MARRIAGE IN VIETNAM

In general, marriages legally performed and valid abroad are also legally valid in the United States.  Inquiries regarding the validity of a marriage abroad should be directed to the attorney general of the state in the United States where the parties to the marriage will live.

Vietnamese Marriage Requirements:

Applications for marriage between a citizen of a foreign country and a Vietnamese citizen residing in Vietnam should be filed in person at the Justice Department offices in the province where the Vietnamese citizen resides.  All documents obtained from the U.S. must be accompanied by a certified translation into Vietnamese from either the Vietnamese Embassy in the U.S. or the Vietnamese notary public. Although requirements for obtaining marriage certificates may vary from province to province, the general requirements for the U.S. citizen partner are as follow:

1.  Application for marriage (obtained from the Vietnamese Justice Department);

2.  Official copy of the U.S. citizen's passport.  

3.  Medical examination from a competent authority certifying that the applicant is in sound mental and physical health.  The examination results must be dated no earlier than six months before the date of marriage registration;

4.  Affidavit of Single Status.  The applicant can request this document from the civil registry in the state in which he resides or complete an affidavit at the U.S. Consulate.   This document must be signed within three months of application for a marriage certificate.  The notarization fee at the U.S. Consulate is $30 USD.  If the applicant had a previous marriage, present an authenticated copy of the divorce decree or death certificate for the previous spouse(s);

5.   A letter by the local vital statistics office certifies that no marriage license or marriage certificate of the applicant is found within the state where the applicant is residing in. The search period must be started from the year when the applicant was 18-year-old up to date. In case the applicant was divorced, or the spouse has been deceased, a certified photocopy of a divorce decree or a death certificate must be submitted. This requirement varies from province to province.

6.  The Justice Department charges one million Vietnamese Dong to process a marriage certificate.

Note:

- For further information, please refer to the Vietnamese Embassy website http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org or the Justice Department website www.sotuphap.hochiminhcity.gov.vn

- The Vietnamese citizen partner should consult with Vietnamese authorities about that partner's requirements.

- The Justice Department of Ho Chi Minh City is located at 143 Pasteur Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

- The Consulate General notifies U.S. citizens that the correct procedure for authenticating U.S. documents for submission to Vietnamese authorities is the prescribe Chain of Authentication.