According to the civil laws in Vietnam, a citizen’s full name including first name, middle name and last name has been registered at birth in the birth certificate when properly issued. If a Vietnamese wishes to change the name, there must be a legitimate reason and the process and procedure have to follow the Vietnam Civil Code.

Individuals may request competent state agencies to recognize the change of name in the following cases:

a) At the request of person with name which the use such names causes confusion, emotional impact on family, honor, rights and lawful interests of that person;

b) At the request of the adoptive parents about changing names for adoption or adopted child ceases adoption with the adoptive parents or when the birth parents request to regain the name that originally used;

c) At the request of the father, the mother or the child when determining parents of children;

d) Changing the family name of a child from their father’s family name to their mother’s family name or vice versa;

e) Changing the names of persons found their origins;

f) Change the name of the persons which gender is redefined;

g) The other case law on civil registration regulations.

Due to the complexity of the process in some cases, a law firms in Vietnam could help with a service which clients could have at the same time and cost rather than trying to carry out the process themselves.