DECISION

No. 15/2003/QD-BTP OF FEBRUARY 12, 2003 PROMULGATING CIVIL STATUS FORMS AND BOOKS INVOLVING FOREIGN ELEMENTS

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 38/CP of June 4, 1993 on the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Justice;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 68/2002/ND-CP of July 10, 2002 detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Marriage and Family Law on marriage and family relations involving foreign elements;

After reaching agreement with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs;

At the proposals of the directors of the Office and the Department of Notaries, Legal Assessments, Household Registration, Nationalities and Judicial Records.

DECIDES:

Article 1.

To promulgate together with this Decision 24 forms and books for civil status management and registration according to the provisions of the Government’s Decree No. 68/2002/ND-CP of July 10, 2002 detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Marriage and Family Law on marriage and family relations involving foreign elements (hereinafter called the forms of civil status involving foreign elements) enumerated and numerally coded in the list enclosed herewith (not printed herein).

Article 2.

The civil status forms for cases involving foreign elements defined in Article 1 of this Decision shall be uniformly used at the provincial/municipal Justice Services throughout the country and the foreign-based Vietnamese diplomatic missions or consular offices.

Article 3.

1. The Ministry of Justice shall organize the printing and distribution of 12 civil status forms for cases involving foreign elements enumerated in Section I of the enclosed list.

2. The Justice Services of the provinces and centrally-run cities, and the foreign-based Vietnamese diplomatic missions and consular offices shall organize the printing and distribution of 12 civil status forms for cases involving foreign elements enumerated in Section II of the enclosed list, according to the formats and contents prescribed in the forms promulgated together with this Decision (not printed herein).

Article 4.

The director of the Department of Notaries, Legal Assessments, Household Registration, Nationalities and Judicial Records shall have to coordinate with the director of the Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in readjusting the civil status forms for cases involving foreign elements (the section for inscribing names of agencies registering and recognizing civil status events) suitably for use at the foreign-based Vietnamese diplomatic missions and consular offices. The Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall print and distribute the civil status forms for cases involving foreign elements for use at the foreign-based Vietnamese diplomatic missions and consular offices as defined in Clause 1, Article 3 of this Decision.

Article 5.

It is strictly prohibited to print, distribute and use the civil status forms for cases involving foreign elements in contravention of the provisions of this Decision.

Article 6.

This Decision takes effect 15 days after it is published on the Official Gazette and replaces the Justice Minister’s Decision No. 571/QD-HT of August 4, 1995, Decision No. 650/QD-HT of September 16, 1995 and Decision No. 615/QD-HT of May 4, 1996 promulgating forms of papers on marriage and family relations between Vietnamese citizens and foreigners.

Article 7.

The director of the Office, the director of the Department of Notaries, Legal Assessments, Household Registration, Nationalities and Judicial Records, the directors of the Justice Services of the provinces and centrally-run cities and the heads of the foreign-based Vietnamese diplomatic missions and consular offices shall have to implement this Decision.