Is it compulsory for foreigners to hold Vietnam's Permanent Residence Cards when apply for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality?

Is it compulsory for foreigners to hold Vietnam's Permanent Residence Cards when apply for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality?

Pursuant to Article 7 of the Decree 16/2020/NĐ-CP stipulating conditions for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality according to Article 19 of Law of Vietnamese Nationality as follows:

1. Be fluent in Vietnamese enough to blend into Vietnamese community refers to capacity to hear, speak, read and write in Vietnamese satisfactory to living and working environment of applicants for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality.

2. Applicants for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality specified in Clauses 1 and 2 Article 19 of Law on Vietnamese Nationality must be residing in Vietnam and provided with Permanent Residence Cards by competent police agencies of Vietnam.

Duration of stay in Vietnam of applicants for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality shall begin from the date on which the applicants are issued with Permanent Residence Cards.

3. Ability to ensure livelihood in Vietnam of applicants for naturalization of Vietnam nationality shall be proven by legal assets and sources of income of the applicants or guarantee of organizations and individuals in Vietnam.

As regulations above, you are not eligible to be naturalized as you don't have Vietnam's Permanent Residence Card, although you've been living in Vietnam for over 7 years and be able to speak Vietnamese fluently.

If renunciation of foreign nationality leads to impacts on foreigners' rights and benefits in the foreign country, can he/she apply for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality?

Pursuant to Article 9 of the Decree 16/2020/NĐ-CP stipulating special cases of naturalization of Vietnamese nationality and retention of foreign nationality as specified in Clause 3 Article 19 of Law on Vietnamese Nationality as follows:

An applicant for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality falling into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 Article 19 of Law of Vietnamese Nationality shall be considered to be a special case specified in Clause 3 Article 19 of Law on Vietnamese Nationality and proposed to the President for consideration of naturalization of Vietnamese nationality without renunciation of foreign nationality if following conditions are simultaneously satisfied:

1. He/she satisfies the conditions for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality according to Law of Vietnamese Nationality.

2. He/she has made meritorious contribution to Vietnam’s national construction and defense and the naturalization of Vietnamese nationality with retention of foreign nationality is beneficial to the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

3. Retention of his/her foreign nationality upon naturalization of Vietnamese nationality is satisfactory to regulations and law of said foreign country.

4. Renunciation of foreign nationality leads to impacts on his/her rights and benefits in the foreign country.

5. He/she does not utilize foreign nationality to harm legal rights and benefits of agencies, organizations and individuals; harm national security and benefits, social order and safety of the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

As regulations above, if the renunciation of foreign nationality leads to impacts on your rights and benefits in your home country, you are still permissible to hold Vietnamese and Australian nationality at the same time.

What documents shall persons exempted from conditions for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality prepare for the application for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality?

Pursuant to Clause 2 Article 10 of the Decree 16/2020/NĐ-CP stipulating certain documents in application for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality as follows:

a) In case an applicant has a spouse who is a Vietnamese citizen, submit copies of marriage certificates or marital status certificates; in case an applicant has parents and children who are Vietnamese citizens, submit copies of birth certificates or other valid documents proving father-son or mother-son relationship;

b) In case of persons with meritorious contributions to Vietnam’s national construction and defense or naturalization of Vietnamese nationality is beneficial for the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam as specified in Article 8 of this Decree, submit documents proving corresponding eligibility.

Above are compulsory documents for persons exempted from conditions for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality when applying for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality.

Best regards!