Vietnam: Information on the Vietnamese citizenship rights of a male child born in Cambodia of a Vietnamese mother and Cambodian father
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | VNM20573.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Vietnam: Information on the Vietnamese citizenship rights of a male child born in Cambodia of a Vietnamese mother and Cambodian father, 1 May 1995, VNM20573.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab26e.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Chapter II, section 6-3 of the Vietnamese Citizenship Act:
A child whose father or mother is a Vietnamese citizen and whose other parent is a person of foreign nationality shall acquire Vietnamese citizenship if the child is born within the territory of Viet-Nam or if both his parents have permanent residence in Viet-Nam at the time of his birth unless his parents unanimously choose a different citizenship. In case that [sic] the child is born outside the territory of Viet-Nam and at the time of his birth both his parents do not have permanent residence in Viet-Nam, he will obtain his citizenship in accordance with his parent's choice (Vietnam 28 June 1988).
In addition to these requirements, section 7-1 states in part, that a foreign citizen wishing to be granted Vietnamese citizenship would have to be eighteen years old, have an adequate knowledge of Vietnamese, and have resided in Vietnam for at least five years (ibid.). However, section 7-2 states that these requirements may be waived for unspecified "legitimate reasons" (ibid.). In a telephone interview, an official at the Vietnamese embassy in Ottawa stated that these "legitimate reasons" are determined on case-by-case basis (2 May 1995). The official also corroborated the information provided above (ibid.).
For a copy of the Vietnamese Citizenship Act, please consult the attachment to Response to Information Request VNM13034 of 2 February 1993, which is available at Regional Documentation Centres.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ottawa. 2 May 1995. Telephone interview with an official.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 28 June 1988. The Vietnamese Citizenship Act. (Document translated by the Department of Secretary of State for the DIRB.)
