Latest procedures for issuance of regular passports in Vietnam

Latest procedures for issuance of regular passports in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. What is a passport?

Pursuant to Clauses 3,4 of Article 2 the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, passport is defined as follows:

"Passports” are documents owned by the Government and issued by competent authorities of Vietnam to Vietnamese citizens to make entry, exit and prove nationality and personal record.

“Passport containing electronic chips” refers to a passport embedded with electronic equipment storing encoded information of its holder and digital signature of issuing body.

2. Persons to be issued with regular passports in Vietnam

In Article 14 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, persons to be issued with regular passports include:

Vietnamese citizens not specified in Article 21 of Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 be considered for issuance of regular passports: 

- Persons failing to comply with decisions on administrative sanctions against violations specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 Article 4 of Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019.

- Persons suspended from making exit, except for cases specified in Clauses 12 Article 37 of Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019.

- Persons influencing national defense and security according to decision of Minister of National Defense or Minister of Public Security.

3. Application for issuance of regular passports in Vietnam

According to Clause 2, Article 15 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019,  Documents relating to domestic issuance of regular passports include:

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

(2) 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 Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019; and

(3) 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

(4) 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 master registers for examination and comparison.

In case the photocopies are not authenticated, present the original for checking and comparison.

4. Procedures for issuance of regular passports in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 15 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, procedures for issuance of regular passports in Vietnam are as follows:

Step 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 Article 15 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019;

Present valid ID cards, Citizen Identity Cards or passports.

Step 2: 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.

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

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

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

+ 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

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

- The application for a passport from the second time is made at the Immigration Management Agency of the Police Department of the province where it is convenient or the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Security.

- 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.

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.

Step 3: 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 Article 15 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 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.

Note: Persons applying for issuance of passports wishing to receive results in locations other than the agencies specified in Clause 7 of  Article 15 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 shall pay fees for delivery services.

5. Overseas issuance of regular passports

According to Article 16 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, the overseas issuance of regular passports is stipulated as follows:

Step 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 Article 15 of Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, and present Vietnamese passports or personal identification documents issued by Vietnamese competent authorities.

In case of failure of obtain Vietnamese passports or personal identification documents issued by Vietnamese competent authorities, present personal identification documents issued by foreign competent authorities and documents proving Vietnamese nationality or documents serving as basis for determination of Vietnamese nationality according to regulations and law on nationality.

- A person shall application for issuance of passport for the first time at a Vietnam representative office where he/she resides.  He/she shall request for issuance of passport for the second time at a Vietnam representative office of his/her choice.

- 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.

Step 2: Within 5 working days from the date of receipt of application for first-time issuance of passport and 3 working days for subsequent issuance of passports, if conditions for passport issuance are satisfied, a Vietnam representative office located overseas receiving the application for issuance of passport shall return the result to the applicant and submit written notice to immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security and consular mission of Ministry of Foreign Affairs if the Vietnam representative office has not connected to the National database for entry and exit of Vietnamese citizens.

Step 3:

In case of unsatisfactory to conditions for issuance of passport or additional period for determination of conditions for issuance of passport, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall respond to the applicant in written form stating the reasons.

Additional period for determination of conditions for issuance of passports specified in Clause 4 of Article 16 of Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 is prescribed as follows:

- Within 3 working days from the date on which application is received, Vietnam representative offices located overseas shall submit documents using defined templates to consular mission of Ministry of Foreign Affairs or immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security to determine within their authority;

- Within 15 days from the date on which documents of Vietnam representative offices located overseas are received, consular mission of Ministry of Foreign Affairs or immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security shall respond to the Vietnam representative offices located overseas in written form;

- Within 2 working days from the date on which written response of consular mission of Ministry of Foreign Affairs or immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security is received, the Vietnam representative offices located overseas shall issue passports and return results to applicants; in case of delayed issuance, the Vietnam representative offices located overseas shall respond to applicants in written form and state reasons.

Note: Persons applying for issuance of passports wishing to receive results in locations other than the agencies specified in Clause 2 of Article 16 of Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 shall pay fees for delivery services.

6. Validity of regular passports in Vietnam

In Clause 2, Article 7 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, the term of an ordinary passport is specified as follows:

- Regular passports issued to persons from 14 years of age shall be effective for 10 years and shall not be extended;

- Regular passports issued to persons under 14 years of age shall be effective for 05 years and shall not be extended;

- Regular passports issued by shortened procedures shall be effective for no more than 12 months and shall not be extended.

Ngoc Nhi

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