New regulations on fees for diplomatic services

Specifically, fee for issuing a new ordinary passport, diplomatic passport or official passport shall be US$70 per passport. 

Fee for issuing an ordinary passport under fast-track procedure shall be US$35 per passport, while the fee for extending the validity of a diplomatic or official passport shall be US$30 per passport. 

Fee for reissuance in cases of damage or loss shall be US$150 per passport.

Fee for application for Vietnamese citizenship shall be US$250 per person, while fee for application for restoration or renunciation of Vietnamese citizenship shall be US$200 per person.

Regarding charges for diplomatic services, the Circular specifies the following visa fees: 

For single-entry visa:

- US$25 per visa for a single-entry visa; 

For multiple-entry visas:

- US$50 for a visa valid for up to three months;

- US$95 for a visa valid for more than three months but not exceeding six months;

- US$135 for a visa valid for more than six months but not exceeding one year.

The fee for issuing a visa exemption certificate is US$10 per certificate.

The fee for certifying Vietnamese nationality, Vietnamese origin, nationality-related matters at the request of citizens, or other specific information requested by citizens (such as confirmation that a person is alive, resides in the host country, or has a child studying at a particular school) shall be US$20 per document.

The fee for verifying documents and records, excluding postage, is US$50 per application or document. The fee for providing criminal record information is US$20 per request per person.

Cases eligible for fee exemptions

Under the Circular, fees and charges for diplomatic services are waived in the following cases:

- Foreign nationals invited by the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the National Assembly, the State or the Government, including their accompanying spouses, biological parents, parents-in-law and children; or those personally invited by leaders of the Party, National Assembly, State or Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

- Officials and administrative and technical staff of foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices and representative offices of international organizations in Viet Nam, together with their family members (including spouses, biological parents, parents-in-law and minor children), on the basis of reciprocity.

- Foreign nationals holding diplomatic passports, official passports, ordinary passports or passport-replacement travel documents issued by foreign authorities who are eligible for visa fee exemptions on the basis of reciprocity.

- Foreign nationals entering Viet Nam to carry out relief operations or provide humanitarian assistance to Vietnamese organizations or individuals.

- Foreign nationals visiting Viet Nam at the invitation of ministries, sectors, provinces or cities for exchanges, on the basis of reciprocity.

- People who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution, as prescribed by the law on preferential treatment for people with meritorious services to the revolution.

- Cases where diplomatic considerations warrant special treatment, or for humanitarian reasons, as well as Vietnamese citizens facing particularly difficult circumstances or unexpected risks.

- Visa applicants who are exempt from visa fees under regulations of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, international treaties to which Viet Nam is a signatory, or bilateral agreements.

Nationality fees for applications for Vietnamese citizenship or restoration of Vietnamese citizenship shall be waived in the following cases:

- Individuals who have made particularly outstanding contributions to the cause of national construction and defense of Viet Nam, as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 12 of Decree No. 191/2025/ND-CP detailing a number of articles and measures for implementing the Law on Vietnamese Nationality.

- Stateless persons applying for Vietnamese citizenship, and persons who have lost Vietnamese citizenship and are applying for its restoration, who face economic hardship certified by a competent authority or a Vietnamese community organization or association in their country of residence.

- Persons of Vietnamese origin who migrated from Laos and have been issued with a certificate by the competent Lao authority confirming completion of registration procedures under the international treaty between Viet Nam and Laos.

The Circular also provides for exemption from fees for issuing ordinary passports under the expedited procedure to persons required to return to Viet Nam under international treaties or agreements on the readmission of citizens.

The Circular shall come into effect from November 1, 2026./.