Does Vietnam have 63 provinces and municipalities? What are the codes of 63 provinces and municipalities shown on citizen identity cards?

Main Content

• Does Vietnam have 63 provinces and municipalities?
• What are the codes of 63 provinces and municipalities shown on citizen identity cards? What is the latest list of license plate symbols applicable to 63 provinces and municipalities in Vietnam?
• What is the meaning of the codes shown on citizen identity cards in Vietnam?
• What are the procedures for the issuance of personal identification numbers for citizens registering births in Vietnam?

Does Vietnam have 63 provinces and municipalities?

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an S-shaped strip of land, located in the center of Southeast Asia, in the east of the Indochina peninsula, bordered on the north by China, on the west by Laos, and Cambodia, and on the southeast overlooking the East Sea and Pacific Ocean.

Before Ha Tay was merged into Hanoi in 2008, Vietnam had a total of 64 provinces. Currently, Vietnam has only 63 provinces and municipalities. In which, there are 5 municipalities: Hanoi Capital, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong City, Da Nang City, and Can Tho City.

Administratively, there are currently 63 provinces and municipalities in our country, of which 28 provinces and municipalities have seas, with 125 coastal districts and 12 island districts.

What are the codes of 63 provinces and municipalities shown on citizen identity cards? What is the latest list of license plate symbols applicable to 63 provinces and municipalities in Vietnam?

Under Decree 137/2015/ND-CP, Appendix 02 issued together with Circular 58/2020/TT-BCA, administrative unit codes can be referred to on citizen identity cards and license plates of 63 provinces and municipalities as follows:

What is the meaning of the codes shown on citizen identity cards in Vietnam?

Under Clause 2, Article 19 of the Law on Citizen Identity 2014, the citizen identity card number is the personal identification number.

In addition, Article 13 of Decree 137/2015/ND-CP stipulates codes in personal identification numbers as follows:

The personal identification number is a series of natural numbers consisting of 12 numbers, with a structure of 6 numbers which are the birth century code, gender code, citizen's year of birth code, provincial code, municipality code, or country code where the citizen registered his birth, and 6 numbers are random number intervals.

Thus, according to the above regulations, the citizen identification card number is a personal identification number, including:

- The first 3 digits: Codes of 63 provinces and municipalities where citizens register their births/codes of countries where citizens register their births.

- Next 1 digit: Birth century code, gender code

- Next 2 digits: Year of birth code

- The last 6 digits are random number intervals.

What are the procedures for the issuance of personal identification numbers for citizens registering births in Vietnam?

Under the provisions of Article 14 of Decree 137/2015/ND-CP as follows:

Procedures for issuance of personal identification numbers for citizens registering births

1. Where the electronic civil status database has been connected to the national database on population, upon receipt of the sufficient application for birth registration, the agency managing and registering civil status and managing the electronic civil status database shall immediately transfer the information of the person whose birth is registered to the national database population increases; in which the following information must be collected to issue a personal identification number:

a/ Full name, middle letter and birth name;

b/ Date, month and year of birth;

c/ Gender;

d/ Place of birth registration;

dd) Hometown;

e/ Ethnicity;

g) Nationality;

h) Full name, middle letter and name and nationality of the parent or legal representative; unless the parent or legal representative has not been identified.

The head of the agency managing the national database on the population of the Ministry of Public Security shall check information and documents as prescribed at Point b, Clause 3, Article 13 of the Law on Citizen Identification, issue and immediately transfer personal identification numbers to the agency managing and registering civil status.

2. In case the national database on population has not yet been operated or the electronic civil status database has not been connected to the national database on population, upon receiving the application for birth registration of citizens, the agency managing and registering civil status shall immediately transfer the information specified in Clause 1 of this Article to the agency managing the national database on population via the internet that has been granted access accounts.

The agency managing the national database on population shall grant access accounts to the agency managing and registering civil status, and immediately transfer personal identification numbers of citizens to the agency managing and registering civil status when receiving prescribed birth information via the Internet. The agency managing and registering civil status shall keep access accounts confidential by the law on the protection of state secrets.

Thus, at present, the procedures for issuance of personal identification numbers for citizens registering births in Vietnam shall comply with the above-mentioned provisions.