Vietnamese with removal orders due to criminal convictions who have an Order of Supervision (OSUP) or are under Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) must be attempting to get a travel document to Vietnam in order to be compliant. The requirement is noted on the OSUP or ISAP documents:

Obtaining a Vietnam travel document is to request a Vietnamese passport for the first time. This is a step by step guide for how to do that.

Required documents:

1. A birth certificate from Vietnam. If you have an original one, that is great, go to step 2! If you do not have one, it might be possible to get a reissued birth certificate, but there are things you need. To learn what is needed, click here. If you meet what is needed, click here for the steps to do it.  If you have a copy of your Vietnamese family book, this could be an acceptable document to confirm your birth information (contact us for details on this). 

***Under a new Vietnam Law on Vietnamese Nationality, there are new ways to become a Vietnamese national with a VN ID. Click here to get a summary about it.***

2. Application for passport issuance (download here) *this is the English translated version but do not use this to submit, only use it as a guide to fill out the Vietnamese version*. Can be printed, hand written, filled out, and scanned as a digital file. If you have software to fill it out digitally, that is good, too. 

3. Biography (download here) this is the English translated version but do not use this to submit, only use it as a guide to fill out the Vietnamese version*. Can be printed, hand written, filled out, and scanned as a digital file. If you have software to fill it out digitally, that is good, too. 

 4. Two passport photos

  • Photo should be in color

  • Photo should be taken in the last 6 months.

  • Use a clear image of your face.

  • Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.

  • Directly face the camera without tilting your head.

  • Take off your eyeglasses for your photo. 

5. A copy of green card or US valid visa (if any, if not that’s ok).

6. Once you have all these items, there are several places where the application can be submitted. There is 1 Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, DC, and 3 Vietnamese Consulates: New York, Houston, and San Francisco. Contact them first to confirm how they want to receive your application. Some attorney offices can submit on your behalf. Some travel agencies can submit on your behalf. There will be different fees to do this. Please be careful of services that promise to submit for you without having all the required documents. For a list of recommended attorneys and services, contact us.

  Processing time:

* After all required documents are submitted (birth certificate, application, biography, photos), the application will be forwarded to Vietnamese officials for further background check and verification. The process may take place in 3 to 6 months, depending on your unique situation.