1. Overview of the issue of multiple nationality in Vietnam

Vietnamese nationality represents an individual's close relationship with the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, giving rise to the rights and obligations of Vietnamese citizens towards the State and the rights and responsibilities of the State. Socialist Republic of Vietnam for Vietnamese citizens. In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, every individual has the right to have a nationality. Vietnamese citizens are not deprived of Vietnamese nationality, except in the cases specified in Article 31 of the 2008 Law on Nationality.

The State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a unified State of all ethnic groups living together on the Vietnamese territory, all members of all ethnic groups are equal in the right to have Vietnamese nationality. Article 4 of the 2008 Vietnamese Nationality Law stipulates the principle of nationality: "The State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam recognizes that Vietnamese citizens have one nationality, which is Vietnamese nationality, except in cases where this Law stipulates another".

Based on the provisions of Vietnamese law, Vietnamese citizens only have one Vietnamese nationality. Therefore, each Vietnamese citizen has only one passport, which is a Vietnamese passport. However, in some exceptional cases, Vietnam still allows citizens to hold dual nationality. This is a new point stipulated in the 2008 Nationality Law effective from July 1, 2009, according to which the Vietnamese people have the right to retain their original nationality and they still have the right to naturalize in the country they live in.

The 2014 Law amending and supplementing the Nationality Law allows some citizens to have dual nationality: those authorized by the President; In case of applying to return to Vietnamese nationality; Vietnamese people residing abroad and have acquired foreign nationality but still want to keep Vietnamese nationality; children are adopted.

In current reality, in many cases Vietnamese people residing abroad are granted passports and recognized nationality by foreign parties (based on each country's own laws, some countries do not require Vietnamese citizens to renunciation of nationality), so the fact that Vietnamese citizens have 2 nationalities and use 2 passports at the same time is not contrary to the provisions of law.

2. If I have foreign nationality, can I get a Vietnamese citizen identification card?

According to the provisions of Article 19 of the Law on Citizen Identification 2014, people who are issued Worker Identification Cards include:

- Vietnamese citizens aged 14 years or older are issued Citizen Identification cards.

- Citizen Identification Card number is a personal identification number.

Therefore, Vietnamese citizens are the group of subjects who are granted Citizen Identification cards according to the above regulations. In addition, according to Clause 3, Article 3 of the 2008 Law on Vietnamese Nationality, Vietnamese people residing abroad are considered Vietnamese citizens and people of Vietnamese origin residing and living permanently abroad.

At the same time, Article 5 of the 2008 Vietnamese Nationality Law also defines things related to people with Vietnamese nationality, including:

- People with Vietnamese nationality are Vietnamese citizens.

- Vietnamese citizens are guaranteed their rights by the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and must fully fulfill their civic obligations to the State and society according to the provisions of law.

- The State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has policies so that Vietnamese citizens living abroad have conditions to enjoy civil rights and perform civic obligations appropriate to the circumstances of living abroad.

- Rights and obligations of Vietnamese citizens with foreign nationality when settling abroad are implemented in accordance with relevant laws.

Therefore, according to the above regulations, people with dual nationality will still be granted a Citizen Identification card with the condition that they must have one nationality, which is Vietnam. According to the provisions of the Law on Nationality, citizens can still get a Citizen Identification card if they possess two nationalities at the same time, one of which is Vietnamese nationality. In the case of Vietnamese people residing abroad and naturalized in that country, but still wanting to retain or acquire Vietnamese nationality, the law still allows this.

3. Place to carry out procedures to request a chip-attached citizen identification card for overseas Vietnamese

According to the provisions of Article 26 of the Law on Citizen Identification 2014, citizens can choose one of the following locations to carry out procedures for issuance, exchange, and re-issuance of Citizen Identification cards as follows:

- At the citizen identification management agency under the Ministry of Public Security.

- At the citizen identification management agency of the Provincial and Central City Police.

- At the citizen identification management agency of the District Police, districts, towns, provincial cities and equivalent administrative units.

- The citizen identification management agency has the authority to organize procedures for issuing Citizen Identification cards at communes, wards, towns, agencies, units or at citizens' places of residence in case of necessity.

4. Procedure for issuing Identity cards for overseas Vietnamese

The process for issuing Citizen Identification cards for the first time is regulated under the Citizen Identification Law and Circular 59/2021/TT-BCA as follows:

Step 1: Request a chip-embedded CCCD card

Citizens can go directly to the competent police agency to request a citizen identification card. If the request is submitted through the National Public Service Portal or the Public Service Portal of the Ministry of Public Security, citizens can select the service and check personal information in the National Population Database. If the information is correct, the citizen registers the time and location to request a chip-embedded citizen identification card. The system will automatically transfer the request to the Police agency where the citizen requested. In case the information in the National Population Database is not available or has errors, citizens need to bring legal documents to prove the information when going to the Police to request issuance, exchange or issuance. Citizen identification card with chip attached.

Step 2: Receive request for issuance of chip-mounted CCCD

Officials receive requests for chip-embedded citizen identification cards and search for citizen information in the National Population Database to prepare card issuance documents.

Step 3: Take photos and collect fingerprints

The officer describes the citizen's identification characteristics, takes photos and collects fingerprints to print on the Chip-attached Citizen Identification Information Receipt Form. Citizens are allowed to check and sign this form. Portrait photos in the citizen identification card issuance procedure are color photos, white background, frontal view, head uncovered, face clearly visible, ears clearly visible, and no glasses worn. Costumes and dressing style are serious and polite.

If a citizen adheres to a religion or belongs to an ethnic group, he or she is allowed to wear religious or traditional clothing of that ethnic group. If you have a headgear, you can keep it as it is, but you need to make sure your face and ears are clear.

Step 4: Receive and return results

Citizens pay the fee and then receive an appointment letter to return their citizen identification card. People can go to the police station where the documents are received according to the time stated on the appointment letter or pay by mail (in case of self-payment).