Does changing the given name lead to the re-issuance of the university degree in Vietnam?

Does changing the given name lead to the re-issuance of the university degree in Vietnam? (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Does changing the given name lead to the re-issuance of the university degree?

According to Article 22 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 21/2019/TT-BGDDT, A person awarded a degree or certificate has the right to request amendment to the contents written on such degree or certificate in the following cases:

- Change or correction of civil status according to decision of a competent authority;

- Ethnicity re-determination or sex re-assignment;

- Addition or adjustment to civil status information;

- Late birth registration or birth re-registration.

In particular, changing the name on the Birth Certificate is one of the procedures for changing civil status. Therefore, according to the above regulations, a person who changes his or her name on the Birth Certificate after a university degree has been granted can request to have the university degree re-issued under the new name.

However, changing and editing a university degree is not mandatory and can be done or not.

2. Procedures for amendment to contents of degrees and certificates in Vietnam

(i) An application for amendment to the contents of a degree or certificate:

(i.1) A letter of application for amendment to contents of the degree or certificate;

(i.2) The degree or certificate to be amended;

(i.3) A civil status extract or decision on change or amendment to civil status, ethnicity re-determination or sex re-assignment for cases of amendment due to change or amendment to civil status, ethnicity re-determination or sex re-assignment;

(i.4) A birth certificate for cases of amendment due to addition or adjustment to civil status information, birth re-registration or late birth registration;

(i.5) An unexpired identity card, passport or another valid identity document containing a picture of the degree/certificate holder.

Information on these documents must match that in the application.

For the components specified in (i.2), (i.3), (i.4), (i.5), their copies based on master registers or certified true copies shall be used.

(ii) If the copy of a component specified in (i.2), (i.3), (i.4), (i.5) is not certified, the applicant shall present its authentic copy for the person receiving the application to inspect; the person receiving the application must sign and leave their full name on the copy to acknowledge it and take responsibility for its accuracy compared to the authentic one.

(iii) Procedures for amendment to the contents of a degree or certificate:

- The applicant submits 01 (one) application prescribed in (i) in person or by post to the authority with competence in amending the degree or certificate (“amending authority”);

- Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of the valid application, the amending authority shall decide on amendment of the degree or certificate, and send a written explanation to the applicant if the application is rejected;

- A degree or certificate shall only be amended upon an amendment decision; direct amendment to a degree or certificate is prohibited. The amendment decision must be retained in the issuance dossier of such degree or certificate.

- Based on the amendment decision, the issuing authority shall record information on the degree or certificate and amendment thereof in the appendix of the master register.

(Article 23 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 21/2019/TT-BGDDT)

3. Upon changing the given name, will the university degree with the previous name still be valid in Vietnam?

According to Clause 3, Article 28 of the Civil Code 2015, the changing of a given name shall not change or terminate the civil rights and obligations which were established in the former given name.

According to the above regulations, after changing the name, the previous certificates and degrees under the old name are still valid. Therefore, if you do not change the name in the university degree, your old university degree can still be used.

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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