The past few days, I have heard people saying that citizens are required to switch to the chip-mounted citizen ID card before July 1, 2021, which has led to a rush of people getting the new cards. I would like to ask whether this information is accurate or not. If not, when are citizens in Vietnam required to switch to the chip-mounted citizen ID card?
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Is it compulsory for all citizens in Vietnam to replace the current ID card with the chip-mounted citizen ID card before July 1, 2021? (Internet image)
Regarding this matter, LawNet would like to answer as follows:
According to Clause 2, Article 38 of the Law on Citizen Identification 2014, ID cards issued before January 1, 2016, are still valid until the expiry date as regulated.
Article 38. Effective date and transitional provisions
This Law takes effect from January 1, 2016.
ID cards issued before this Law comes into effect are still valid until their expiry date as regulated; if citizens request, they may switch to a Citizen Identification card.
According to Article 2 of Decree 05/1999/ND-CP, ID cards are valid for 15 years from the date of issuance.
At the same time, according to Clause 2, Article 4 of Circular 06/2021/TT-BCA, citizen ID cards issued before January 23, 2021, are still valid until their expiry date as regulated.
Article 4. Effective date and transitional provisions2. Citizen Identification cards issued before the effective date of this Circular are still valid until their expiry date as regulated; if citizens request, they may switch to a Citizen Identification card under the provisions of this Circular.
Accordingly, based on the above provisions, it can be seen that the law does not require citizens to switch from ID cards/citizen ID to chip-based citizen ID card immediately if these documents are still valid as per regulations. Only when these documents expire will citizens have to switch to a chip-based citizen ID. However, if citizens request to switch to a chip-based citizen ID card before their ID cards/citizen ID expire, their request will be resolved.
Additionally, according to Article 23 of the Law on Citizen Identification 2014, the Citizen Identification card can be changed in the following cases:
- When a citizen turns 25, 40, and 60 years old.
- The card is damaged and unusable.
- Changes in information regarding surname, middle name, first name; physical characteristics.
- Re-determination of gender, hometown.
- Errors in information on the Citizen Identification card.
- At the citizen's request.
For cases of lost Citizen Identification cards or reinstatement of Vietnamese nationality under the provisions of the Vietnamese Nationality Law, citizens will be reissued a Citizen Identification card.
In Ho Chi Minh City, during a press conference on March 18, 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Thi Thu Trang, Deputy Head of the Police Administration of Social Order (PC06), stated that from January 1 to July 1, chip-based citizen ID cards would be issued to:- Residents aged 14 and above who have not been issued a citizen ID.- Those using a 9-digit ID card.- People with citizen ID or 12-digit ID cards that have expired, lost, or have changes in demographic information requiring the reissue of a citizen ID.
Initially, the Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City will issue citizen ID cards to residents with permanent household registration in Ho Chi Minh City; after July 1, they will issue cards to temporary residents.
- Key word:
- citizen ID card
- Vietnam
