The United States ambassador to Vietnam (), formally the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (), is the chief American diplomat to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. After the First Indochina War and the defeat of the French domination over Vietnam, the country was split into North and South Vietnam (the Republic of Vietnam) at the Geneva Conference of 1954. The United States did not recognize North Vietnam and thus had no diplomatic relations with the country. After the reunification of Vietnam in 1976, there followed a period of 20 years in which the United States had no diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
The U.S. opened a Liaison Office in Hanoi on January 28, 1995. Diplomatic relations were established July 11, 1995, and the embassy in Hanoi was established with L. Desaix Anderson as chargé d’affaires ad interim.
Ambassadors
1950 to 1975 (South Vietnam)
Since 1997 +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionPete Peterson – Political appointeeAn earlier nomination of May 23, 1996, was not acted upon by the Senate.Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 11, 1997May 14, 1997July 15, 2001Raymond Burghardt – Career FSONovember 28, 2001February 5, 2002September 5, 2004Michael W. Marine – Career FSOMay 6, 2004September 10, 2004August 10, 2007Michael W. Michalak – Career FSOMay 24, 2007August 10, 2007February 14, 2011Virginia E. Palmer – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimFebruary 14, 2011 -July 2011David B. Shear – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 4, 2011August 29, 2011August 8, 2014Ted Osius – Career FSODecember 10, 2014December 16, 2014November 4, 2017Daniel Kritenbrink – Career FSOOctober 27, 2017November 6, 2017April 15, 2021Christopher KleinChargé d'Affaires ad interimApril 15, 2021 -October 15, 2021Marie C. DamourChargé d'Affaires ad interimOctober 15, 2021 -January 27, 2022Marc Knapper – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 3, 2022February 11, 2022January 18, 2026Courtney Beale – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 19, 2026 -March 5, 2026John W. McInytre – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimMarch 5, 2026 -July 2, 2026Jennifer WicksAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 18, 2026 July 6, 2026 Present
Residence
The house used by the U.S. ambassador was designed by M. LaCollogne, Principal Architect and Chief of Civil Construction Service in Tonkin and built in 1921 by Indochina Public Property, part of the French colonial government, for Indochina Financial Governors who lived here until 1948. The house was then assigned, until 1954, to the highest-ranking Indochina Tariff Officer. When the French left South East Asia in 1954, Vietnamese government officials moved in. Deputy Prime Minister Phan Kế Toại was the last occupant; at his death, the house became the headquarter of the Committee for Foreign Culture Exchange. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press office was located in the building until 1994. The residence was included in an exchange of property between the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1995.U.S. Department of State, The Secretary of State's Register of Culturally Significant Property, 2007.
Notes
See also United States - Vietnam relations Foreign relations of Vietnam Ambassadors of the United States
References United States Department of State: Background notes on Vietnam
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Vietnam United States Department of State: Vietnam United States Embassy in Hanoi