answered about 13 months ago by grubby
Hi Robin, and congratulations! My wife and I got married last year, and she is a vietnamese national, so I have an experience to recount. Not sure I can remember all the details as I tend to repress bureaucratic experiences.
Be warned - marriage in Vietnam is very much a provincial function, and provinces differ widely in their approach, amenability, and level of experience with marriage to foreigners.
We got married in Lao Cai province, and after hearing so many scare stories from people who had gone before us, we found the process to be relatively painless. Two factors that may have helped: we expected the worst, and I speak some Vietnamese.
The first thing you should do is enlist the help of your country's embassy. I went to the UK embassy and they were super helpful, providing a document listing the steps, and providing a bilingual explanation of UK law on marriage for the benefit of the local authorities.
You'll need to present a few documents to the provincial justice department (so tu phap). Among them are your birth certificate, your wife's family book and id card, and a 'certificate of no impediment' - some countries don't provide this (the UK included) and you'll need to get a letter explaining that, if so. It's essentially a document to say that you're not already married. If you have been married before you need the divorce certificate. All documents need to be translated into vietnamese. The local police in Lao Cai were able to do this for a small fee.
There will be some money involved - for us it was a million Dong or so. It's not clear how much of that is official fees and how much is grease for the wheels.
When all the paperwork is in your dossier they'll let you choose a date for the signing ceremony. That's when you're supposed to come to the justice department and sign documents, but they expect you to make a party of it. It's hard to feel festive in front of a plaster bust of Uncle Ho, but hey.
I realize I haven't produced much specific advice, but your embassy and the justice department should make it fairly clear what you need to do. My best recommendation to you is to bring your patience and your wallet, and expect the worst. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Hi, Robin!
The only I can tell you is if you have an embassy of your country in here, you're practically done. No matter how bureaucratic they can get to be. I got married to a Vietnamese lady last year, too; considering that my country doesn't have an embassy here. :-) It was quite painful, but we made it! So I'm sure you'll get it, too! Wish you all the best!
Hi, Robin. I dont know if you got all the details for the marriage yet, i got married last year, there are alot of document that u need to provide but i think u can do it step by step. Firstly,u have to go to Vietnam Justice department at number 6 , Da tuong stress( near Melia hotel). U should tell ur Vietnamese wife to come there. Tell them that i want to get marrige to a foreinger. they ll sell u some guideline papers( this paper tell u everything u have to do, every document u need to provide them before u can have an interview with them.). Then u and ur wife just follow that. it took us 2 months for preparing all the document, after handing in, they ll set an interview the week follow, and after 2 more months u ll get the marrige certificate.
Goodluck, and while u follow those steps if u have any question, i ll willing to help.
