Naturalization for Vietnamese Nationals｜Loss of Nationality and Key Document Requirements

Introduction

According to Ministry of Justice statistics, naturalization applications from Vietnamese nationals have been rising sharply in recent years. The 2025 figures show that applications from “other” nationalities (excluding Korean/North Korean and Chinese) reached 3,708 — a record high — with Vietnamese nationals accounting for a substantial portion of that increase.

This article explains the unique considerations and document preparation tips for Vietnamese nationals applying for Japanese naturalization.

What Makes Vietnamese Nationals’ Applications Different

Key Differences from Other Nationalities

Item	Vietnamese Characteristics
Renunciation of nationality	Applied for after naturalization is approved (no need to renounce in advance)
Identity documents	Vietnamese documents must include Japanese translations
Kanji	Vietnam is outside the kanji cultural sphere — written test preparation is critical
Document acquisition	Obtaining documents from Vietnam can take considerable time
Dual nationality	Vietnam does not generally permit dual nationality

Required Documents (Vietnam-Specific)

In addition to the standard naturalization documents, Vietnamese nationals must prepare the following.

Documents from Vietnam

Document	Issuing Authority	Notes
Birth certificate (Giấy khai sinh)	Vietnamese People’s Committee	Original + Japanese translation
Marriage certificate (Giấy chứng nhận kết hôn)	Vietnamese People’s Committee	Required if married
Family relationship certificate	Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in Japan	Proof of family ties
Full copy of all passport pages	Held by applicant	Including old passports
Criminal record certificate (Lý lịch tư pháp)	Vietnamese Ministry of Justice	Takes 1–2 months to obtain

Documents from the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in Japan

Nationality certificate — Proof of Vietnamese citizenship
Consular authentication — Authentication of documents obtained in Vietnam

Note: Many Vietnamese documents are issued by local People’s Committees. Requesting them from Japan can take 1–3 months, so start preparations early.

Translation Requirements

All Vietnamese documents must be accompanied by a Japanese translation.

Translation Rules

Translations must be on A4-sized paper
Include the translator’s name, address, signature, and date of translation
The translator may be a gyosei-shoshi, a translation company, or any person with sufficient translation ability
Translate the original content accurately — paraphrasing or summarizing is not permitted

Specific Notes for Vietnamese Translations

Pay attention to katakana renderings of Vietnamese names (since tone marks are dropped, multiple renderings may be possible for the same name)
Place names must be written consistently throughout
Date formats differ between Vietnamese convention (day/month/year) and Japanese convention (year/month/day) — the format used must be clearly indicated in the translation

Renunciation of Vietnamese Nationality

The Process of Renouncing Vietnamese Nationality

Renunciation of Vietnamese nationality takes place after Japanese naturalization has been approved. Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 5 of Japan’s Nationality Act requires that the applicant lose their current nationality upon acquiring Japanese nationality. In the case of Vietnam, this is handled by initiating the renunciation process after the naturalization approval is received.

Step	Description	Estimated Timeframe
1	Receive Japanese naturalization approval	—
2	Apply to renounce Vietnamese nationality at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan	After acceptance
3	Approval by the President of Vietnam	6 months to over 1 year
4	Issuance of nationality renunciation certificate	After approval

Note: Vietnamese nationality renunciation requires approval from the President of Vietnam, and it is not uncommon for the entire process to take over a year.

Documents Required for Renunciation

Application for renunciation of nationality
Documents evidencing naturalization approval (copy of naturalized person’s ID, etc.)
Vietnamese passport
Birth certificate
Any other documents specified by the Embassy

Preparing for the Japanese Language Test

Because Vietnam is outside the kanji cultural sphere, the written Japanese language component of the naturalization review can be a significant hurdle.

Areas That Require Special Preparation

Reading and writing kanji — Mastery of approximately 200 basic kanji characters
Accurate writing of hiragana and katakana — Particularly distinguishing「ツ」from「シ」and「ン」from「ソ」
Handwriting the statement of motivation — Japanese composition can be a high bar for native Vietnamese speakers

Study Strategies

Obtain JLPT N3 or above — Serves as objective evidence of Japanese proficiency
Use elementary school-level kanji workbooks — Aligned with the actual difficulty of the test
Attend community Japanese language classes — Often free or low-cost
Draft and redraft the statement of motivation — Finalize the content, then practice handwriting repeatedly

Common Visa Status Paths for Vietnamese Nationals

Pattern	Path to Naturalization
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services	5+ years of residence (including 3+ years of employment) → apply for naturalization
Specified Skilled Worker → HSP/Engineer	Time under Specified Skilled Worker status counts toward residency years
Student → Worker	Total of 5+ years combining student and work periods
Spouse of Japanese national	3 years of marriage + 1 year of residence → simplified naturalization
Permanent resident	Residency requirement already met → check other conditions

Our Support

For consultations on naturalization applications, please contact Kaneko Hidetaka Gyosei-Shoshi Office.

98% approval rate
Vietnamese language support available (interpretation can be arranged)
Assistance with obtaining documents from Vietnam and arranging translations
Languages supported: Japanese · Chinese · Vietnamese
Free initial consultation
Serving clients nationwide, centered in Chiba and Tokyo (online consultations available)