"Relaxing" policy for re-acquiring Vietnamese nationality

Delegates attending the meeting, morning of May 17. Photo: QUANG PHUC

Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh presented a report stating that countries around the world are tending to be more open and flexible in their nationality policies. Currently, there are 78 countries in the world applying the principle of one nationality (of which 51 countries apply the principle of one nationality thoroughly and 27 countries accept cases of citizens having dual nationality in exceptional cases such as: Austria, Norway, Netherlands, Korea...); there are about 66 countries that do not have regulations on the principle of one nationality.

The overseas Vietnamese community has about 6 million people, living in more than 130 countries and territories. Of these, as of March 2025, 229,336 people were allowedby the President to renounce their Vietnamese nationality. Many cases that previously requested to renounce their Vietnamese nationality to acquire foreign nationality, now express their desire to regain Vietnamese nationality while still retaining their foreign nationality, with an increasing trend.

General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong and delegates attending the meeting on the morning of May 17. Photo: QUANG PHUC

As of March 2025, the President has restored Vietnamese nationality to 311 cases, of which 20 cases were restored to Vietnamese nationality while retaining foreign nationality; and granted Vietnamese nationality to 7,014 cases, of which 60 cases were granted Vietnamese nationality while retaining foreign nationality (39/60 cases are foreigners with special contributions to the cause of building and defending the Vietnamese Fatherland and benefiting the State to serve socio-economic development, business investment, and sports).

The report stated that after 17 years of implementation, some current regulations of the 2008 Law on Vietnamese Nationality related to procedures for re-acquiring Vietnamese nationality have not really created conditions for the Vietnamese community abroad to have Vietnamese nationality while still retaining foreign nationality, and have not attracted many high-quality human resources to contribute to the country's development...

Therefore, the Government is proposing to amend the law in the direction of "relaxing" the policy of re-acquiring Vietnamese nationality and simplifying administrative procedures in the field of nationality to create more favorable conditions for foreigners and the Vietnamese community abroad to return to the country to invest, produce, do business, promote the development of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation...

Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh presented the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality. Photo: QUANG PHUC

The draft has many amendments and supplements to regulations related to the acquisition of Vietnamese nationality to facilitate cases where the biological father or mother, paternal grandfather and grandmother, or maternal grandfather and grandmother are Vietnamese citizens; foreign investors, scientists, experts... are granted Vietnamese nationality.

Such as amending and supplementing a number of regulations to facilitate minors to acquire Vietnamese nationality through their father or mother or minors whose biological father or mother or paternal and maternal grandparents or maternal and paternal grandparents are Vietnamese citizens; amending and supplementing regulations in the direction that for minors applying for Vietnamese nationality through their father or mother, minors whose father or mother is a Vietnamese citizen do not need to meet the condition of "having full civil act capacity"...

Examining the project, the Law and Justice Committee agreed on the necessity of promulgating the law; agreed on the order and procedures for handling applications for naturalization or resumption of Vietnamese nationality; agreed on the regulation in the law of the principle conditions for cases of resumption of Vietnamese nationality while still retaining foreign nationality.

Regarding some specific issues, the Committee basically agreed to add the provision that “must be a person with only one nationality, Vietnamese nationality” in some cases: candidates, elected, approved, appointed to hold positions and titles for a term; people recruited, appointed to ranks, positions and titles in state agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations at the central and local levels; people recruited according to job positions, working in public service units; people working in key organizations, people participating in the armed forces.

The Committee also believes that the principled provision in the draft law that does not require Vietnamese nationality in cases that are beneficial to the Vietnamese State, do not harm the national interests of Vietnam, and assign the Government to provide detailed regulations is appropriate.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Law and Justice Hoang Thanh Tung presented a report on the review of the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality. Photo: QUANG PHUC

Regarding the conditions for obtaining Vietnamese nationality, the Committee approved the amended and supplemented contents to contribute to strengthening the great solidarity bloc, promoting the policy of national reconciliation and attracting high-quality human resources to contribute to the country's development in the new era.

In addition, it is recommended to continue researching and clarifying to appropriately regulate the condition of "being able to ensure a living in Vietnam" for those applying for Vietnamese nationality whose spouse, biological father, biological mother, biological children, paternal and maternal grandparents are Vietnamese citizens; clarify whether the period of permanent residence in Vietnam of 5 years or more needs to be continuous.

Regarding the conditions for regaining Vietnamese nationality, the Committee believes that this amendment is necessary to create more favorable and encouraging conditions for those who have lost Vietnamese nationality to regain Vietnamese nationality, while at the same time being suitable for changes in the practical situation, ensuring the stability and longevity of the law...

LAM NGUYEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/noi-long-chinh-sach-cho-nhap-tro-lai-quoc-tich-viet-nam-post795616.html