Marriage and Divorce in Vietnam

Vietnam family laws covers all legal matters concerning marriages and divorces, including marriage registration procedures, and divorce procedures, matters concerning separate or joint ownership assets and property, child custody, child support, and dispute on related matters.

Vietnam marriage laws have developed during the past 40 years and are still connected with changes in the thinking of the Vietnamese society and are thereby not exempt from future amendments that might appear simultaneously with the changes in Vietnam’s fast emerging society. The legal fundamental basis for marriages in Vietnam is the Marriage and Family Law.  Some of the main points that are included in this law’s mission are for contributing to build and protect the marriage and family regime as well as to protect legitimate rights and interests of family members. The essential legal provisions of the Vietnam marriage law requires and determines: a required marital age for male is at least 20 years and female 18 years; marriages must be voluntary, progressive, monogamous marriages in which husband and wife are equal; marriages between partners of different nationalities, religions etc. are respected and legally protected but marriages between married people, people without civil act capacity, between the same direct blood line or within three generations, between (former) adoptive parents and children or parents- and children-in-law and stepparents and stepchildren, are forbidden. Although the marriage between persons of the same sex is not forbidden any more but the State shall not recognize it.

Furthermore, marriage or remarriages must be registered with the competent State bodies (registration offices) where either of the marriage partners resides. Vietnamese citizens living abroad shall refer to overseas Vietnamese diplomatic missions or consulates for services.  Unless otherwise provided by law, the provisions of the Marriage and Family law also are also applicable for foreigners involved in Vietnamese marriages.  In case a treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party contains provisions different from those of this Law, the provisions of such treaty prevail.

The registration procedures might differ in some points for foreigners because of the documents required from their home countries.  Papers issued, granted or certified by competent foreign agencies for use in the settlement of cases and matters of marriage and family shall be notarized, legalized, except cases eligible for exemption from consular legalization under treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party or on the principle of reciprocity. Foreigners must demonstrate that they are eligible for marriage in compliance with the law of their home countries. According to the Vietnam Marriage and Family law, foreigners enjoy the same rights and obligations like Vietnamese and Vietnam provides protection for the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese living abroad in marriage and family relations in accordance with the law.  In the case of a marriage between a foreigner and a Vietnamese, each one must abide by the legislation of his/her country on the marriage conditions. The law also bans marriages whereby foreigners take advantages related to human trafficking, sexually abuse against women.

The law on marriage and family has brought a positive change to the role of the family in Vietnamese society and the traditional values ​​of marriage and family. These legal provisions have contributed to the protection and perfection of a progressive marriage and family regime by creating legal standards that keep pace with the times but also respect long-standing traditional values ​​of Vietnam. However, Vietnam still lacks complex mechanisms to deal with all those involved and another problem is that some clauses are overlapping and are not clear enough to address outstanding issues such as: cohabitation system such as husband and wife, separated or surrogacy. Prenuptial agreements, premarital agreements or similar marriage contracts are not recognized in Vietnam. However, agreements on joint assets, or division of assets during marriage are recognized but certain procedures have to be followed.

Lawyers at ANT Lawyers have experience with registration of marriage, divorce procedures or dispute matters of assets, properties in Vietnam.