Dual citizenship in Vietnam for a Viet Kieu?

My partner in VK and dual.  It took a lot of documentation as he no longer had his Vietnamese birth certificate.  But it can be done.

Thank you caroline and Chris, i wilk see father today so will as him.

I am in the property industry myself, though i think this is a difficult industry to break into in VN due to all the restrictions for foreign investors, and like you Caroline my vietnamese is basic spoken and written is out of the question.

I think i wilk focys on the dual nationality studf first before jumping the gun- i will try and fo back this year to visit one of the offices in Saigon.

Please do share your progress!

Thanks!

I as well need some help in this process D:

I'm trying to get Dual citizenship and it's proving to be very difficult. My parents were born in Vietnam and renounced citizenship on arrival to America. I was born in the US after my parents were already US citizens. My mom has held onto her VN birth certificate but it hasn't done me much good. The VN consulate has been worse than useless...when I explained my situation and expressed my intent on getting dual citizenship, they first confessed that they didn't know anything, and then after 'asking around' they proclaimed that it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to gain dual citizenship since I was born in the US after my parents were already US citizens. The thing is, as people have been saying in this thread, it HAS been done. My next door neighbor actually , who was in an identical situation to mine(same age/everything), was able to successfully gain dual citizenship 2 years ago. When I pointed this out to the people at the consulate they continued to say it was impossible. When I insisted that I live right next to someone who had done it, they told me to go ask my neighbor then, since she was more informed than they were, these people who work at the VN consulate...... As you can see, I'm terribly bitter over how horribly apathetic they are about doing their jobs. When I asked my neighbor, she said that she had known someone who knew the former VN ambassador and he helped her out. All she had to do was go to that very same consulate and fill out some papers...So I guess with this, as with all things Vietnamese, it's mainly about knowing the right people and knowing who to pay off.....which I do not, apparently.   

So, if anyone happens to know who I should 'talk to' to get things moving in San Francisco, CA USA please let me know. Alternatively, I'll be back in Ho Chi Minh City next month so if someone knows anyone of influence there that could help me, I'd greatly appreciate the tip. I have my mother's VN birth certificate (born in Saigon) and family in Saigon that would vouch for me. Thanks for any and all help!

Kimberly, you wanna trade?  I read and write just fine, I can't understand people worth a damn.

Caroline, in re:

True.  But without Hanoi and the North, the South would not be "Vietnamese" - it's the North that gives the country its identity and heritage, you know ;-)...

Appreciate the sentiment, however I see Hanoi as "Austria" and Saigon as the true Vietnamese ("German") heartland akin to Germany." But then, perhaps Nguyen Du unduly influenced my thinking. In Truyen Kieu, everything bad came from 'the North' (And yes, I realize that poetically, by 'the North' he meant China).

Of course, Charleston, South Carolina is infinitely more beautiful than Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, or any of America's other political or economic powerhouses, and far more genteel.

(OK, I confess that the Vietnamese character was forged in the North.)  (;

Try contacting Wild_1. He been through the whole progress and is from southern Cali. 

MIA2013 wrote:

Try contacting Wild_1. He been through the whole progress and is from southern Cali. 

Good advice MIA2013, but she's going to have to wait a few days to contact him, Wild_1 is temporally indisposed at the moment.

Hi Howie...
I'm a us citizen and am interested in obtaining a dual citizenship.. Wow.. 3k... That is a lot.. Why so much?
I was born in Vietnam. I have my birth certificate .. We were boat people.
Where do I go from here?
Kim

lirelou wrote:

Caroline, in re:

True.  But without Hanoi and the North, the South would not be "Vietnamese" - it's the North that gives the country its identity and heritage, you know ;-)...

Appreciate the sentiment, however I see Hanoi as "Austria" and Saigon as the true Vietnamese ("German") heartland akin to Germany." But then, perhaps Nguyen Du unduly influenced my thinking. In Truyen Kieu, everything bad came from 'the North' (And yes, I realize that poetically, by 'the North' he meant China).

Of course, Charleston, South Carolina is infinitely more beautiful than Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, or any of America's other political or economic powerhouses, and far more genteel.

(OK, I confess that the Vietnamese character was forged in the North.)  (;

Sorry to interrupt but why do you compare Austria to Germany? They are totally two different countries! So is Switzerland although we share the same language!

As German citizen Im kinda offended so is my Austrian friend:o

Back to the topic:
I'm German and I would like to get a dual citizenship as well but it's impossible. There is no way I can get it since we're only allowed to be German or Vietnamese:9 Americans are more open to this topic and yeah i envy you

Wild_1 wrote:

I left the US about a month ago, nobody stamped my American passport.  I then entered Vietnam on my Vietnamese passport, and no one said anything about where I had been.

Anyone know if my Vietnamese passport has different first name than my US passport, when leaving Vietnam should I purchase the ticket (assuming round trip from US -> Vietnam then Vietnam -> US) under my Vietnamese name on the Vietnam passport or should I use my US passport name?

Assuming If I purchase the plane ticket under my US passport name, would the Airline have issue if the passport does not have valid visa for Vietnam? Then once I leave Vietnam would Vietnam Immigration have any issue if I use the Vietnamese passport with a ticket under my US Passport name/identity?

If anyone had similar experience please share on how you deal/handle this. Thank you.

Wow!


Ex-diplomat has some inconvenient truths for Canadian dual citizens

“It is a great privilege to be a Canadian citizen, but there are basic responsibilities that go with that,” said Mulroney, now a senior fellow at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs. “There are basic aspects of citizenship, like residency in Canada, like paying taxes or voting, or participating in Canadian society in some way…You can interrupt that for a few years at a time, but for more than, say, five or six years when you are not doing that, then you are effectively making a choice.

http://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/artic … l-citizens

Wait there is more

Consular services for dual-nationality Canadians 'should be limited', minister is told

In order to keep a lid on costs, it suggests "differentiating levels of service provided to dual nationals who choose not to use a Canadian passport when travelling or living abroad".

As well, it says the government could impose a "residency requirement or a tax contribution obligation as a condition to be eligible for assistance abroad".

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/arti … l-citizens

Kim.
I just finished doing the dual citizenship the long way: from an old birth certificate. It is possible but a lot of running around. It took me about 2 months to have the application accepted and another 4 months for citizenship, assuming they don't ask for any more verification! You would need a very dedicated local sponsor to make the process easy and reduce the 2 months time. The crucial part is "Xác nhận Hồ Khẩu". If you can not verify that then it's one year continuous residence requirement, not the 4 months that I mention to get the citizenship. It's not really a difficult process. Just stick to one officer and do exactly what he/she asks. Remember, you can always resolve to using uncle Sam's or uncle Ho's influence to get things happen. Howie's advice is the way to go if you don't have a helpful local sponsor.

OK, so I just came back from a consultation with Kieu Vao Viet (http://kieubaoviet.vn/) - lawyers based in Saigon who specialise in all things Viet Kieu from the looks of things.  Bear in mind that this post is just one lawyer's opinion.

Just to recap, my parents left Vietnam in 1978 and I was born in the UK soon after.  I'm trying to claim Vietnamese citizenship on the basis of my parents having been Vietnamese at the time of my birth.  Given that I had my mother's birth certificate and her naturalisation certificate clearly stated that she only got British nationality in 1986, I thought that I wouldn't have too much trouble. But there were some wrinkles and I thought that it might be helpful to share what I was told in case it helps someone else in a similar situation.  FYI, my mother died a number of years ago and I'm not in touch with my deadbeat father, so I'm trying to do this all through documentation that I've managed to gather on my mother.  And I don't have the option of trying to persuade my parents to reclaim their nationality and thereby get nationality through them.

- First of all, my birth certificate only stated that my parents were born in Vietnam and NOT that they were Vietnamese at the time of my birth.  So I needed something else to prove this.  A certificate of naturalisation dated 1986 was apparently not enough - perhaps because British certificates don't state the previous nationality.  A Vietnamese passport valid at the time would apparently do for example.

- I showed the lawyer a Travel Document issued by the UK which was basically something in lieu of a passport giving permission to travel overseas everywhere BUT Vietnam.  My lawyer immediately seized on this as proving that my parents were in the UK as refugees, which was indeed the case.  According to him, if they were, then the Vietnamese government at the time would have stripped them of their nationality (as they had basically left illegally), meaning that they were in fact stateless at the time of my birth. 

This last really threw me because I thought that the current government would more or less throw a blind eye to this - I mean, I imagine most people who left Vietnam in 1978 and then settled elsewhere probably left illegally.  Because of the current amnesty, if my mother were still alive, this wouldn't stop her from reclaiming her nationality.  But it makes it difficult for me given that the government of Vietnam would not recognise my parents as Vietnamese at the time of my birth.

---

Going back to my case, I had a certificate of registration from UK immigration stating my mother's nationality as Vietnamese upon her arrival in 1978 and this is apparently less incriminating than the Travel Document.  So the lawyer's advice was to submit this, along with her birth certificate and mine, and cross fingers that they don't ask any more awkward questions.  In addition, I was told that I would have to apply to the UK embassy and not in Vietnam.  They said that going through the process in Vietnam is only an option if you had previously held Vietnamese citizenship.

So that's where I am.  He showed me the papers I would need to fill out, took 1mVND as payment and wished me good luck.  I'm going back to the UK in April anyway so I'll try from there and post here with my results.

Hope this helps with anyway else out there.  And also, let me know if you think this guy is talking out of his arse and there are more informed/flexible lawyers out there who would give another opinion.

Hi Caroline, my first step in getting my dual citizenship was visiting Kieu Bao Viet in Saigon also. They told me it would cost US$3,000 and about 4 months to get it. I decided to do this myself as I am staying a few months in the city. I am glad I did! I learned a lot about how the "system" works. And how most local people managed to get things done! For example, a Vietnamese person managed to get her Taiwanese-born daughter (without any official Taiwanese document) onto a Ho Kau so she can attend school here. The point is nothing is impossible in this country. You just have to get to the people who can perform these "miracles". I would check with Howie. By the way, the paper you got from Kieu Bao Viet is Hồi Hương application which is only $25,000 VND at the immigration office, 161 Nguyễn Du. The  application is only 4 pages but it requires many supporting documents which requires full support from your so-called sponsor.Since you don't have a lot of supporting document and you probably don't have a very knowledgeable local sponsor to help you (this is my problem), I would suggest going with Howie's suggestion: saving yourself a lot of time and headaches. Yes, I could have gottem my dual citizenship from the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada, but I wanted to see how things work in Vietnam. And it was both exhilarating and heart-wrenching at times. Good luck with your paperwork.

Hi guys,

I've been reading through this topic and hope I can get some advice.

I'm a french viietkieu who recently went through the process of dual citizenship at the Vietnam ambassy in France. I already received my vietnamese certificate but now I would like to get a vietnamese passport here in Ho Chi Minh City.

The thing is the Vietnam ambassy in France told me that I cannot do it in Vietnam, apparently the only way to get it is to go back to France. But some of you guys managed to get it here and I would much appreciate if you could tell me how to do and what documents are required.

I have been living in Ho Chi Minh city for 3 years and don't have any family here willing to sponsor me for Ho Khau.

Thanks for any help

Hi,
Because it's quite complicated and I'll have to post a very long post to help answering your questions. Please answer my questions first:

- You want to keep your current citizenships and have Vietnam citizenship at the same time?
- What is your nationality? Cause from the beginning, if the countries of which you are holding citizenship don't allow dual citizenship, then don't bother trying to find a way to get dual citizenship from Vietnam.
- Are your parent or both of your parents still Vietnamese nationality or citizen (have passports, ID number, ...)? Please be clear that originally Vietnamese doesn't count here.
- Where were you born? In some cases, when you were born in Vietnam and one of your parents is Vietnamese, you are Vietnamese citizen.
- How long have/has your parents lost their citizenship?
- How long have you lived in Vietnam continuously and currently? Do you have jobs with contracts?
- Do you have Vietnamese spouse? (Vietnamese citizen)

Regards,
Vi

I just wanted to add my two cents.  The Vietnam Citizen Law of 2008 is found here:  refworld.org/docid/4ac49b132.html

It appears as though renunciation of previous nationality is not required, particularly of expats born in Vietnam and of children of direct descendant parents of Vietnam.  On the other hand, play close attention to forms that are sent your way and have them translated, if necessary.  The law suggests that a renunciation card will be sent to applicants, don't sign such card if you wish to retain dual citizenship.  Otherwise, you will be inadvertently renouncing your US citizenship. 

The deadline is 7/1/14. 

It is a difficult decision, indeed, particularly for those of us interested in potentially returning to home countries for jobs that require security clearances, public service, or the diplomatic core.  However, the following from the US State Dept. ameliorates some of my fears:
https://careers.state.gov/uploads/7a/3e … enship.pdf

The idea of making a contribution and some wealth in the process utilizing both citizenships is very difficult to pass up. 

My only question is does anyone know how "hard" of a deadline this 7/1/14 date is?  That is, any Vietnamese law scholars know if the Vietnam Citizen Law of 2008 wasn't first promulgated in 1998?  FYI, my background is university faculty and practicing attorney. 

Who knows, if it all works out, I might be pursuing these things in Hanoi or Saigon.  Hope this helps.

DOH!  Found the answer w/i the first link I posted.  I was right on w/ the 1998 date.  I've read that law and it appears that there is no "five year" from date of enactment deadline.  In other words, this was the first mention of a deadline, so it does appear harder than the previous enactment. 

Do it overseas, in my case US, through the Vietnamese consulate.  No nonsense, straight paperwork.  Good luck folks.  I'm leaning toward filing, but might be riding the deadline a little closer. 

Hope to run into some of you fine folks in Viet Nam eventually!

hcm5906 wrote:

Hi guys,

I've been reading through this topic and hope I can get some advice.

I'm a french viietkieu who recently went through the process of dual citizenship at the Vietnam ambassy in France. I already received my vietnamese certificate but now I would like to get a vietnamese passport here in Ho Chi Minh City.

The thing is the Vietnam ambassy in France told me that I cannot do it in Vietnam, apparently the only way to get it is to go back to France. But some of you guys managed to get it here and I would much appreciate if you could tell me how to do and what documents are required.

I have been living in Ho Chi Minh city for 3 years and don't have any family here willing to sponsor me for Ho Khau.

Thanks for any help

From what I've seen other VKs go through, they got their passport at their home province in Vietnam.

Hi,

Thanks for your answer, I went to the immigration office in Nguyen Du street and they told me the same thing than the Vietnam Ambassy in France : VKs cannot do their first passport in Vietnam, they need to get it back home. It would be great to know how come some VKs can do it here while I cannot. I already have my vietnamese citizenship certificate and now, if I want to get my vietnamese ID card, the immigration told me that I need to get my vietnamese passport first.

hcm5906 wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for your answer, I went to the immigration office in Nguyen Du street and they told me the same thing than the Vietnam Ambassy in France : VKs cannot do their first passport in Vietnam, they need to get it back home. It would be great to know how come some VKs can do it here while I cannot. I already have my vietnamese citizenship certificate and now, if I want to get my vietnamese ID card, the immigration told me that I need to get my vietnamese passport first.

Hi,

Here's my two cents! I went through the long way to get my dual citizenship at Nguen Du office. Although I was told to do the Hoi Huong paperwork. I haven't gotten mine yet, but I am pretty sure it's a passport I'll be getting. The Hoi Huong paperwork requires 2 photos. Having said that, in your case it would be rather difficult to do it since having Ho Khau is a requirement. Don't get me wrong but when you ask someone to put your name on their Ho Khau, you officially own part of that property!

However with the July 01 2014 deadline for registration mentioned above post, there is a much easy way to get your Vietnamese passport. Here in Canada, it cost $350 Canadian dollars for each passport issued. The details are as below link
http://vietem-ca.com/consular-services/ … e-passport

A friend of mine did it and got her Vietnamese password in a couple of weeks. She originally wanted to register but was told to do the passport. Oh, the passport is good for 10 years.

I am sure they have similar website in each country. I would have done it in this way but somehow it was not available in November when I made enquiry. No forms were available then, and you have to do in person. Now you can mail it away!

It would probably cost you a gazzilion in franc, but it is the easiest way for you to get the Vietnamese passport.

Good luck.

Hi All! Great post, really informative, the best I've found on the internet on the subject thus far. This is where I'm at and would really appreciate some advice on how I should proceed with attaining dual citizenship. As far as being qualified, I'm pretty sure I am, was born there, left when I was 2 weeks old in 1975 right after the fall, have birth certificate, have aunts and cousins there that would be able to help with verification.

The one issue from looking over the whole post is I can't seem to figure out if there is any disadvantages. I was ready to get help with the papers since they are in Viet, I met with a few cousins who came over to the states much later than I, as they are more aware of the laws and government, they expressed I should be wary of becoming an "official" citizen of Vietnam(meaning documented, technically, I believe I am still a citizen since my family never renounced it), that it could be a bit confusing and cause negative complications if anything ever arose. They could just be blowing smoke I am aware but really, what do I know on the subject.

At this point, I have a 5 year exempt which is valid until June of 2016, that should be fine as long as I plan on going to immigration every 90 days which would be pretty inconvenient. I'm thinking of moving there next winter, finding some work and just living simply, let my money go further.

Also, is the July 2014 deadline set in stone?

I would really appreciate some helpful info with all this, I'm torn!

Thanks you in advance!

Peter, in re this:  " I met with a few cousins who came over to the states much later than I, as they are more aware of the laws and government, they expressed I should be wary of becoming an "official" citizen of Vietnam(meaning documented, technically, I believe I am still a citizen since my family never renounced it), that it could be a bit confusing and cause negative complications if anything ever arose. They could just be blowing smoke I am aware but really, what do I know on the subject."

If your cousins lived through the very hard years of 1975-85, they were likely being sincere. It's one thing to be proud of being Vietnamese, and quite another to be a Vietnamese citizen with all the rights and responsibilities. Dual citizenship is a way of exploiting one citizenship while holding on to the other for whatever advantages it offers, which in the case of U.S. citizens generally means automatic refuge if things in the mother country turn sour.

What your cousins understand is that you don't have to be a Vietnamese citizen to be "Vietnamese", and while there may be advantages to being a citizen, they must be weighed against probable (not possible) disadvantages. Given your age and stated circumstances, I don't see any obvious disadvantages, but your cousins' cautions deserve to be weighed.

Thanks so much lirelou for your reply and info. I guess, I'm still a bit confused on the subject matter. Maybe giving a bit more info on me would help. I just turned 39, don't plan on having a family, looking to go somewhere where the money I make could go a bit further.

Not quite clear on actual advantages/disadvantages. Would it help me vs. complicate/hurt me with renting an apartment, finding a job, income pay rate, health insurance coverage, taxes, opportunities..etc. Basic stuff, not really looking to do business there as much as work and try out living there to see if I would like it long term. So being a citizen, would it take away any rights, safety, protection etc...
Thanks again.

TC0088 wrote:

hcm5906 wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for your answer, I went to the immigration office in Nguyen Du street and they told me the same thing than the Vietnam Ambassy in France : VKs cannot do their first passport in Vietnam, they need to get it back home. It would be great to know how come some VKs can do it here while I cannot. I already have my vietnamese citizenship certificate and now, if I want to get my vietnamese ID card, the immigration told me that I need to get my vietnamese passport first.

Hi,

Here's my two cents! I went through the long way to get my dual citizenship at Nguen Du office. Although I was told to do the Hoi Huong paperwork. I haven't gotten mine yet, but I am pretty sure it's a passport I'll be getting. The Hoi Huong paperwork requires 2 photos. Having said that, in your case it would be rather difficult to do it since having Ho Khau is a requirement. Don't get me wrong but when you ask someone to put your name on their Ho Khau, you officially own part of that property!

However with the July 01 2014 deadline for registration mentioned above post, there is a much easy way to get your Vietnamese passport. Here in Canada, it cost $350 Canadian dollars for each passport issued. The details are as below link
http://vietem-ca.com/consular-services/ … e-passport

A friend of mine did it and got her Vietnamese password in a couple of weeks. She originally wanted to register but was told to do the passport. Oh, the passport is good for 10 years.

I am sure they have similar website in each country. I would have done it in this way but somehow it was not available in November when I made enquiry. No forms were available then, and you have to do in person. Now you can mail it away!

It would probably cost you a gazzilion in franc, but it is the easiest way for you to get the Vietnamese passport.

Good luck.

Hi TC0088,

Thank you very much for your reply and sorry for the late answer, I was abroad. So you will probably get your passeport here, that would be great news for me too, it would mean that I can do it here as well ! About doing the process by mail through the Vietnam ambassy in France, it is not possible, I already asked them and they told me to show up in person to do it. They only send the passport by mail once you applied for it at the Ambassy. I had a look at your link, we can find the same information on the Vietnam ambassy's website in France.

Now, I have someone willing to put me in her Ho Khau, and I am wondering if I can get the passport here with this document or do I still need to go back to France...  When are you supposed to get your paperwork done ? Thanks again for your reply.

peterpan75 wrote:

Thanks so much lirelou for your reply and info. I guess, I'm still a bit confused on the subject matter. Maybe giving a bit more info on me would help. I just turned 39, don't plan on having a family, looking to go somewhere where the money I make could go a bit further.

Not quite clear on actual advantages/disadvantages. Would it help me vs. complicate/hurt me with renting an apartment, finding a job, income pay rate, health insurance coverage, taxes, opportunities..etc. Basic stuff, not really looking to do business there as much as work and try out living there to see if I would like it long term. So being a citizen, would it take away any rights, safety, protection etc...
Thanks again.

I figured other people would be able to help with some more information. Is this thread still alive?!

edit: So I just spoke with someone from the Embassy of Vietnam in DC. From what I could get out of it(it's pretty difficult to understand exactly what they say or mean) applying for a passport is a totally separate thing from actually getting citizenship. Meaning, you can apply for a 10 year passport, which means you are considered a dual citizen?..since you own two passports, one from each country but registering for citizenship is a completely different act I guess? So, what is the real difference?

I'm confused...

hcm5906 wrote:

TC0088 wrote:

hcm5906 wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for your answer, I went to the immigration office in Nguyen Du street and they told me the same thing than the Vietnam Embassy in France : VKs cannot do their first passport in Vietnam, they need to get it back home. It would be great to know how come some VKs can do it here while I cannot. I already have my vietnamese citizenship certificate and now, if I want to get my vietnamese ID card, the immigration told me that I need to get my vietnamese passport first.

Hi,

Here's my two cents!

With the July 01 2014 deadline for registration mentioned above post, there is a much easy way to get your Vietnamese passport. Here in Canada, it cost $350 Canadian dollars for each passport issued. The details are as below link
http://vietem-ca.com/consular-services/ … e-passport

A friend of mine did it and got her Vietnamese password in a couple of weeks. She originally wanted to register but was told to do the passport. Oh, the passport is good for 10 years.

I am sure they have similar website in each country. I would have done it in this way but somehow it was not available in November when I made enquiry. No forms were available then, and you have to do in person. Now you can mail it away!

It would probably cost you a gazzilion in franc, but it is the easiest way for you to get the Vietnamese passport.

Good luck.

Hi TC0088,

Thank you very much for your reply and sorry for the late answer, I was abroad. So you will probably get your passeport here, that would be great news for me too, it would mean that I can do it here as well ! About doing the process by mail through the Vietnam ambassy in France, it is not possible, I already asked them and they told me to show up in person to do it. They only send the passport by mail once you applied for it at the Ambassy. I had a look at your link, we can find the same information on the Vietnam ambassy's website in France.

Now, I have someone willing to put me in her Ho Khau, and I am wondering if I can get the passport here with this document or do I still need to go back to France...  When are you supposed to get your paperwork done ? Thanks again for your reply.

If you really have to do it this way, I suggest stick with one immigration officer. This person is in the same office but on the left after entering the office, then immediate left. It's a small room with 2 desks! I didn't ask for the officer's phone number when I did mine. I suggest you do so you know when he/she is there and other things. Oh opposite to this room is where you extend your visa stay if you are staying over 90 days on the Visa Exemption Certificate.

I would not mind helping you out but i am not in the country right now. I still think getting your passport from the Vietnam Embassy in France is your best bet for you avoiding all the headache. I believe they may even have the same-day service where you can get the passport same day for a fee!

TC.

Peter, in reference to this:  "So I just spoke with someone from the Embassy of Vietnam in DC. From what I could get out of it(it's pretty difficult to understand exactly what they say or mean) applying for a passport is a totally separate thing from actually getting citizenship."

Yes, they are two separate actions. Passports are normally only issued to citizens, so you have to have proof of citizenship first, and with that (birth certificate or naturalization certificate in U.S. practice) in hand, you can apply for a passport.

lirelou wrote:

Peter, in reference to this:  "So I just spoke with someone from the Embassy of Vietnam in DC. From what I could get out of it(it's pretty difficult to understand exactly what they say or mean) applying for a passport is a totally separate thing from actually getting citizenship."

Yes, they are two separate actions. Passports are normally only issued to citizens, so you have to have proof of citizenship first, and with that (birth certificate or naturalization certificate in U.S. practice) in hand, you can apply for a passport.

Thanks again for your response, really appreciate it...still waiting on answers to any of the other questions that have been asked.

Hello I am new to this site and looking for answers in acquiring a dual citizenship. I was born in Saigon 1973, mother is Vietnamese, father is military GI. I have lived in Hawaii/U.S. for 39 years. I also have my original birth certificate. Is there an agency in the U.S. that I can go to process a Vietnamese dual citizenship or do I need to go to HCM to fill out forms.

My mother is a Vietkieu that moved back to Vietnam to retire. She has been living in Vietnam now for 11 years. She does not have dual citizenship at this time.

Thank you for any info you may provide.

peterpan75 wrote:

lirelou wrote:

Peter, in reference to this:  "So I just spoke with someone from the Embassy of Vietnam in DC. From what I could get out of it(it's pretty difficult to understand exactly what they say or mean) applying for a passport is a totally separate thing from actually getting citizenship."

Yes, they are two separate actions. Passports are normally only issued to citizens, so you have to have proof of citizenship first, and with that (birth certificate or naturalization certificate in U.S. practice) in hand, you can apply for a passport.

Thanks again for your response, really appreciate it...still waiting on answers to any of the other questions that have been asked.

I am still waiting patiently for some one with concrete information on my questions.

I am no longer have my "The Can Cuoc" (ID card before 75) but still have some high school document with picture and all vitlal infor. Can it Ok to be used to reclaim my VN citizenship? anybody has a similar document and able to get dual citizenship?  Thx

Hello Everyone!

I am currently living in Canada and wish to get a dual citizenship in Vietnam. My parents were both born in Vietnam and I was born in Canada. I don't think they gave up their vietnamese citizenship because it was not required here in Canada. I tried starting the process here in Canada by calling the Vietnamese Embassy. They basically told me it was impossible for me to get a citizenship because I was not born there and do not have a passport.

My question is, is it better to file for a citizenship here in Canada or in Vietnam? If so in Canada, may anyone lead me towards the right direction

I also have all my parent's document linking my ties to them and many relatives back home.

Hi all,

Really sorry about ignoring everyone for so long.  It's a very long story, one of which I am certain the admins and Julien are more than capable of telling.  Anyhow, I hold dual citizenship and have been living and working fine in Vietnam.  If you REALLY want to know the ins-and-outs, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected].  For the sake of my sanity, I have refrained from posting on here.

Best,
Howie

Anybody have an update on wether or not this July 1st deadline is still being implemented or not? I have my old passport from 20 years ago when I was little and it has my Vietnamese name on it, not my American name from being adopted. Anyone have similar experiences that they can share? Any feedback would be appreciated.

sneakerhead253 wrote:

Anybody have an update on wether or not this July 1st deadline is still being implemented or not? I have my old passport from 20 years ago when I was little and it has my Vietnamese name on it, not my American name from being adopted. Anyone have similar experiences that they can share? Any feedback would be appreciated.

What I know is July 1st does have some significance having to do with Dual citizenship but that date does not apply to a 10 year passport which, for someone like myself, is all you need. Unless you plan on doing real business in Vietnam like buy land, open a business, etc.. There is no real need, why complicate things more. Just my 2cents.

Hey just out of curiosity, I'm married to a Vietnamese, and my parents were born in Vietnam, but fled as refugees into Canada.  I'm not a Viet Kieu as I was born in Canada, am I entitled to any visa exemptions, working, owning property, etc?

mikeymyke wrote:

Hey just out of curiosity, I'm married to a Vietnamese, and my parents were born in Vietnam, but fled as refugees into Canada.  I'm not a Viet Kieu as I was born in Canada, am I entitled to any visa exemptions, working, owning property, etc?

With what your saying you should be able to get a VEC with absolutely no problem.