Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ Gender identity only
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✔ Banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!

In Vietnam, public opinion seems to reflect a lack of acceptance or understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.

Views on Same-Sex Marriage

(ILGA, 2016)
of Vietnamese support the legalization of same-sex marriage
of Vietnamese oppose it

Perception of LGBTQ+ People

Survey results from 8 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Vietnam.

Overall

Overall

Perceived Safety*

Feel safe being open
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment

Treatment by peers
Treatment by family
Treatment at work
Treatment at school
Treatment by general public
Treatment by businesses
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation

Inclusion in education
Representation in entertainment
Representation in news
Political support
Out public figures

Culture

Pride/events
Nightlife
Dating life
Interest groups and clubs

Services

Health and wellness
Gender-affirming care
Support and social services
Advocacy and legal

History

Homosexual activity in Vietnam

?

Homosexual activity in Vietnam is legal.

Current status
Legal
It is believed that homosexual acts have never been illegal in Vietnam and those punished for it have been due to falling foul of other laws, such as those of adultery, with no regard to the sexuality of the offenders.
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Vietnam

?

Same-sex marriage in Vietnam is unrecognized.

Current status
Since Nov 12, 2013
Unrecognized
Proposition 110 still states that same sex union is not legal. However, it removed all penalty involved with marriage ceremony or attempts to register, effectively de-criminalizing the act.
Report error  ·  Log
Nov 12, 2013–Sep 10, 2018
Unrecognized
Vietnamese government said that they are trying to get a bill passed. Gay marriage pending and Gay Union pending.
Jun 9, 2000–Nov 11, 2013
Banned
The marriage law explicitly prohibits marriage between same-sex couples
Report error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT issues in Vietnam

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Vietnam is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Vietnam, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Report error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Vietnam

?

Right to change legal gender in Vietnam is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2017
Legal, but requires surgery
On November 24, 2015, the Vietnamese National Assembly voted overwhelmingly (282 from the 366 members of the National Assembly) in favour of legalizing the right to change an individual's legal gender. This law went into effect in 2017.
Report error  ·  Log
Aug 5, 2008–Nov 23, 2015
Illegal
Legally, one can only change the gender when he/she is very young and has condition that "confuses" the actual gender of the child. Once the sexual organ is "fully developed", a citizen can't change his/her gender.
Report error  ·  Log

Gender-affirming care in Vietnam

?

Gender-affirming care in Vietnam is legal.

Current status
Since Aug 5, 2008
Legal
Gender Redetermination Decree No. 88/2008/ND-CP specifies the rules of care for transgender people, including:

3. Gender reassignment treatment:

a) At the request of the person re-establishing gender, the research and treatment facility will select the gender that will have appropriate treatment methods, maintaining the principle that in the case of a given gender, the person being determined will be the gender that best integrates life mentally, physiologically and socially;

b) The research and treatment facility determines the age of the person applying for gender reassignment surgery, making sure that it is the earliest age;

c) Medical and therapeutic research centers recommend surgical treatment and postoperative hormonal treatment.
Report error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Vietnam

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Vietnam is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Vietnam does not legally recognize non-binary gender. In Vietnam, individuals are legally classified as either male or female.
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Vietnam

?

LGBT discrimination in Vietnam is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1992
Illegal in some contexts
Illegal (housing discrimination) for transgender people
Sources:
Australia Country Advice - refworld.org/pdfid/50f7fa112.pdf
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Vietnam

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Vietnam is no protections.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1992
No protections
Discrimination protections pending.
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Vietnam

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Vietnam is gender identity only.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1992
Gender identity only
For transgender people only
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Vietnam

?

Same-sex adoption in Vietnam is single only.

Current status
Since Jun 9, 2000
Single only
Report error  ·  Log
Jan 1, 1992–Sep 9, 2018
Single only
Legalization pending.
Report error  ·  Log

Intersex infant surgery in Vietnam

?

Intersex infant surgery in Vietnam is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Not banned in Vietnam.
Report error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Vietnam

?

Serving openly in military in Vietnam is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1992
Legal
Technically, homosexuals can serve openly in the military. There are no laws protecting them against discriminations though.
Sources:
Vietnam People's Army - Thayer american.edu/sis/aseanstudi…
Report error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Vietnam

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Vietnam is legal.

Current status
Legal
There are no laws regarding donating blood in Vietnam.
Report error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Vietnam

?

Conversion therapy in Vietnam is banned.

Current status
Since Aug 3, 2022
Banned
On August 3, 2022, Vietnamese Health Ministry published a document saying that homosexuality is not disease and that conversion therapy to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity was illegal.

It is currently not clear what the consequences of partaking in the practice will be, if any.
Until Aug 3, 2022
Not banned
Not banned
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Vietnam

?

Equal age of consent in Vietnam is equal.

Current status
Since Dec 21, 1999
Equal
The age of consent is 16 years old. However, this is due to the LGBT population not being officially mentioned or recognized in the law
Report error  ·  Log