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Summary
Vietnam
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Vietnam
Summary
Vietnam
Civil Registration System
Vietnam has a national civil registration system governed by the Law on Civil Status (Law No. 60/2014/QH13) and implemented through Decree 123/2015/ND-CP. The system is managed by the Ministry of Justice, specifically the Department of Civil Status, Nationality and Authentication. Civil registration is decentralized to commune-level People’s Committees, where the justice-civil status officer registers vital events and issues corresponding certificates. The legal framework mandates timely registration of births and deaths and permits integration with health and statistical systems.
Does the law designate a national level agency responsible for civil registration?
Yes
Does the law provide for a uniform process to complete civil registrations across the country?
Yes
At what level of civil division are primary registration offices located?
Commune level
Does the law establish, or authorize the establishment of, secondary civil registration offices under the jurisdiction of the primary civil registration office?
Yes
Is the local civil registrar empowered by law to register vital events? If yes, do they have the power to issue certificates of registration?
Yes civil registrar empowered to register vital events and issue certificates
Does the law require the local civil registration office to transmit registration records to the national civil registration authority on a regular and timely basis?
Yes
Does the law provide for a right and a process to appeal a decision of a civil registrar?
No
Does the law authorize the local civil registrar to use mobile registration to reach remote or rural areas?
Yes
Does the law require that the civil registration authority share data with the agency responsible for producing vital statistics, on a regular and timely basis?
Yes
Does the law block the use of technology, such as electronic collection, transmission and storage of data, within the civil registration system?
No
Is there a national coordinating committee to address issues on the functioning of the civil registration system and its integration with other systems, such as the health sector, vital statistics, national identity system, medicolegal death investigation, and others?
Yes
Birth Registration
Birth registration in Vietnam is compulsory, and must be completed within 60 days of the child's birth. Parents or guardians are responsible for registering births. If the child is born outside a health facility and no medical certificate is available, a witness statement or sworn declaration may be submitted. Birth registration is free of charge within the deadline and results in the issuance of a birth certificate.
Is birth registration available and compulsory for all births occurring within the country's jurisdiction?
Yes
Does the law provide a clear definition of live birth? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?
No live birth is not defined by law
Where must births be reported?
Place of residence of either parent
What are the reporting periods for birth registration specified in law?
60 days
Are there any fees for on-time birth registration?
No
Is the original birth certificate provided free of charge?
Yes
Who is designated as the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?
Either parent
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Either parent
Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed birth registration?
No
Is a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) assigned at birth registration for every child born in the country?
UPI assigned at birth registration but only to citizens
Death Registration
Death registration is compulsory within 15 days of death. The law provides procedures for both natural and unnatural deaths. The medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) or equivalent documentation is required. Where available, the nearest relative registers the death; if none exist, the agency or organization in charge must do so.
Is death registration available and compulsory for all events occurring in the country's jurisdiction?
Yes
Where must deaths be reported?
Place of residence
Does the law provide a clear definition of death? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?
Yes death is defined by law and accords with international guidelines
What are the reporting time periods for death registration specified in the law?
15 days
Who is designated as the primary informant for natural deaths that occur in a health facility?
Nearest relative
Are there any fees for on-time death registration?
No
Who is designated primary informant for natural deaths occurring outside a health facility?
Nearest relative
Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed death registration?
Unclear
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for deaths that occur in the community?
Informant, Notification, Registration and Certification
Does the law link retirment of a UPI and/or identity credential to death registration?
Yes
Is the original death certificate provided free of charge?
Yes
Medicolegal Death Investigation
Suspicious, sudden, or violent deaths must be referred to public security or forensic authorities. The Criminal Procedure Code mandates autopsies in such cases, with conclusions submitted to the civil registrar. Public prosecutors and police oversee investigations.
Who is designated as the primary informant for unnatural or suspicious deaths?
Nearest relative
What type of medicolegal death investigation (MLDI) system does the country have?
Law Enforcement Led System
Does the law clearly state what types of cases must be referred to the MLDI authority and is this in accordance with international guidance?
Yes
Does the law mandate that law enforcement and/or heads of custodial institutions report all deaths in custody to the medicolegal death investigation authority?
Yes
For a death referred to the MLDI system, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar and statistics agency
Cause of Death
The Civil Status Law 2014 requires all deaths to be medically certified. Attending physicians issue the MCCD for deaths under medical supervision. In cases of unnatural death, forensic authorities complete certification. The MCCD form aligns partially with WHO standards.
Does the law require a cause of death (CoD) to register a death?
Cause of death information required but not an MCCD
Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death, for natural deaths occurring in a health facility?
Yes. Chief Medical Officer or designee of health facility.
Does the law designate a certifier of cause of death, for natural deaths occurring under medical supervision but outside a health facility?
No
Does the law provide a form to certify cause of death? If yes, does the form accord with WHO Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Form?
Yes the law provides a form for certifying cause of death that does not accord with WHO Standard MCCD Form
Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death when deaths are unnatural or suspicious, or otherwise referred to the MLDI authority?
Yes. Police officer or forensic authority.
Does the standard form death certificate include cause of death information?
Yes
Does the law allow for the use of verbal autopsy when there is no MCCD?
No
Stillbirth Reporting
Vietnamese law does not define stillbirth explicitly. However, fetal deaths are recorded in the health system and notified to civil registrars if gestational age exceeds 22 weeks. A medical certificate is required, and registration is compulsory in such cases.
Does the law provide a definition of fetal death? If yes, does the definition of fetal death accord with international guidelines?
No
Does the law provide a definition of, or criteria for stillbirth? If yes, does the definition of or criteria for stillbirth accord with international guidelines?
No
What system(s) are used to report stillbirths?
Health Sector
Is stillbirth registration available and compulsory for all stillbirths occurring within the country's jurisdiction?
Unclear
Who is the designated primary informant for declaring stillbirths to the civil registrar?
Unspecified
What is the role of the health sector in stillbirth registration?
Notification
Where must stillbirths be reported?
Unclear
Are there any fees for stillbirth registration?
No
Does the civil register contain a separate register for stillbirths, distinct from birth and death registers?
No
Does the law mandate reporting of all stillbirths through the health sector?
Mandatory
Does the law require or request medical certification of cause of death for stillbirths? If yes, does the medical certificate of cause of death used, accord with the WHO MCCD form?
No
Vital Statistics
The Law on Statistics (Law No. 89/2015/QH13) assigns responsibility to the General Statistics Office (GSO) for compiling vital statistics. Data is derived from civil registration and health systems. Procedures are in place to ensure anonymization and timely transfer.
Does the legal framework designate the entity or entities responsible for compiling vital statistics in the country?
Yes. General Statistics Office.
Are vital statistics derived from the civil registration system?
Yes
Are there clear procedures and timeframes in the legal framework to facilitate sharing data from the civil registration agency to the national statistics agency(ies)?
Yes
Does the law require that civil registration data be anonymized before it is shared with the national statistics agency(ies)?
No
Are vital statistics compiled centrally?
Yes
Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected at birth registration?
Partially
Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected at death registration?
Partially
Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected for stillbirths (either through civil registration or the Ministry of Health)?
