Dual Nationality: Vietnam and the U.S.

The short version

Many people who left Vietnam still hold Vietnamese nationality without knowing it. This page explains what Vietnamese law says, how to confirm or regain it while keeping U.S. citizenship, and what changes for ID, banks and travel.

How each country sees dual nationality

Vietnam's starting rule is one nationality, Vietnamese, unless the nationality law says otherwise. ¹

Inside Vietnam, a citizen who also holds another nationality is recognised only as Vietnamese in dealings with Vietnamese authorities, unless a treaty says otherwise. ¹

Under U.S. law, a U.S. citizen loses U.S. nationality only by voluntarily doing one of the listed acts, such as naturalising in another country, with the intention of giving up U.S. nationality. ³

Do I still hold Vietnamese nationality?

The law says overseas Vietnamese who had not lost Vietnamese nationality under Vietnamese law before the 2008 nationality law took effect (1 July 2009) still hold it. ¹

The law now lists the ways to lose it: an approved renunciation, being stripped of it, a cancelled naturalisation or restoration decision, and a few cases for children and under treaties. Becoming a citizen of another country is not on that list. ¹ Whether an older rule ended it in your case is a question for the Embassy.

Papers that prove Vietnamese nationality include a birth certificate (with a parent's proof if it does not show nationality), an old ID or căn cước card, a Vietnamese passport, or a naturalisation or restoration decision. ¹

No such papers? Ask a Vietnamese embassy or consulate to confirm that you hold Vietnamese nationality. ¹ The embassy where you live, or the provincial Department of Justice in Vietnam, issues a certificate confirming it; old family, ID and civil-status papers, including ones issued by the former government in South Vietnam, can support the request. ⁴

Getting it back and keeping U.S. citizenship

If you lost Vietnamese nationality (for example through an approved renunciation), you can apply to regain it. Apply through the Vietnamese embassy if you live abroad, or the provincial Department of Justice if you live in Vietnam. ¹

If you never lost Vietnamese nationality and later became a U.S. citizen, you may already hold both, with nothing to regain. ¹

Keeping a foreign nationality when you regain Vietnamese nationality is not new: the 2008 law already allowed it in special cases, with the President's permission, for spouses, parents or children of Vietnamese citizens, people with special merit, or where it benefits the State. ² On 1 July 2025 the law widened this: anyone regaining Vietnamese nationality may now ask to keep U.S. citizenship, and it is allowed if keeping it fits U.S. law, you do not use it to harm Vietnam's interests, and the President of Vietnam approves. ¹

You must take back your former Vietnamese name; if you keep your foreign nationality you may choose a name combining your Vietnamese and foreign names. ¹

The file includes an application, a copy of your birth certificate or passport, a personal history, a criminal record certificate from the country where you live issued within the last 90 days, and proof you once held Vietnamese nationality. ¹

Children and grandchildren: a foreigner whose parent, or both grandparents on one side, are Vietnamese citizens can be naturalised without the Vietnamese-language, residence and means tests, and may keep the foreign nationality with the President's permission. ¹

ID card, bank and travel

Every Vietnamese citizen can get a căn cước ID card. For a citizen living abroad with no address in Vietnam, the card shows the foreign address. For now you must go in person to the police where you are staying in Vietnam; the Ministry of Public Security says it is working on a way to do this from abroad. ⁵

Banks: Vietnamese citizens open accounts with a citizen ID card (căn cước công dân), a căn cước card or the electronic ID; a passport is not on the State Bank's list. ⁶ See Banking.

U.S. law requires a U.S. citizen to carry a valid U.S. passport to leave and enter the United States, except where the President allows otherwise. ⁷

Vietnam treats you only as Vietnamese in dealings with its authorities, ¹ so ask the U.S. Embassy what help it can give dual nationals before you decide which passport to use in Vietnam.

U.S. taxes and reporting do not change: U.S. citizens abroad generally file under the same rules as at home, ⁸ and foreign accounts worth more than $10,000 in total at any time in the year need an FBAR. ⁹

Get advice for your case

Nationality questions depend on your own history and papers. Ask the Vietnamese Embassy or a consulate, and a lawyer, before you apply or travel on a Vietnamese passport.