Naturalization (Law No. 79/2025/QH15)

The naturalization process in Vietnam is a multi-tiered administrative journey that moves from your local province up to the President of Vietnam. Under the Amended Law on Vietnamese Nationality (Law No. 79/2025/QH15), you must first secure a Thẻ thường trú (Permanent Residence Card or PRC) before you can begin your citizenship application.

Step 1: Prepare and Legalize Your Documents

Before submitting your application, you must gather your supporting documents. Any document issued by a foreign government (such as your birth certificate or home-country criminal record) must undergo consular legalization—a process where your home country's embassy and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs verify the document's authenticity. Once legalized, these must be translated into Vietnamese and the translation must be certified by a Vietnamese notary office.

Step 2: Local Submission

You must personally submit your application dossier to the Department of Justice (Sở Tư pháp) in the province or city where you permanently reside.

• Initial Review: The Department has 5 working days to check your file. If anything is missing or incorrect, they will notify you to amend it.
• Tracking: You can often track the status of your submission using a unique code provided by the National Public Service Portal.

Step 3: Security Verification

Once your dossier is accepted, the Department of Justice forwards your information to the provincial Public Security office. They will conduct a background check to verify your identity and legal standing. This stage typically takes 20 to 30 days.

Step 4: Provincial and Ministerial Review

If the security check is clear, the Chairperson of the Provincial People’s Committee reviews your file and sends a formal proposal to the Ministry of Justice in Hanoi. The Ministry then conducts its own review, which takes approximately 15 to 20 days.

Step 5: Presidential Decision

The Ministry of Justice forwards the proposal to the Prime Minister, who then submits it to the President of Vietnam. The President has the final authority to sign the order granting you citizenship.

Step 6: Notification and Swearing-in

Once the President signs the order, the Ministry of Justice notifies the provincial Department of Justice, who will then contact you. You will be required to attend a ceremony to receive your decision and, in some cases, take an oath of citizenship.

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Fees are paid in Vietnamese Dong (VND) at the Department of Justice at the time of application.

Item	Cost
Standard Naturalization Fee	3,000,000 VND
Re-acquisition of Nationality	2,500,000 VND
Consular Legalization (per document)	Varies (approx. 30,000 - 150,000 VND)
Translation and Notarization	Varies by volume

Total Estimate: Approximately 8,000,000 to 15,000,000 VND ($320 – $600 USD).

Does not include: Costs associated with obtaining a Permanent Residence Card (PRC), travel expenses for document collection, or fees charged by your home country for criminal record checks.

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While the law outlines specific administrative windows, the actual time from submission to receiving your passport is significantly longer due to the high-level approvals required.

• Administrative Review Phase: 4 to 6 months (The total of all legal deadlines for the Department of Justice, Public Security, and Ministry of Justice).
• Realistic Total Timeline: 12 to 24 months. The Presidential decision phase does not have a strictly enforced deadline and can vary based on the government's schedule.
• Document Validity: Your Criminal Record Check (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp) is generally only valid for 6 months from the date of issuance. Ensure your foreign background check is recent when you submit your final dossier.
• Expedited Processing: There is currently no official "fast-track" or expedited program for naturalization, though applications based on Special Merit or National Interest may be prioritized by the Ministry.