Getting married in vietnam

First, do not do it!
Second, took my wife and I in Saigon 6 months 8 days to get legal marriage documents this year.
Third, Yes we had to pay bribe money
Fourth, They are changing visa requirement this next 2 months from a 3 month visa to a one year visa multi entry.
Fifth, Beware of local district police where you will live, you must register with them too and pay them.
Sixth, Beware of family ties. She and her family now own 50% of everything you have.
Seventh, Do not put her name on your bank account or credit cards.
Eight, Pre Nupts are not allowed by Vietnam Law

your case is normal in Vietnam.. if your a foreigner every girl wants to marry you. and her family see you as an ATM machine. but there are some that are OK.. but i still don't count on it, just set limits.

Reading through some of the stories I think most non-VIetnamese people get taken advantage of by Vietnamese girls through the avenues through which they meet. These avenues such as online dating sites and bars are frequented by scammers. Fortunately there are many more nice Vietnamese women than scammers but they most often require friends and family's recommendation.

As a foreigner you're a magnet for money hungry people. Spend time in Vietnam and get to know the locals. Eventually you'll meet a nice wife.

My marriage application took exactly 6 months on the exact date my legal documents would expire in 6 months. Never bribed anyone during the process though was hinted numerous times. Yeah my wife's family said it would be faster if I bribed but what is the hurry.

Never sent money to my wife's family though I'm sure if I did they'd give me this false feeling like I'm the King. As it is I like to be left alone so no money given. All my money and assets are in Canada so don't see how it can be divided should a divorce occur. How many foreigners own property in Vietnam or have assets anyways.

All my foreigner friends are happy marrying a women from Vietnam. Most are loyal and hard working.

I'm going through the marriage paperwork now. I am an American marrying a Vietnamese woman. I live in Saigon and here it cost me 100.00 USD to get my single status done at the Consulate here. It has already been a month of paperwork and we plan on going through the interview the end of the month, it's a slow process but it will be worth it when it is done. I have been told by Vietnamese lawyers here that Vietnam doesn't recognize US marriage certificate so if you get married in the US and live in Vietnam you still have to get married here so might as well do it here the first time and only time.

first mistake Vietnam lawyers. literally roflmao.

I know Vietnam does not recognize common-law marriages but never heard Vietnam not recognizing foreign marriage certificate.

US or any country marriage certificate should be recognized in Vietnam. Might have to bring your US marriage certificate to External Relations office near Alexandre de Rhodes and Pasteur to get it authenticated or maybe translated and notarized if you had one.

Anyways having a marriage in Vietnam is better. They are cheaper and more extravagant.

Hassle - a problem brought about by pressures of time, money, inconvenience, etc.

Hassle-free - a situation that lacks hassle(s).

Hustle  - to make money fast, easy and usually via an illegal method, or dishonest means.   

Hustled - being cheated, lied to, stole from, etc. 

There are other meanings...

Hassle and hustle both may apply to these types of marriages,, but I think hassle-free is what a few people meant when they wrote hustle-free; a term that's not commonly used, but ,may catch on at some point in the future.. Please make a note of it.

Bullshit......... Vietnam wedding marriage papers for foreigners takes 6 months to get and cost 7 million USD. The politics is terrible.

FORGET marriage with Vietnamese. Just live together.

Have a dinner ceremony for her parents and relatives / friends but forget about filing for wedding papers.

I married in vietnam 13 years ago. Although it is supposed to be easier now, DON'T do it.Go to Thailand or somewhere else and get married there.

Thanks for the information khanh44 I will keep that in mind if I flunk the interview. If I do then we will marry in Las Vegas

Just wanted to update everybody, I just had my interview this morning and my new wife and I passed and we get our marriage certificate in 20 days which will make it official. We had to put out some bribe money to get it done but it is over. It took almost 2 months of running back and forth and paper after paper and about 10000000 VND in bribe money

10 mill in coffee money.........

Looks like that desk clerk is going to open up a Starbucks franchise.

Congratulations to  you and your wife. Now settle down with a good bottle of wine and relax.

Yeah, that marriage registry place should have a nuke dropped on it for the amount of frustration and misinformation they caused me. I didn't pay any bribe money in the end and that was the reason why I thought they gave me such a hard time...Vietnam's bureaucracy at its best

Good day. I have a fiance. He is a seaman.
I found out recently not from him that he will be marrying a vietnamese woman on March 2017.  If he will be married in Vietnam...is his marriage valid only in Vietnam not in the Philippines? Its really hurts me a lot..I was cheated! Thanks for any advice.

Hi there,
That doesn't sound too good does it.  They say most sailors have a girl in every port.  😉

Does it really matter where he got married ?  Once he's married he's out of your life eh.....no need to worry about him,,he's now free to cheat on some one else.

To marry in Vietnam a person need to prove they are single.   Do you think he's still married to someone in the Philippines.??

You would need to contact Philippine authorities to verify if they recognise marriages performed in Vietnam.   

Surely your not thinking you can have another crack at marrying him on home soil.   That's starting to get confusing.😆

But, if your Filipino and his fiancé, living in Hong Kong, and he's marrying a Vietnamese girl in Vietnam.....who knows , he's probably to type of guy that will go along with it. 

Yogi likes this.......they say variety is the spice of life.

You go girl

Attaboy Yogi!!   Pragmatic as ever!     

I wish you'd stop using those big words Bazz.

I had to google "nefarious nookie".   I only wish that was the case.

Success at last!   My only desire is to niggle You, Yoghi...     

..arising from my jealousy of your superior experience of being practical...

Yoghi ......?      With an aitch??

Someone must have been standing behind the door when the spelling diplomas were being handed out.

Concentrate Bazz,   Too fast on the qwerty. 😁😁😁

Anyhow back on topic....(sort of)

Marg....your from the Philippines , right., and your now in Hong Kong. ??
We had a thread here a few weeks back where a young lady from PP was trying to get a visa from VIetnam into Hong Kong.

How hard was it. ?   If you can find the thread under the forum Visa section she may like to here from you.

Only hearing one side of the story doesn't confirm anything.

Ya right Colin,

And any one that offered a suggestion to her was given a "lecture". 😜

"Ya right Colin,

And any one that offered a suggestion to her was given a "lecture". 😜

..yet as any good bear nose, some find difficulties everywhere...

..no names...     

Kennethc wrote:

Bullshit......... Vietnam wedding marriage papers for foreigners takes 6 months to get and cost 7 million USD. The politics is terrible.

FORGET marriage with Vietnamese. Just live together.

Have a dinner ceremony for her parents and relatives / friends but forget about filing for wedding papers.

yes I thank you for having me get my marriage certificate in 6 months less 1 day because I didn't pay the 7 million dong.

I did mine in two months,and it cost about 2 million vnd.

Hi there. Thanks for the advice...I just arrived here in Philippines from HK..
I must accept the reality that my fiance is a cheater...and am also thankful that Ove known him as early before we get married here in Philippines..I know what he did to me.. will be the same way to the vietnamese girl..pity for her!  Have to move on and accept thinglike this.. as they said.. many fishes in the ocean...
Thanks.

Thanks.. I will check it out.

Yogi007 wrote:

Hi there,
That doesn't sound too good does it.  They say most sailors have a girl in every port.  😉

Does it really matter where he got married ?  Once he's married he's out of your life eh.....no need to worry about him,,he's now free to cheat on some one else.

To marry in Vietnam a person need to prove they are single.   Do you think he's still married to someone in the Philippines.??

You would need to contact Philippine authorities to verify if they recognise marriages performed in Vietnam.   

Surely your not thinking you can have another crack at marrying him on home soil.   That's starting to get confusing.😆

But, if your Filipino and his fiancé, living in Hong Kong, and he's marrying a Vietnamese girl in Vietnam.....who knows , he's probably to type of guy that will go along with it. 

Yogi likes this.......they say variety is the spice of life.

You go girl

____ thanks for the advice. God bless.
Have to move on and accept even though
So difficult to do it..

Hi Marg,
That's good that you've decided to move on.  Life's too short to be playing around with people that you can't trust.     You've done the smart thing.   

If you did get back involved with him again,,you will only be facing each day wondering WHEN or IF he will take off with another woman again, OR he will have another woman nearby to play with , while you attend to the cooking, cleaning, washing & ironing for him.

You can now walk away with your pride & self respect and get on with the next chapter in your life.

Life always goes on.

Thanks for the motivation.
We have to accept everything.
Moving on is a difficult of this but I beleive that if someone close the door..someone will open for me.. I will not close my door for anybody  but I should be wiser and smart next time interms of love.. because its good to love and to be loved! Oh know teary eyed..thanks for this site. God bless us all.

I wonder, still anavrin1004 waiting to marry ?

Dear friends here in the forum,
We planned with my fiancee our wedding in Vientam. Due to the confusion with the documents (a mutual agreement on the mutual recognition of public documents between my country and Vietnam, but oficial did not know about them, hahaha), the great bureaucracy and the long time of whole process, we have finally decided to marry in Thailand. Very elegant and simple solution. I can strongly recommend everyone.
Good luck!
Miroslav and Vân

xmirek wrote:

Dear friends here in the forum,
We planned with my fiancee our wedding in Vientam. Due to the confusion with the documents (a mutual agreement on the mutual recognition of public documents between my country and Vietnam, but oficial did not know about them, hahaha), the great bureaucracy and the long time of whole process, we have finally decided to marry in Thailand. Very elegant and simple solution. I can strongly recommend everyone.
Good luck!
Miroslav and Vân

I think you better check before going to Thailand, the VN embassy in Thailand was told not to do any paperwork relating to marriage for VN citizens. I actually rang a lawyer in Thailand and he told me that this was correct.
Contact these guys online, they have an online chat system.

http://www.siam-legal.com/Thailand_Serv … namese.php

artluv2002 wrote:

your case is normal in Vietnam.. if your a foreigner every girl wants to marry you. and her family see you as an ATM machine. but there are some that are OK.. but i still don't count on it, just set limits.

Hi Art,

May i ask, regarding the Cenomar if i should get it by myself in the phils? Since i am now working here in Vietnam. Also for the NSO? Or it can be process in the Vietnam embassy?

I brought my fiance to Canada on a visitor visa. We got married in Vancouver and applied for her perm residence here.Very simple no hassle. Perm residence took 18 months. She is a happy Canadian citizen now.

it is a very difficult process of Vietnam but I was able to do it within 3 weeks.  I did it a little differently but it was a much smoother quicker process.

First step is to get a a certificate of single status I am from New York and you can look online for it in my area it is called the NY Vital Bureau of Statistics.

Then once you get that single certificate it takes about 2 weeks. Then you have to get a special notarization from your local County Clerk office. It's called something like secretary of the state notarization.

Then you have to take that singles certificate that was notarized and get a stamp APOSTILLE. I had to take it into New York City near Wall Street. Then they give you an official federal government stamp of approval.

Crazy right!!  But wait....theres more!!

The rest of the instructions are pretty straightforward if you go on to the UN Embassy of Vietnam website.  Just filling out forms.

You can submit those documents to the Vietnam Embassy in New York where they will translate it for you and certify it by the Vietnam Embassy where it is easily approved in Vietnam.

The only document you cannot obtain here is the mental health certification. You have to go to Vietnam and that's a whole another story!

Okay so on to the mental health certification part...

I would recommend carrying with you at least four pictures of passport size photos 4 by 6 cm for both applicants.

*As of 2018 Cho Ray does not do mental certifications anymore. The hospital they refer you to is in Bệnh Viện Tâm Thần Thành 766 Võ Văn Kiệt, Hồ Chí Minh, .  It is some small run-down Hospital. You go up to the second floor and you fill out their application and give them the passport photos and give the nurse there 300,000 vnd.  She can then expedite things so you can speak to the doctor. She would then direct you to the the clerk office where you will pay 400,000vnd for each person for application fee. Then you have to give the receipt to the doctor during the interview and also provide 300,000 vnd "coffee money" so he can just sign the damn form.  Otherwise he will find some reason to fail you.

So once you have all that you have to go to her hometown listed on her ID card and go to her government building which is called Phu Rieng.

*Make copies of both passports of every page. 

You have to get some sort of family document
and make a copy of that and add it in with your application.  I believe she has to get a single certificate from Vietnam as well and get that notarized in Vietnam.

Then that's it! It usually takes 4 weeks to approve.  I got it done in 2 weeks.  You can call them or they will call you when they approve it then you can return back to her Hometown province and just sign the certificate and pay the application fee which is something like 1.2 million.

Or you can just pay a lawyer and he would do everything for you lol.

There's a lot of misinformation and useless information online so I hope this helps someone.

hphansva wrote:

it is a very difficult process of Vietnam but I was able to do it within 3 weeks.  I did it a little differently but it was a much smoother quicker process.

First step is to get a a certificate of single status I am from New York and you can look online for it in my area it is called the NY Vital Bureau of Statistics.

Then once you get that single certificate it takes about 2 weeks. Then you have to get a special notarization from your local County Clerk office. It's called something like secretary of the state notarization.

Then you have to take that singles certificate that was notarized and get a stamp APOSTILLE. I had to take it into New York City near Wall Street. Then they give you an official federal government stamp of approval.

Crazy right!!  But wait....theres more!!

The rest of the instructions are pretty straightforward if you go on to the UN Embassy of Vietnam website.  Just filling out forms.

You can submit those documents to the Vietnam Embassy in New York where they will translate it for you and certify it by the Vietnam Embassy where it is easily approved in Vietnam.

The only document you cannot obtain here is the mental health certification. You have to go to Vietnam and that's a whole another story!

Okay so on to the mental health certification part...

I would recommend carrying with you at least four pictures of passport size photos 4 by 6 cm for both applicants.

*As of 2018 Cho Ray does not do mental certifications anymore. The hospital they refer you to is in Bệnh Viện Tâm Thần Thành 766 Võ Văn Kiệt, Hồ Chí Minh, .  It is some small run-down Hospital. You go up to the second floor and you fill out their application and give them the passport photos and give the nurse there 300,000 vnd.  She can then expedite things so you can speak to the doctor. She would then direct you to the the clerk office where you will pay 400,000vnd for each person for application fee. Then you have to give the receipt to the doctor during the interview and also provide 300,000 vnd "coffee money" so he can just sign the damn form.  Otherwise he will find some reason to fail you.

So once you have all that you have to go to her hometown listed on her ID card and go to her government building which is called Phu Rieng.

*Make copies of both passports of every page. 

You have to get some sort of family document
and make a copy of that and add it in with your application.  I believe she has to get a single certificate from Vietnam as well and get that notarized in Vietnam.

Then that's it! It usually takes 4 weeks to approve.  I got it done in 2 weeks.  You can call them or they will call you when they approve it then you can return back to her Hometown province and just sign the certificate and pay the application fee which is something like 1.2 million.

Or you can just pay a lawyer and he would do everything for you lol.

There's a lot of misinformation and useless information online so I hope this helps someone.

This information may work in Saigon, but each provence is different, so don't expect the rules to be uniform for the whole country.

Yes i Know,  there is alot of missing information on the internet, so any additional information with the process i'm sure will help someone.  there is alot of crap information on the internet. 

My post if for mainly people in the U.S. and in Hcm.  It is also much more detailed and comprehensive than most postings here.

True, but it all comes down to the person you deal with and their interpretation of the law. In my 10 years of living here I have seen so many variations on this process. On a side-note, the mental check was supposed to be removed from this process, it doesn't look like it has.

Oh, you are so lucky.... I am actually thinking of marrying a good Vietnam girl...