Get Married in Vietnam: Legal Steps, Costs and a Beach Vow
You grew up in California, Sydney, Toronto or Paris. Your parents and grandparents are still in Vietnam, or they fly home with you every few years. Now you want to get married in Vietnam, on the sea at Nha Trang, with your family close enough to hear the vows.
Before you choose flowers, three practical questions come first. Is it legal to get married in Vietnam when one or both of you hold a foreign passport? What does it cost? And who in Nha Trang can plan it while you are twelve time zones away?
This guide explains how to get married in Vietnam in the order most couples ask their questions. It covers the difference between a ceremony and a registration, the documents Vietnamese authorities usually ask for, a cost framework by line item, the best places and months, and how a European-style beach vow works in practice. It is written by Jolie Mai Wedding & Events, a decoration and event team in Nha Trang with 12 years of work on the coast. Jolie Mai speaks English with you and Vietnamese with your parents, so both sides of the family get the same plan.
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Can you legally get married in Vietnam?
The short answer is yes, foreigners can get married in Vietnam, and overseas Vietnamese can get married in Vietnam too. The longer answer depends on your citizenship, where you live and which local office handles your file. Two very different things are often called a wedding, and it helps to separate them early.
The first is a registration: a Vietnamese authority records your marriage and issues a certificate. The second is a ceremony: the day with your family, your vows, flowers, music and a dinner. You can have one without the other. Many couples who get married in Vietnam do both, in either order.
What the law says if you get married in Vietnam
Marriage in Vietnam is governed by the Law on Marriage and Family of 2014. The same law sets a minimum age of 20 for men and 18 for women. When one partner is a foreign citizen, the registration follows Vietnam’s civil status rules and is handled by a commune-level People’s Committee, not by an embassy. Since 1 July 2025, Decree 120/2025 moved this step from the district level to the commune level.
The U.S. Embassy states this plainly on its marriage page for U.S. citizens in Vietnam: Vietnamese authorities, not the embassy, register marriages, and requirements can differ by locality. Other countries’ embassies say much the same. Which level of office takes the file has also changed in recent years, so confirm it locally before you book flights.
Overseas Vietnamese who want to get married in Vietnam: which category?
This is the point that confuses most second-generation couples who want to get married in Vietnam. Someone who left Vietnam and kept Vietnamese citizenship is treated differently from someone born abroad who holds only a U.S., Australian or Canadian passport. Some people hold documents that sit between the two.
Your category decides which documents you provide and where you file. A Vietnamese citizen marrying a foreign citizen follows one procedure. Two foreign citizens who get married in Vietnam together may face a different one, and local offices do not always handle that case the same way. Jolie Mai cannot tell you which applies to you. The local justice office and your embassy can.
An option many couples overlook: register at home
If the paperwork to get married in Vietnam looks heavy, there is a second route. You can register your marriage where you live, at your city hall or county office, and hold the ceremony in Nha Trang with your family. Vietnamese guidance describes how a marriage registered abroad can later be recorded in Vietnam, and overseas Vietnamese can ask their consulate about it under Circular 07/2023/TT-BNG.
Whether this suits you depends on your citizenship and plans. It is worth a phone call to the Vietnamese consulate that serves your area before you decide.
What Jolie Mai does and does not do
Jolie Mai organises the ceremony. That means design, decoration, flowers, vow setup, schedule, coordination on the day and the team on site. For couples from abroad, the ceremony in Nha Trang is a symbolic one.
Jolie Mai does not handle registration paperwork, translations, legalisation or applications to any government office. If you want a registration in Vietnam, you or a licensed legal adviser file it. Jolie Mai plans the day around your appointment dates when you get married in Vietnam, and it is easier to fix the ceremony date once you know when your file will be ready.
What documents do you need to get married in Vietnam?
There is no single list for every couple who wants to get married in Vietnam. The documents below are the ones Vietnamese guidance and embassy pages mention most often. Treat them as a starting point for questions, not a checklist you can complete from home.
| Item | What it usually means | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Valid passport for the foreign partner | A residence card or travel document is accepted in some cases |
| Proof you are free to marry | A certificate or affidavit that you are not currently married | For U.S. citizens, the embassy executes an affidavit of single status |
| Health certificate | A medical certificate from a recognised hospital | Confirms both partners can understand and control their actions |
| Application form | Completed at the local office | Forms and fees differ by locality |
| Photos and copies | Passport photos and copies of ID | Some offices ask for notarised copies |
| Translation and legalisation | Foreign documents translated into Vietnamese and legalised | Rules depend on the issuing country |
| Divorce or prior marriage records | If either of you was married before | Must show the earlier marriage was ended |
Several points come up again and again for couples who get married in Vietnam:
- Documents with no stated expiry are often treated as valid for six months from issue, so the order in which you collect them matters.
- Since 17 March 2025, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General limit notarial work to general affidavits and affidavits of single status for marriage in Vietnam. Authentication of U.S.-issued vital records goes through the State Department.
- Vietnamese authorities may review the file for a number of days before the registration appointment, so plan to be in the country longer than a long weekend if you want to register there.
Where to confirm the rules to get married in Vietnam
Start with the embassy of the country on your passport, then the Vietnamese consulate that serves your region, then the commune-level People’s Committee where you plan to file. The U.S. Embassy’s marriage page is a good example of how an embassy explains its own role and the local office’s role.
Ask each office the same three questions. Which documents do you need from me? Who must translate and legalise them? How long will the file take once it is complete? Write down the answers with the date, because rules and fees change.
A sensible order of steps
For most couples who get married in Vietnam, the order looks like this. First confirm your category and the correct office. Next, collect home-country documents and translations. Then pick a ceremony date that falls after the registration date, or choose a date that does not depend on it. Finally, book the ceremony team and venue with a deposit, so the date is fixed while the paperwork proceeds.
If you only want the ceremony when you get married in Vietnam, skip the registration steps and go directly to the cost and venue sections below.
How much does it cost to get married in Vietnam?
Two budgets sit under the question of what it costs to get married in Vietnam. One is the registration: government fees, translations, legalisation and medical certificates. These vary by locality and by country of issue, and Jolie Mai does not quote them. Your embassy or a licensed adviser can give you current figures.
The other is the ceremony and celebration, which is where most of your budget goes. This part Jolie Mai prices by line item, and the framework below comes from its approved price list.
Cost framework for a ceremony when you get married in Vietnam
All prices are in Vietnamese dong, and where a price says “from”, it is a starting point that depends on design and flowers. Prices apply to Nha Trang city. Other areas add transport, and Jolie Mai quotes that after a site survey.
| Line item | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Beach proposal setup | from 6,000,000 VND | Flower arch or heart, lettering, lighting, set up before and cleared after |
| Anniversary or vow dinner by the sea | from 10,000,000 VND, by concept | Design and decoration for a small dinner; menu and venue are separate |
| Bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere | from 800,000 VND | One set |
| Bridesmaid or groomsman flowers | from 300,000 VND | Per bouquet |
| Photo coverage for a proposal | 3,000,000 VND | One photographer, 1.5 hours, 20 edited photos |
| Planning and coordination | 5,000,000 VND to 25,000,000 VND | From advice on budget and style to a full script with on-site team |
| Tea ceremony altar, silk flowers (Diamond) | 9,800,000 VND | Backdrop, family table, flower gate, welcome sign, tea and chairs |
| Engagement gift trays, traditional set | 4,700,000 VND | Five trays |
For a full wedding reception with 60 or more guests, the published packages are 30,000,000 VND (Gói Tinh Tế, 60 to 100 guests, silk flowers), 55,000,000 VND (Gói Lãng Mạn, 100 to 200 guests, fresh flowers with silk) and from 80,000,000 VND (Gói Trọn Vẹn, 200 or more guests, fresh flower focus). These are decoration packages and do not include the venue or food.
Why a small beach wedding to get married in Vietnam has no flat price
A beach wedding for 20 to 40 guests looks small, but the cost to get married in Vietnam this way moves with the menu you choose at the resort, the size of the arch, fresh flowers or silk, the length of the evening and the season. Late December and the lunar new year period cost more everywhere.
For that reason Jolie Mai does not publish a single package price for small groups. You describe the day, Jolie Mai asks about venue, guest count and style, and then sends a quote broken into items with the result each item gives. If you want a longer breakdown for Nha Trang, the Nha Trang wedding cost guide walks through each category.
What you pay beyond decoration
Plan separately, on top of the cost to get married in Vietnam by the sea, for the venue or resort fee, food and drinks, photographers, hair and makeup, your outfits, transport for guests, and any registration costs. Resorts often charge a venue fee if you do not book their set menu. The resort sets those prices, and Jolie Mai can ask for them on your behalf.
How payment is organised
To fix a date, Jolie Mai asks for a deposit of 5,000,000 VND. Later instalments are written into your quotation and contract, so you see every amount before you sign. Jolie Mai holds a date only after the deposit is paid; until then, a date is available, not reserved.
Best places and time to get married in Vietnam
Most couples who want to get married in Vietnam think of Hoi An, Da Nang or Phu Quoc first. Nha Trang suits a sea-facing ceremony for a particular reason: the bay faces east, the sand is wide, and several resorts own private beach that can be dressed for a ceremony.
Why not the public beach on Tran Phu?
The public beach along Tran Phu Street cannot be set up for a ceremony without separate permission from the authorities. Jolie Mai recommends the private beaches of resorts instead, where the resort controls access and the decoration can stay up for the whole evening.
Nha Trang: the best place to get married in Vietnam by the sea
Along the Nha Trang coast, where many couples choose to get married in Vietnam, Jolie Mai has set up ceremonies at Vega City Beach, on the private wooden pier at Amiana Resort and at Ana Marina. Each gives a different feeling.
- Vega City Beach: wide sand, a long view of the bay, and room for an aisle with a flower arch at the water’s edge.
- Amiana Resort pier: a wooden walkway over the water. An arch built here frames the sea behind the couple, and a table for two fits at the end.
- Ana Marina: a marina setting where a beach aisle with a wooden arch and flower mound has been built for a ceremony.
If you want a closer look at the venues, see the guide to Nha Trang wedding venues.
Cam Ranh and Bai Dai: get married in Vietnam on a quiet beach
South of the city, Cam Ranh and Bai Dai have long, quiet beaches and larger resorts. Jolie Mai has decorated a ceremony on the grass hill above the sea at Movenpick Resort Cam Ranh, where the lawn runs towards the water and the evening stage sits under a gold arch.
Cam Ranh is further from the city, so transport and team time are added to the quote.
Dalat: get married in Vietnam among pines and a lake
If your family comes from the highlands, or you prefer cool air, Dalat is an alternative. Jolie Mai has built a transparent tent with peach voile and a crystal chandelier between pine trees at Terracotta Resort by Tuyen Lam Lake. The page on Dalat weddings shows how that setup works. Dalat is quoted after a survey because the team travels from Nha Trang.
The best time to get married in Vietnam
Generally, the coast is driest and brightest from January to August. Rain is more likely from September to December, and it is heaviest in October and November. Weather is never certain, so a good plan includes a covered or indoor option.
Within a day, late afternoon is usually the best time for a beach ceremony. The light is lower and softer, the heat eases, and the sky changes colour while you exchange vows. A ceremony that starts about an hour before sunset leaves time for photos in the best light and a dinner afterwards.
A European-style beach vow in Nha Trang
Many second-generation couples who get married in Vietnam describe the same picture: bare feet or light shoes on sand, a quiet aisle, a flower arch, white chairs, a short vow read aloud in English, and no loud stage show. It is closer to a Mediterranean ceremony than a traditional Vietnamese banquet, and it works well on the Nha Trang coast.
How a beach vow is built
A vow ceremony is designed backwards from the view. Jolie Mai first checks where the sun will be at the time you plan to marry, and places the arch so the sea or the light sits behind you. The aisle runs towards the water. Chairs are set in two blocks with a clear path between them.
Then comes the palette. For a European feel, the flowers tend to be roses, hydrangea, orchids and baby’s breath in cream, blush or soft peach, with fabric in white voile. The restraint is the point. A few well-built arrangements read as more refined than many small ones.
Sound matters too. Jolie Mai can supply a microphone and speakers, and a celebrant can be arranged on request. These are quoted when you book them. If you want your own friend or a family member to lead, that works as well.
A real example: a Mongolian group at Vega City
Jolie Mai has done this for a tour group from Mongolia, around 40 guests, on the beach at Vega City Nha Trang. Two couples married at the same time. The arch was built in deep rose, shifting to peach and then cream, standing on a white carpet laid close to the waves. White tiffany chairs with voile bows lined the aisle.
The groom read his own vows into a microphone. There was no hired celebrant; the couple chose to speak for themselves. It is a small detail, but it is the part guests remember. That ceremony is a good model if you want to get married in Vietnam with a short, personal vow with your family watching.
What that wedding shows is the shape of a beach vow for a group of 40 guests who share the sea but not always a language. If you are coming home from abroad, the same structure works for you: a short aisle, an arch, white chairs and words you wrote yourselves.
Writing vows in two languages
Many couples write their vows in English and add a short line in Vietnamese for the grandparents. Even three sentences are enough. Jolie Mai can help with the Vietnamese wording, and your parents can check it before the day. Print the final text on small cards so nobody has to rely on memory in front of the sea.
For more on the full beach format, see the page on beach weddings in Nha Trang.
Renewing vows or celebrating an anniversary
Not every couple who comes home is getting married for the first time. Some want to renew their vows with a small circle of about 20 guests. A dinner by the sea with a long table, white linen and lanterns follows the same logic as a wedding, scaled down. See wedding anniversary parties in Nha Trang for how it is organised and priced from 10,000,000 VND by concept.
The tea ceremony with your family
If you get married in Vietnam, your parents will probably expect a family ceremony as well. In Vietnamese this is the lễ gia tiên, the ceremony in front of the ancestors, often combined with a tea offering. Many second-generation couples have never seen one in full.
What happens
The two families meet. The couple stands before the family altar, offers tea to the elders, and receives blessings, often with small gifts. Gift trays, usually in red, are carried in by relatives and presented to the bride’s family. The details change from region to region, and an elder in your family will know what your family expects.
What Jolie Mai prepares
Jolie Mai builds the altar backdrop, the table for two families, a flower gate, a welcome sign and the layout of chairs, tea and trays. The decoration is silk flowers in the standard packages, with fresh flowers available from 15,000,000 VND. See the page on family altar decoration in Nha Trang for the options.
For the trays, there is a separate page on engagement gift trays. The details of order, clothing and timing are covered in a dedicated guide to the Vietnamese tea ceremony in Nha Trang.
How to combine it with a beach vow
A workable plan is to hold the family ceremony at home or at a hotel on the morning of the same day, or the day before, and keep the beach vow for late afternoon. This gives two moods: the traditional ceremony for your parents, then the sea and sunset for the vow you imagined. Jolie Mai coordinates both on one schedule so the two teams never overlap.
Planning to get married in Vietnam from abroad
To get married in Vietnam from another continent, you need clear channels. Jolie Mai works on WhatsApp, Zalo and email, with the same phone number for all of them: +84 909 993 928.
Two languages, one plan
You talk to Jolie Mai in English. Your parents talk to Jolie Mai in Vietnamese. Both conversations stay linked to one plan, so a decision your mother makes about the tea table does not clash with what you agreed about the arch. Ask for a written summary after each call.
A simple timeline
- Confirm your category and the paperwork route with your embassy or consulate, if you want a registration.
- Choose the month and the venue. Ask the resort which dates are free.
- Describe the day to Jolie Mai: guest count, style, outdoor or covered, fresh or silk flowers.
- Receive a quote by line item with the result each item produces, then approve the design.
- Pay the deposit of 5,000,000 VND to fix the date. Later instalments are in the quotation and contract.
- Survey and updates. Jolie Mai surveys the site and sends photos as the setup progresses, so you can see the work without being there.
- Arrive a few days early to meet the team and rehearse the aisle.
Full-service coordination is available through wedding planning in Vietnam, from advice on budget to a full script with on-site staff.
What to bring with you
Bring your outfits, rings, printed vows and any family items such as a veil or a framed photo. Flowers, arches, chairs, carpet and the aisle layout are handled locally. If you want a particular colour or flower, send photographs and the team will say what is available in the month you marry.
FAQ: getting married in Vietnam
Can foreigners get married in Vietnam?
Yes. Foreign citizens who get married in Vietnam can register the marriage through the commune-level People’s Committee when they meet Vietnamese and home-country conditions and provide the required documents. Rules differ by locality and nationality, so confirm with your embassy and the local justice office before you plan the trip.
Can overseas Vietnamese get married in Vietnam?
Yes, but the procedure depends on whether you hold Vietnamese citizenship, a foreign passport or both. Your category decides which documents you provide and where you file. Ask the Vietnamese consulate serving your region, or the local justice office, which route applies to you.
Does Jolie Mai handle the legal registration?
No. Jolie Mai organises the ceremony: design, decoration, flowers, schedule and the team on site. For couples from abroad this is a symbolic ceremony. Registration, translation and legalisation are filed by you or a licensed legal adviser.
What do I need to get married in Vietnam?
Usually a valid passport, proof that you are free to marry, a health certificate, an application form and translated, legalised copies of foreign documents. Exact requirements vary, so ask each office for its current list and note the date.
How much does it cost to get married in Vietnam?
To get married in Vietnam, you pay registration fees, translations and medical certificates set by the offices involved. The ceremony is priced by line item. A beach proposal setup starts from 6,000,000 VND, an anniversary dinner from 10,000,000 VND, and wedding decoration packages start at 30,000,000 VND for 60 to 100 guests. Small beach weddings are quoted after a conversation.
What are the best places to get married in Vietnam?
For a sea ceremony, Nha Trang offers private resort beaches, the wooden pier at Amiana and Vega City Beach. Cam Ranh and Bai Dai suit larger resorts, and Dalat suits a pine forest and lake setting if you want to get married in Vietnam in the highlands. The public Tran Phu beach cannot be set up without separate permission.
When is the best time to get married in Vietnam on the coast?
Generally January to August has the driest weather on the Nha Trang coast. September to December is wetter, with the most rain in October and November. A ceremony about an hour before sunset gives the softest light.
Can I have a tea ceremony and a beach vow on the same day?
Yes. A common plan is the family ceremony in the morning or the day before and the beach vow in the late afternoon. Jolie Mai coordinates both on one schedule.
How do I reserve my date?
If you get married in Vietnam with Jolie Mai, a date is fixed after you pay the deposit of 5,000,000 VND. Before the deposit, a date is available but not reserved. The remaining payments are written in your quotation and contract.
Does Jolie Mai speak English?
Yes. Jolie Mai speaks English with you and Vietnamese with your parents, on WhatsApp, Zalo or email, so both generations follow the same plan.
Ready to get married in Vietnam by the sea?
If you plan to get married in Vietnam, start with the paperwork question, because it sets your calendar. Once you know whether you want a registration, a ceremony or both, the rest follows: a month, a beach, a palette, a family morning and a vow at sunset.
If you want Jolie Mai to plan the ceremony part, send a message with your preferred month, guest count and a few photographs of what you like. WhatsApp or Zalo: +84 909 993 928, every day from 08:00 to 17:00. Email: joliemaiwedding@gmail.com. Studio: 85 – 89 Duong 23/10, Tay Nha Trang Ward, Khanh Hoa. A reply will come with questions first and a quote second.
