Do I have to apply for a second passport at the place where I issued it the first time in Vietnam? What are procedures for reporting the loss of an ordinary passport in Vietnam?

Do I have to apply for a second passport at the place where I issued it the first time in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 15 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, regulations on Domestic issuance of regular passports are as follows:

1. Persons applying for issuance of passports shall submit completed application forms using defined templates, 2 pictures and relevant documents specified in Clause 2 of this Article; present valid ID cards, Citizen Identity Cards or passports.

2. Documents relating to domestic issuance of regular passports include:

a) Copies of birth certificates or extracts thereof with respect to persons under 14 years of age; and

b) The most recently issued regular passports with respect to persons who have been issued with passports; in case of lost passports, attach notice of loss or notice of receipt of competent agencies specified in Article 28 of this Law; and

c) Photocopies of ID cards or Citizen Identity Cards with respect to changes to personal information compared to information in the most recently issued passports; and

d) Verified photocopies of documents issued by competent agencies proving authorized legal representatives for incapacitated persons, persons having limited recognition or behavioral control as specified in Civil Code and persons under 14 years of age. In case photocopies are not verified, present original copies for examination and comparison.

3. A person shall apply for issuance of passport for the first time at immigration authority of provincial police where he/she temporarily or permanently resides; in case he/she has Citizen Identity Cards, he/she shall apply at immigration authority of provincial police wherever suitable.

4. A person applying for passport issuance for the first time may choose to do so at immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security if:

a) He/she has letter of introduction or recommendation of hospitals regarding travelling abroad for medical diagnosis and/or treatment; or

b) His/her overseas relatives are identified to be in accidents, diseased or deceased according to well-grounded basis; or

c) Supervisory authority of his/hers who is an employee, official, officer, non-commissioned officer, professional serviceman or cadre in armed forces or personnel of cipher organization issues documents requesting issuance; or

d) He/she applies due to other humanitarian or emergency reasons decided by heads of the immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security.

5. A person shall apply for issuance of passport for the second time at immigration authority of provincial police of choice or immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security.

6. Assigned persons are responsible for accessing the application, pictures and relevant documents; examining and comparing with information on the national database for entry and export of Vietnamese citizens; taking photos and collecting fingerprints of persons applying for issuance of passports containing electronic chips for the first time; issuing notice of result collection.

7. Within 8 working days from the date of receipt, immigration authorities of provincial police shall return results to applicants.  Within 5 working days from the date of receipt, immigration authorities of Ministry of Public Security shall return results to applicants.  Processing times for cases specified in Clause 4 of this Article shall last no longer than 3 working days from the date of receipt. In case of delayed issuance of passports, immigration authorities shall respond in written form and state reasons.

8. Persons applying for issuance of passports wishing to receive results in locations other than the agencies specified in Clause 7 of this Article shall pay fees for delivery services.

Thus, according to current regulations in Vietnam, in case of reissuance of a passport for the second time, you can apply for it at the Immigration Management Agency of the Provincial Police in a convenient place or the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Works. 

Note, in case your passport is lost, in addition to submitting the relevant documents, you must also submit a loss report or notice of receipt of the application from the competent authority in Vietnam.

Do I have to apply for a second passport at the place where I issued it the first time in Vietnam? What are procedures for reporting the loss of an ordinary passport in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What are procedures for reporting the loss of an ordinary passport in Vietnam?

Accordingly, Clause 2, Article 28 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 also stipulates the cancellation of the validity of ordinary passports as follows:

1. Cancellation of diplomatic passports and service passports is prescribed as follows:

a) Supervisory authorities of persons issued with diplomatic passports and service passports shall submit written notice on loss of passports as soon as possible to consular missions of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agencies assigned to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue passports or Vietnam representative offices located overseas of choice;

b) Within 1 working day from the date on which the notice on lost passport is received, consular missions of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agencies assigned by Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue passports or Vietnam representative offices located overseas shall cancel passports and inform bodies submitting the notice, immigration authorities of Ministry of Public Security, consular missions of Ministry of Foreign Affairs using templates in case such entities have not connected to the National database for entry and exit of Vietnamese citizens.

2. Cancellation of regular passports is prescribed as follows:

a) Within 48 hours from the moment on which regular passports are found to be lost, original holders of such passports shall submit notice on loss of passports in person or in written form to immigration authorities of choice, the nearest police departments or entities supervising entry and exit at border checkpoints or Vietnam representative offices located overseas of choice. In case of force majeure, deadline for submission or sending of notice of loss may be longer but reasons thereof must be specified in such documents;

b) Within 1 working day from the date on which notice on loss of regular passports, accepting agencies are responsible for informing immigration authorities of Ministry of Public Security and persons submitting the notice using defined templates. Within 1 working day from the date on which the notice is received, immigration authorities of Ministry of Public Security shall cancel the passports.

According to this Article, before renewing your passport, you need to go to the competent authority specified above to report and cancel the value of the lost passport in Vietnam.

Best regards!