Copies of Vietnamese Birth Certificates
According to Vietnamese law, one can obtain copies of Birth Certificate by filing an application with the provincial Justice Department, providing all information related to the birth (date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names…). If the child’s parents registered the birth with local authorities, the Justice Department staff will check their birth registration book and issue copies of the birth certificate.
If the parents did not register the birth with local authorities, the parents can ask for a late registration of birth or re-registration of birth. The procedure for this process differs depending upon the province. Applicants should check with the Justice Department of the birth province for specific information. For example, in Hanoi, applicants must submit a confirmation from the local (ward) People’s Committee stating that they have never been issued a Birth Certificate and provide all available forms of identification to prove their date of birth. In some provinces, applicants may be asked to submit statements from two witnesses in the same village who knew about the birth.
If the applicant is not in Vietnam, he/she may ask relatives or friends in Vietnam to submit application on his/her behalf. Each provincial Justice Department has its own requirements. Some provinces ask for a notarized Power of Attorney from an applicant to assign a person in Vietnam to obtain the Birth Certificate. Again, check with the provincial Justice Department for specific information.