Dual nationality is not rare among FDI experts and managers. “Under which nationality?” has a simple answer at principle level — and a more involved one at dossier-strategy level.
The base principle: Vietnam’s dossier “sees” only one nationality
Vietnam’s entry-exit and labor administration works per entry: whichever passport the foreigner entered on, the visa, residence card and work permit within that stay cycle all attach to that passport — the nationality printed on the work permit (under Article 13 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, the permit records nationality and passport number) must match the nationality on the visa/residence card. “Declaring two nationalities” is not an option on any form.
Case 1 — Both nationalities are foreign
- How to choose: prefer the passport already used for entry; if not yet entered, choose by: (a) which nationality enjoys better visa exemption/visa terms with Vietnam; (b) under which name/nationality the degrees and experience confirmations were issued, avoiding name-mismatch explanations; (c) the passport’s remaining validity — ideally covering the whole planned permit and residence card term;
- Absolute consistency: once chosen, all translations and legalizations follow that passport; if the name is spelled differently across the two passports, prepare documents proving both names are the same person.
Case 2 — Also holding Vietnamese nationality
This is the most consequential branch: if the person is recognized by Vietnam as a Vietnamese citizen (under the Law on Vietnamese Nationality — a single-nationality principle with exceptions for Vietnamese residing abroad and certain special cases), they are not a “foreign employee” in a Vietnamese labor relationship: no work permit, domestic-style contract and insurance. Employers must verify nationality status by documents (a valid Vietnamese passport, nationality confirmation papers) before applying this branch — never infer it from “Vietnamese origin” or a Vietnamese-sounding name.
Case 3 — Vietnamese origin, foreign nationality only
The mirror of Case 2: a person of Vietnamese origin who has renounced/lost Vietnamese nationality is a foreigner in the labor dossier — a work permit is required like any other foreign expert (the companion article on Vietnamese-origin workers in this cluster analyzes this in depth). “Vietnamese origin” only creates an advantage in residence matters (the 5-year visa exemption certificate), not an exception in labor matters.
Practical conclusion: the dossier nationality should be settled at the entry-planning stage — before booking the flight — because switching nationality mid-cycle means starting over with a fresh entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
With two foreign passports, under which one is the work permit applied for?
Under the passport the employee used to enter Vietnam and will use for the visa/residence card. The whole dossier chain — work permit, visa, residence card, labor contract — must consistently show one nationality and one passport number. Which passport to choose is a decision for the employee and the employer (weighing passport validity, visa-exemption terms, and the name on education documents), but once chosen it cannot be switched mid-cycle within the same stay-and-work period.
Does a person who is both a Vietnamese citizen and a foreign national need a work permit?
No — if Vietnam recognizes that person as a Vietnamese citizen. Vietnam applies a single-nationality principle with exceptions under the Nationality Law: in certain cases a Vietnamese national who also holds a foreign nationality is still recognized as a Vietnamese citizen (e.g. Vietnamese residing abroad who have not lost Vietnamese nationality). They then work in Vietnam as Vietnamese citizens — domestic labor contract, domestic social insurance — and are outside the foreign work permit regime.
Having entered on passport A, can the work permit be switched to passport B?
Not advisable, and practically very difficult within the same entry: the work permit must match the entry stamp and the employee’s current residence status. To change the dossier nationality, the clean route is to exit and re-enter on passport B, then run all procedures on that passport. Employers should verify this consistency from the start — a nationality mismatch between visa and work permit is an error caught immediately at the residence card stage.
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FLAT Law Firm advises FDI companies and foreign employees on work permits, visas and temporary residence cards in Vietnam. Contact us for advice on your specific case.
This content is general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice on a specific case.