Vietnam (VN)
Vietnam is a dynamic, rapidly developing Socialist Republic stretching 1,650km down the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula — a country of extraordinary geographical diversity, from the karst mountains of the north and the Red River Delta, through the stunning coastline of the Central region, to the vast Mekong Delta in the south.
Capital: Hanoi
Region: Asia
Language: Vietnamese
Currency: VND (₫)
Cost of living: Very affordable (index 22)
Emergency: 113
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Citizenship & Permanent Residency
Long-term settlement options in Vietnam.
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Permanent Residency
Name
Permanent Residence Card (Thẻ Thường Trú)
Eligibility
Foreign nationals who have legally resided in Vietnam continuously for 3 years AND meet one of the following criteria: (1) Have made significant contributions to Vietnam (specific professional, scientific, cultural, social or economic contributions officially recognised); (2) Are married to a Vietnamese citizen; (3) Are close relatives of Vietnamese citizens; (4) Have invested in Vietnam above specific thresholds (tier-dependent: 5-year TRC linked to investor visa). The 3-year continuous legal residency requirement is strict — gaps in residence or visa violations reset the clock.
Duration
Permanent (Vô thời hạn) — no expiry date. However: must be renewed biometrically every 10 years. Can be revoked for criminal violations or false application.
Requirements
- ✓Continuous legal residence in Vietnam for minimum 3 years (verified via TRC or visa records)
- ✓Valid Temporary Residence Card (TRC) at time of application
- ✓No criminal record — Vietnamese police check required
- ✓Clean apostilled criminal record from home country
- ✓Health certificate from approved Vietnamese hospital
- ✓Sponsorship/relationship evidence (marriage certificate, employment certificate, investment evidence, or official recognition of contribution — depending on eligibility basis)
- ✓Proof of stable income or financial sufficiency in Vietnam
- ✓Application form submitted to the Immigration Department of the province/city of residence
Permanent residence is relatively rare for most expats and is primarily achieved through marriage to a Vietnamese citizen or exceptional contribution. The investor route (via DT visa) provides a TRC of up to 5 years, which is the practical long-term residency route for most investors. Work-permit-based TRC (LD visa): up to 2-year TRC, renewable — the most common expat long-stay solution rather than permanent residency.
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Citizenship
Name
Vietnamese Citizenship (Quốc Tịch Việt Nam)
Eligibility
Under the Law on Vietnamese Nationality 2008 (amended 2014), foreigners may acquire Vietnamese citizenship through: (1) Naturalisation: 5 continuous years of permanent residence in Vietnam + specific contributions to Vietnam + Vietnamese language proficiency at basic level + renunciation of original citizenship. (2) Marriage: married to a Vietnamese citizen for 3+ years. (3) Special contribution: significant scientific, economic, cultural, social or political contribution — decided by the State Council by Presidential decree (extremely rare). (4) Birth: automatic citizenship for children born to at least one Vietnamese parent.
Duration
Permanent citizenship. Vietnamese nationality once acquired is lifelong unless renounced.
Requirements
- ✓5 years continuous permanent residence in Vietnam (strict — verified from Permanent Residence Card issuance)
- ✓Vietnamese language proficiency — basic conversational level assessed by competent authorities
- ✓Renunciation of original citizenship (Vietnam does not recognise dual nationality in principle — with exceptions)
- ✓No criminal record in Vietnam or abroad
- ✓Evidence of integration into Vietnamese society (employment, family, civic participation)
- ✓Formal application via the Ministry of Justice (Bộ Tư Pháp) to the President of Vietnam
- ✓Presidential Decree granting citizenship — this is the final step and is at the discretion of the President
Vietnamese naturalisation is very rare for most foreigners. The process is lengthy, language-demanding and bureaucratically complex. Practically: most long-stay expats in Vietnam choose to maintain their home-country citizenship and manage immigration status via renewable TRC/work permits or investor visas, rather than pursuing Vietnamese citizenship. The renunciation of original citizenship is a significant deterrent for most Western expats.
Other Routes to Residency & Citizenship
Family Reunification Visa (Thị Thực Đoàn Tụ Gia Đình — NG3/VR Visa)
Eligibility
Foreign spouses, minor children, and dependants of Vietnamese citizens or of foreigners legally residing in Vietnam (with TRC). The Vietnamese citizen or TRC-holding sponsor applies for the family member's visa on their behalf. Spouses of Vietnamese citizens: eligible for VR visa (up to 12 months, multiple entry, renewable), leading to TRC application.
Duration / Outcome
VR visa: up to 12 months multiple entry, renewable. TRC for dependants of Vietnamese citizens: up to 5 years renewable.
Requirements
- ✓Sponsor must be a Vietnamese citizen or foreigner with valid TRC
- ✓Marriage certificate (apostilled + certified Vietnamese translation) for spouses
- ✓Birth certificate (apostilled + certified Vietnamese translation) for children
- ✓Sponsor's household registration book (Sổ Hộ Khẩu) or temporary residence registration
- ✓Sponsor's valid ID (CCCD or passport) and proof of stable income or accommodation
- ✓Applicant's valid passport (minimum 6 months remaining validity)
- ✓Application submitted at provincial Immigration Department (PA08) or Vietnamese embassy/consulate
The Vietnamese family reunion visa (NG3/VR) is often a precursor to TRC application. For spouses of Vietnamese citizens: after obtaining TRC, can apply for permanent residence after 3 continuous years. Sponsors who are foreign TRC holders: dependants' TRC duration is tied to the sponsor's own TRC validity. Processing time: 5–15 working days at provincial immigration office.
Investment Visa and Investor TRC (DT Visa)
Eligibility
Foreign nationals who make capital contributions to Vietnamese enterprises or invest in business establishment in Vietnam. DT visa category is tiered by investment amount: DT1 (≥ VND 100 billion), DT2 (VND 50–100 billion), DT3 (VND 3–50 billion), DT4 (< VND 3 billion / contributes skills or technology). Investment registration certificate (IRC/ERC from DPI) is the primary qualifying document.
Duration / Outcome
DT1/DT2/DT3: TRC up to 5 years renewable (some sources citing up to 10yr under Law 51/2023 — verify current validity at DPI). DT4: TRC up to 12 months only (renewable while investment active). No limit on renewals as long as investment remains active.
Requirements
- ✓Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) or Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) from the Department of Planning and Investment (DPI)
- ✓Proof of actual capital contribution: bank transfer records, share certificate, or charter capital confirmation
- ✓Capital contribution must match the declared DT tier
- ✓Passport with sufficient remaining validity
- ✓Application at provincial Immigration Department (PA08)
- ✓Business operating licence if in a regulated sector
- ✓For DT4: evidence of technological or intellectual contribution accepted by competent authority
The DT visa TRC is the most practical long-term residence route for non-employment expats and business owners who do not qualify for the work-permit-linked TRC. A DT visa does NOT automatically grant a work permit — the investor still needs a work permit (or exemption certificate) to perform executive/management functions in the company. DT visa can be combined with work permit exemption for legal directors and capital contributors above threshold. The DT1 TRC (5-year) is the closest Vietnam has to a "golden visa" — but unlike EU golden visa programmes, it is not on a citizenship pathway.
Overseas Vietnamese (Việt Kiều) — Certificate of Vietnamese Origin
Eligibility
Persons of Vietnamese origin (ethnic Vietnamese) who hold foreign citizenship. Việt Kiều may apply for a "Certificate of Vietnamese Origin" (Giấy Xác Nhận Gốc Việt Nam) from Vietnamese embassies or the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (UOVN). This certificate provides access to certain legal benefits including: right to purchase apartment property in Vietnam without quota restriction, long-term TRC (5-year) without employment or investment requirement, and simplified procedures for business registration.
Duration / Outcome
Certificate of Vietnamese Origin: permanent (one-time confirmation). TRC granted on this basis: up to 5 years renewable.
Requirements
- ✓Foreign citizenship document (passport)
- ✓Evidence of Vietnamese origin: own Vietnamese birth certificate, or Vietnamese birth certificate/household registration of parents or grandparents
- ✓Declaration of Vietnamese origin (sworn statement)
- ✓Application via Vietnamese embassy/consulate in country of residence, OR Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs in Hanoi/HCMC
- ✓Criminal record clearance from current country of residence
- ✓Certified and apostilled translations of supporting documents
Second and third generation overseas Vietnamese may qualify based on grandparent lineage. The process can be complex if original Vietnamese documentation was lost during emigration — the embassy can assist with alternative evidence evaluation. Once the Certificate of Vietnamese Origin is confirmed: property purchase quota restrictions do not apply (can own without the 30% building limit), long-term TRC requires no employment sponsor, and business registration is simplified. This is NOT the same as Vietnamese citizenship — it confirms ethnic origin only. Many Việt Kiều from the USA, France, Australia and Canada pursue this route for reconnecting with Vietnam without renouncing foreign citizenship.
Dual Nationality Exception (Trường Hợp Ngoại Lệ)
Eligibility
Vietnamese law does not officially permit dual nationality in principle. However: (1) Overseas Vietnamese (Việt Kiều) returning to Vietnam may retain foreign nationality in certain circumstances by Presidential approval. (2) Vietnamese nationals who acquire foreign citizenship are technically required to notify Vietnamese authorities and may lose Vietnamese citizenship. (3) Children born abroad to Vietnamese parents who acquire the birth country's citizenship through jus soli may retain dual status in practice, particularly if the foreign citizenship is not officially notified to Vietnam.
Duration / Outcome
Case-specific — subject to Presidential or ministerial approval
Requirements
- ✓Application to Ministry of Justice (Bộ Tư Pháp)
- ✓Evidence of overseas Vietnamese heritage or qualifying circumstances
- ✓Presidential approval required
This is an exception route primarily for overseas Vietnamese (Việt Kiều) wanting to return and reclaim Vietnamese citizenship while keeping their adopted country's nationality. Not a practical route for non-ethnic-Vietnamese expats.
🌍 Dual Citizenship
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Dual citizenship is not allowed — Vietnam officially does not recognise dual citizenship under the Law on Vietnamese Nationality 2008. Naturalisation applicants must in principle renounce their original citizenship. However, practice is more complex: (1) Some countries (USA, Germany, France, UK, Australia) do not require renunciation of their citizenship when you naturalise elsewhere — so a de facto dual status exists in practice even if Vietnam does not formally recognise it. (2) Enforcement of renunciation of original citizenship before naturalisation is not consistently applied in practice. (3) The 2008 law allows the President of Vietnam to approve retention of original citizenship in exceptional cases (Điều 19). For most expats, the practical reality is that pursuing Vietnamese naturalisation while keeping home citizenship is possible but legally ambiguous — seek specialist immigration legal advice before starting the naturalisation process.
Citizenship & Permanent Residency
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