Additional ordinary passport samples issued under simplified procedures from August 15, 2023 in Vietnam

Additional ordinary passport samples issued under simplified procedures from August 15, 2023 in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

The Minister of Public Security issued Circular 31/2023/TT-BCA dated July 20, 2023, regulating passport samples, travel documents, and related forms.

Additional ordinary passport samples issued under simplified procedures from August 15, 2023 in Vietnam

From August 15, 2023, the following 4 passport types will be issued:

- Diplomatic passport, red-brown cover page (HCNG form);

- Official passport, dark green cover page (HCCV sample);

- Ordinary passport, blue and purple cover page (HCPT form);

- Ordinary passport issued according to simplified procedures, black cover page (form HCPT-RG).

Thus, compared to the regulations in Circular 73/2021/TT-BCA, the Ministry of Public Security has added an ordinary passport form issued according to simplified procedures.

This passport form has 12 pages and is valid for no more than 12 months.

More details can be found in Circular 31/2023/TT-BCA, taking effect on August 15, 2023.

Who is issued with regular passports via adoption of shortened procedures in Vietnam?

Persons to be issued with regular passports via adoption of shortened procedures include:

- Persons travelling abroad for a definite period, losing their regular passports and wishing to return immediately.

- People who must return to their country according to international treaties or international agreements on the return of citizens.

- Persons forcibly returning to their countries according to international agreements or treaties on repatriation.

- Persons issued with regular passports for purposes of national defense and security.

(Article 17 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 and Law No. 23/2023/QH15 amending a number of articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam)

Regulations on issuance of regular passports via adoption of shortened procedures in Vietnam

Specifically, Article 18 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 and Law No. 23/2023/QH15 amending a number of articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam stipulates the issuance of regular passports via adoption of shortened procedures are as follows:

(1) A person travelling abroad for a definite period, losing his/her regular passport and wishing to return immediately shall be issued with a regular passport as follows:

- The applicant shall submit a notice on loss of passport, a completed declaration form using defined templates, 2 pictures and personal identification documents issued by Vietnamese competent authorities if any;

- Within 2 working days from the date on which the application is received, a Vietnam representative office located overseas shall consider and decide issuance of passport, return results to the applicant and submit written notice to immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security in case the Vietnam representative office located overseas has not connected to the National database for entry and exit of Vietnamese citizens;

- In case of unsatisfactory to conditions for issuance of passport, within 2 working days from the date on which the application is received, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall submit a document using defined templates to immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security for verification while inform the applicant in written form;

- Within 02 working days from the date on which documents of the Vietnam representative office located overseas are received, immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security shall respond to the Vietnam representative offices located overseas regarding passport issuance;

- Within 1 working day from the date on which the response is received, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall issue passport and return results to the applicant; in case of failure to issue, respond in written form and state reasons;

- In case his/her domestic relatives fill in the declaration form, immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security shall receive, examine, respond to the relatives and submit written notice to the Vietnam representative office located overseas within 2 working days after receiving the application;

Within 1 working day from the date on which the notice is received, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall receive photos of the applicant, issue regular passport and return results.

(2) A person whose application for residency is rejected by the foreign country and is also not regulated by any international agreement on repatriation shall be issued with a passport as follows:

- A Vietnam representative office located overseas shall receive the application from the competent authority of the host country or from the person whose application for residency was rejected by the foreign country, and 02 photographs of the rejected applicant, completed application form using defined template and personal identification documents issued by the Vietnamese competent authority (if any);

- If, due to humanitarian or emergency reasons, the Vietnam representative office located overseas has sufficient grounds for identification of personal information and nationality of the applicant for passport, within 02 working days, the Vietnam representative office located overseas may consider issuing the passport;

- Other than cases specified in point b, Clause 2 of this Article, within 02 working days from the date of receipt of the application from the competent authority of the host country or the person whose application for residency is rejected by the foreign country, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall send information of the applicant to the immigration authority of the Ministry of Public Security.

Within 30 days from the date of receipt of the information, the immigration authority of the Ministry of Public Security shall verify the information and reply in writing to the Vietnam representative office located overseas. 

Within 02 days from the date of receipt of response from the immigration authority of the Ministry of Public Security, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall issue a passport to the applicant; in case of refuse to issue the passport, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall reply in writing to the applicant and clearly state reasons for such refusal.

- After issuing the passport, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall notify the immigration authority of the Ministry of Public Security for cooperation in receipt and management of the person when he/she returns to Vietnam.

(3) A person forcibly returning to his/her country according to international agreements or treaties on repatriation shall be issued with a regular passport as follows:

- An immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security shall receive and process requests of foreign party according to signed international agreements or treaties regarding repatriation;

- In case of acceptance, issue a regular passport with less than 6 months of validity and hand over to the foreign party according to international agreements or treaties.

(4)  Immigration authorities of Ministry of Public Security shall issue regular passports or inform Vietnam representative offices located overseas in written form to issue regular passports on the basis of decisions of Minister of Public Security with respect to national defense and security purposes.

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