Legal age to get married in Vn

[Chimmy 0]

Whats up my VJ buddies...?

I got a wierd question for you guys...So my brother recently got engage to this girl in Vn. They are planning a wedding this summer. She is twenty years old, however her birth certifcate say she will be 18 in Nov this year. ...so she is technically under 18..

She said her mom for..whatever reason changed her birthcerifcate to make her younger..( i have no idea why?")

They said they went to ask..someone.. (I have no idea who)...but they were told that as long as she was technically turing 18 this year...it will be ok. Aparently, the go by Year...not month and day..?

I have a wierd feeling about this...what do you guys think?

Thanks, Chimmy

[BinhJerome 14]

Whats up my VJ buddies...?

I got a wierd question for you guys...So my brother recently got engage to this girl in Vn. They are planning a wedding this summer. She is twenty years old, however her birth certifcate say she will be 18 in Nov this year. ...so she is technically under 18..

She said her mom for..whatever reason changed her birthcerifcate to make her younger..( i have no idea why?")

They said they went to ask..someone.. (I have no idea who)...but they were told that as long as she was technically turing 18 this year...it will be ok. Aparently, the go by Year...not month and day..?

I have a wierd feeling about this...what do you guys think?

Thanks, Chimmy

Binh says you have to be 18 to marry in Vietnam, so I would assume that means to the day, not "about to turn 18" as for your weird feeling, it would seem strange in western culture for anyone to go about changing a birthdate on a birth certificate since they are issued at birth. I have heard many things like this happening in China, and with the relegious beliefs of a year being unlucky, maybe there is a reasonable explination, Binh also said people just change things like that, and that even in the country side people are so backward they dont even know the exact ages of their children. I would say if you are having feelings, to just have him slow down a bit and really get to know this girl and see what her goals are. Good luck Jerome

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

They do measure age differently in Vietnam than we do in the west. You are considered to be "1" on the day you are born. You are considered to be "2" on the next lunar new year. Therefore, you could conceivably be "2" the day after you are born, if you happen to be born the day before the lunar new year. Culturally speaking, everyone has the same birthday because they become one year older on the same day, but they still recognize and honor the anniversary of your birth as your birthday.

This caused a little confusion between me and Phuong, as she often referred to my age as being 1 year older than I consider myself to be.

Anyway, I don't know if this cultural age has any bearing on determining age for marriage.

[BinhJerome 14]

They do measure age differently in Vietnam than we do in the west. You are considered to be "1" on the day you are born. You are considered to be "2" on the next lunar new year. Therefore, you could conceivably be "2" the day after you are born, if you happen to be born the day before the lunar new year. Culturally speaking, everyone has the same birthday because they become one year older on the same day, but they still recognize and honor the anniversary of your birth as your birthday.

This caused a little confusion between me and Phuong, as she often referred to my age as being 1 year older than I consider myself to be.

Anyway, I don't know if this cultural age has any bearing on determining age for marriage.

Jim, the difference is not in your case where your wife thinks you are 1 year older than you are, or conceivably be "2" the day after you are born, Binh was doing the same thinking, read the OP it is the oppisite, she IS 20 but her papers show she is actually only 17 (about to turn 18) Binh thought it was to put her into school by saying she was older, but I had to correct her because it is not what the OP was stating. But you are correct on the fact they use the Lunar new year here in Vietnam, so Binh was actually born in 1975 by their standards instead of 1976 by the western standards, her actual birthday is Jan 17th, before TET. Jerome

[ScottThuy 140]

I met many young girls .. very early teens, married with children when I was in Sapa last year... I guess it depends on where one is living in VN...

[BinhJerome 14]

I met many young girls .. very early teens, married with children when I was in Sapa last year... I guess it depends on where one is living in VN...

Did they have the marrage license? I also think it might be different with foreigners but I looked over our papers and it clearly stated that we both had to be 18 years of age

[Haonie 0]

Whats up my VJ buddies...?

I got a wierd question for you guys...So my brother recently got engage to this girl in Vn. They are planning a wedding this summer. She is twenty years old, however her birth certifcate say she will be 18 in Nov this year. ...so she is technically under 18..

She said her mom for..whatever reason changed her birthcerifcate to make her younger..( i have no idea why?")

They said they went to ask..someone.. (I have no idea who)...but they were told that as long as she was technically turing 18 this year...it will be ok. Aparently, the go by Year...not month and day..?

I have a wierd feeling about this...what do you guys think?

Thanks, Chimmy

Your brother MUST wait until she turns 18 years old base on the Birth Certificate, otherwise, he will getting a big trouble with a Vietnam’s law. If I was your brother, I will NOT take this risk.

[Dai. 7]

Jim, the difference is not in your case where your wife thinks you are 1 year older than you are, or conceivably be "2" the day after you are born, Binh was doing the same thinking, read the OP it is the oppisite, she IS 20 but her papers show she is actually only 17 (about to turn 18) Binh thought it was to put her into school by saying she was older, but I had to correct her because it is not what the OP was stating. But you are correct on the fact they use the Lunar new year here in Vietnam, so Binh was actually born in 1975 by their standards instead of 1976 by the western standards, her actual birthday is Jan 17th, before TET. Jerome

What? Are you saying in Vietnam she was born in 1975 but in America (western standards) she was born in 1976?

[BinhJerome 14]

What? Are you saying in Vietnam she was born in 1975 but in America (western standards) she was born in 1976?

What part is hard to read????? She was born Jan 17th before Lunar new year which would make the year 1975, but it was after December 31st 1975 which in western culture signifies the start of a new year hence 1976. I thought my post was pretty clear and inline with what Jim was saying, but I hope this helps clarify it a bit better. Jerome

[Teacher Mark 53]

What? Are you saying in Vietnam she was born in 1975 but in America (western standards) she was born in 1976?

was actually born in 1975 by their standards instead of 1976 by the western standards

Yeah, what's so hard to understand about that?

Edited May 12, 2010 by Mr. Saigon

[Dai. 7]

What part is hard to read????? She was born Jan 17th before Lunar new year which would make the year 1975, but it was after December 31st 1975 which in western culture signifies the start of a new year hence 1976. I thought my post was pretty clear and inline with what Jim was saying, but I hope this helps clarify it a bit better. Jerome

Why so harsh on responding to my question. I'm just trying to understand what you are posting. So on your wife's official documents and birth certificate does it state 75 or 76?

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Jim, the difference is not in your case where your wife thinks you are 1 year older than you are, or conceivably be "2" the day after you are born, Binh was doing the same thinking, read the OP it is the oppisite, she IS 20 but her papers show she is actually only 17 (about to turn 18) Binh thought it was to put her into school by saying she was older, but I had to correct her because it is not what the OP was stating. But you are correct on the fact they use the Lunar new year here in Vietnam, so Binh was actually born in 1975 by their standards instead of 1976 by the western standards, her actual birthday is Jan 17th, before TET. Jerome

I wasn't implying that it had anything to do with the difference between her real age and her birth certificate age. I was saying that I didn't know if the cultural way they determine age has any effect on the legal way they determine age. There is no ambiguity in western countries - we count calendar years starting at zero on the day you are born. Most east Asian countries count your age the same way they do in Vietnam. In Korea they even include time spent in the womb as contributing to your age.

So, if you are culturally considered to be 18 on the lunar new year, even though your actual birthday isn't until July (for example), are you 18 for legal purposes, or are you 17 until your birthday passes? That is what I don't know.

[Dai. 7]

They do measure age differently in Vietnam than we do in the west. You are considered to be "1" on the day you are born. You are considered to be "2" on the next lunar new year. Therefore, you could conceivably be "2" the day after you are born, if you happen to be born the day before the lunar new year. Culturally speaking, everyone has the same birthday because they become one year older on the same day, but they still recognize and honor the anniversary of your birth as your birthday.

This caused a little confusion between me and Phuong, as she often referred to my age as being 1 year older than I consider myself to be.

Anyway, I don't know if this cultural age has any bearing on determining age for marriage.

Yeah I thought It was a little weird too cause same thing happen to my wife's family and I. They kept on saying that I am 1 year older than I actually am. Vietnam just ages us, we become one year older when we are in Vietnam.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Ok, I asked my step-daughter Ngoc about this. She says there is only one way of determining your age in Vietnam, regardless of the reason for it. They go by the lunar year. Your calendar birthday is only relevant for determining which lunar year you were born.

The day you are born is your first birthday. You are 1 year old for the remainder of that lunar year. On the next lunar new year you become 2 years old, and so on.

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

I wasn't implying that it had anything to do with the difference between her real age and her birth certificate age. I was saying that I didn't know if the cultural way they determine age has any effect on the legal way they determine age. There is no ambiguity in western countries - we count calendar years starting at zero on the day you are born. Most east Asian countries count your age the same way they do in Vietnam. In Korea they even include time spent in the womb as contributing to your age.

Not only Korea, but Vietnamese, and Chinese. This is exactly how VNESE, and Chinese calculate they age.

When the first day you in the womb, is considering day 1 in your 1 year of life cycle. Meaning, when you were born, you are in the womb for exactly 9 months, and 10 days. This is why vnese mom always mention (9 thang 10 ngay). So, the first day your were born is 1 year, and 1 day. This is why our lovely wife always add us 1 year extra before our b-day.

Hope this help.