Vietnamese citizenship by marriage can be obtained indirectly, as the procedure implies naturalization. This means the applicant must live in Vietnam for a minimum period of 5 years before becoming eligible for citizenship.
Below, our lawyers explain how foreign citizens can be naturalized and obtain Vietnamese citizenship after marriage, as well as the 5-year visa exemption. You can rely on us to obtain both residency and citizenship.
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The Nationality Law in Vietnam
The 1988 Nationality Act is the main body of law providing for the means to obtain citizenship in Vietnam as a foreign citizen. If you are interested in Vietnamese citizenship by marriage, you will need to meet the same conditions as a person who is not married to a national of this country.
Naturalization implies living in Vietnam for at least 5 years under a permanent residence permit. In this case, you might wonder if you have any benefits as the spouse of a citizen of this state. The answer is yes: you are eligible for the 5-year exempted visa or for a residence permit.
If you want to move to this country in order to obtain citizenship, you can check if you meet your relocation requirements with one of our lawyers in Vietnam.
Conditions for naturalization when filing for Vietnamese citizenship after marriage
One of the most important aspects to consider when filing for citizenship in Vietnam, including after marriage, is that the spouses must have been married for at least 3 years. Also, not only must the Nationality Law be respected in this case, but also the 2014 Marriage and Family Law. The latter provides for:
- the man to be at least 20 years old when marrying;
- the woman to be at least 18 years old at the time of registering the marriage;
- both spouses to have full mental capacity when filing for marriage registration.
Please note that these requirements apply if the marriage takes place in Vietnam. For unions registered abroad, the spouses must have their marriage recognized here.
Our lawyers in Vietnam can offer support in marriage registration here, which implies having the license translated and certified before filing it with the People’s Committee in the region where the couple lives.
Citizenship interview
Filing for Vietnamese citizenship, including after marriage, also implies going through an interview where:
- the foreign spouse needs to demonstrate that he or she speaks Vietnamese fluently (in this case, holding a residence permit for Vietnam for several years will help the overseas national);
- the applicant knows the history and culture of the country.
After passing the interview, the foreign citizen will have the application approved and the Vietnamese passport issued. The procedure takes between 3 and 6 months.
Dual nationality after getting citizenship in Vietnam
Unfortunately, obtaining Vietnam’s citizenship after marriage implies that the foreign spouse to renounce his or her first nationality. However, there are also exceptions to this rule – people whose countries of origin do not allow them to give up their citizenship are permitted to retain it after gaining a Vietnamese passport.
If you are interested in immigration to Vietnam for marriage purposes, we recommend verifying this aspect prior to moving here.
The 5-year visa exemption for foreign citizens married to Vietnamese nationals
Vietnam does not have a spouse visa that foreign life partners can obtain. This gives them 2 options:
- to secure a temporary residence permit;
- to obtain a 5-year visa exemption.
Citizenship in Vietnam is available for people who decide to apply for temporary residency, as well as for those filing for the 5-year visa exemption. In the latter case, for foreigners who have a Vietnamese wife or husband:
- visa-free entry and leave to/from Vietnam is available for a period of 5 years;
- each visit is limited to an 180-day stay, however, it can be prolonged;
- this means that the foreign national cannot live in Vietnam for 5 uninterrupted years.
This is a good option if you are a foreign citizen and need to travel back and forth to Vietnam for employment or business purposes.
Our law firm in Vietnam can offer additional information on this visa exemption.
Residency requirements for foreign spouses of Vietnamese citizens
Foreign citizens married to Vietnamese nationals and planning on remaining in this country can choose to apply for residence permits that have a validity of 2 or 3 years. The main advantage of getting this card is that foreign partners can stay in Vietnam without leaving.
The following documents need to be obtained in order to be granted a residence visa:
- the Vietnamese spouse’s house registration book;
- the foreign spouse’s original passport and ID;
- the marriage certificate;
- 2 recent photographs of the foreign spouse.
The same documents are required when applying for the 5-year visa exemption.
The residence permit is then issued in about 5 to 10 working days. Once the foreign citizen has lived in Vietnam for 3 years, he or she can apply for citizenship.
Feel free to enquire about Vietnamese citizenship through naturalization, after marriage, with our local law firm.
Marriage and divorce statistics in Vietnam
At the beginning of 2025, the General Statistics Office issued the information from the latest population census. According to the most recent data:
- the average first marriage age rose to 27.3 in 2024 from 25.2 years from the last census;
- men now marry for the first time at the age of 29.4 on average;
- 2.9% of the population is divorced, the highest rate being registered in the 40-49 age population group;
- for both men and women, the highest divorce rate is in the 40–44 age group.
To offer complete services, our team is made up of various professionals, among whom are also our accountants in Vietnam. You can rely on this for support in dealing with financial matters as an expat.
If you need assistance in filing for citizenship as a spouse of a Vietnamese national, do not hesitate to contact our lawyers.