In Vietnam, unmarried person may be fined up to $378 for living with married individual as spouse

Deputy Minister of Justice Phan Chi Hieu has chaired a working session with the drafting team of a new decree outlining administrative penalties in the areas of judicial support, civil administration, marriage and family, civil enforcement, and corporate and cooperative bankruptcy.

The draft decree consists of nine chapters and 96 articles, clearly defining violations, forms of penalties, and their levels across judicial support, civil administration, marriage and family, civil enforcement, corporate and cooperative bankruptcy, as well as certain other offenses.

It also specifies the authority responsible for recording violations and imposing administrative fines.

Notably, the draft decree proposes increased penalties for certain violations in the field of marriage and family.

Under the proposal, fines for some acts would rise from the current range of VND3-5 million ($113-189) to VND5-10 million ($189-378).

The draft specifically targets the following behaviors:

- Individuals who are already married and marry someone else, or those who are unmarried but knowingly marry someone who is already married.

- Individuals who are already married and live as husband and wife with another person, or those who are unmarried but knowingly cohabit as husband and wife with someone who is already married.

- Marriage or cohabitation between individuals with certain familial relationships, including former adoptive parents and adopted children, fathers-in-law and daughters-in-law, mothers-in-law and sons-in-law, stepfathers and stepchildren, and stepmothers and stepchildren.

- Obstructing marriage, demanding property during marriage, or obstructing divorce proceedings.