law, one of the conditions that applicants for acquiring/reacquiring Vietnamese nationality while retaining foreign nationality must meet is that retaining foreign nationality must be in accordance with the laws of that country.
The Vietnam Nationality Law (amended and supplemented in 2025) does not specify cases eligible to reacquire Vietnamese nationality. Thus, all cases that have lost Vietnamese nationality and apply to reacquire it can be considered for resolution.
Regarding the nationality of children and the change of nationality for minors, previous regulations could lead to minors becoming stateless if their parents renounced Vietnamese nationality but had not yet acquired or were not granted foreign nationality. However, the new regulation in the 2025 amendment ensures the right to choose nationality for minors when their parents renounce Vietnamese nationality.
Additionally, the law also supplements regulations on the nationality of children and changes in the nationality of minors; the relationship between the state and citizens in certain cases in Article 5 of the Vietnam Nationality Law, and documents proving Vietnamese nationality.
Notably, the amendment and supplementation of certain articles of the Vietnam Nationality Law have significantly simplified procedures, eliminated duplicate documents, reduced administrative burdens, while ensuring transparency and caution in the verification process through confirmation by foreign competent authorities. This is an important procedural reform, facilitating individuals while meeting the State's management requirements in the context of international integration.
It is evident that the effort to amend and supplement certain articles of the Nationality Law through new regulations ensures "closer to the people" aiming to strengthen national unity, promote ethnic harmony policies, and attract high-quality human resources to contribute to the country's development in the new era.
