This changed substantially on 1 July 2025. Law 79/2025, passed on 24 June 2025, amended the Nationality Law so that people acquiring or restoring Vietnamese nationality may keep their foreign nationality, subject to conditions and to approval at presidential level. Single nationality remains the stated principle, but the exceptions are now wide enough to matter to the diaspora.
Quick facts
Two practical changes matter as much as the headline. Applicants living abroad can now file directly at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, and residency, language and financial requirements were removed for people with Vietnamese family ties.
What the reform changed
| Change | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Retention of foreign nationality | Permitted in defined cases | With approval at presidential level |
| Restoration of Vietnamese nationality | Simplified | Without renouncing the other nationality |
| Residency, language and financial tests | Removed for family-linked applicants | Spouse, parent, child or grandparent |
| Where to file | Missions abroad | For applicants resident overseas |
| Public and security posts | Still single nationality | Officials, military and security personnel |
Conditions still apply: the dual status must be lawful under the other country’s rules and must not be used against Vietnam’s security or public order.
How to apply
- Establish whether you are still a Vietnamese citizen. Many who left decades ago never formally renounced and may still be.
- Ask the mission to confirm that status, since it decides whether you are restoring or acquiring.
- Gather documents evidencing the family link: spouse, parent, child or grandparent who is or was Vietnamese.
- Have U.S. documents legalised through the chain, because there is no apostille route.
- File the application at the mission covering your residence.
- Follow the file through to the decision, which is taken in Vietnam.
Required documents
- Application form for naturalisation or restoration.
- Current foreign passport and evidence of lawful U.S. status.
- Documents proving the Vietnamese family link.
- Previous Vietnamese documents: passport, identity card or household register entries.
- Legalised U.S. civil documents where they form part of the file.
- Statement addressing the conditions for retaining the other nationality.
Where to apply
At the embassy or consulate general covering your residence, which forwards the file for decision in Vietnam.
Additional notes
Check before assuming loss
Someone born in Vietnam who never renounced may still be a citizen in the eyes of Vietnamese law. Confirmation from the mission is the sensible first step.
Approval is discretionary
Retaining the other nationality depends on meeting the conditions and on approval, so the outcome is not guaranteed by the reform alone.
False documents
Supplying false information can lead to citizenship being cancelled, and the consequences are severe. Accuracy matters more than speed.
Restricted posts
Officials, military and security personnel are generally still expected to hold Vietnamese nationality only.