Vietnam To Switch To Biometric Passports

Ordinary passports with electronic chips will be issued for Vietnamese citizens from March 1, 2023, according to the Ministry of Public Security’s Immigration Department.

A passport with an e-chip attached to its back cover stores encrypted information of the passport holder and the signature of the issuer, aiming to facilitate travel and raise the efficiency of state management in immigration and meet the country’s requirements in international integration. You can obtain a passport easily in Ho Chi Minh City or wherever, even you are not living in your hometown!

Apart from the holder’s written information such as name, date of birth and nationality, the passport also shows his/her biometric information like fingerprint scan, face and blood type, which helps to accelerate customs procedures. Moreover, those with the passport will be prioritised by foreign agencies in visa granting.

The chip symbol is printed on the front cover of the passport while the chip is embedded in the back cover alongside the digital signature of the passport issuing agency.

Vietnam new passport
The new Vietnamese passport with Biometric chip!

Benefits Of Holding The New Vietnamese Passport?

The chip-based passport is expected to facilitate overseas travel for Vietnamese, protect the holder’s data, and improve immigration control.

An electronic passport contains not only basic personal information such as full name, date of birth, and nationality but also biometric features such as fingerprint, face, and blood type.

All data is stored inside the chip, making it difficult to copy and falsify, ensuring the security of the information for the owner.

More than 100 countries and territories worldwide have used e-passports. Notably, the Visa Waiver Programme of the US, which has been applied for 39 countries and territories, requires e-passports.

Every Vietnamese person can choose between chipped and unchipped passport when applying for a new passport. Unchipped passport remains valid. Holders of unchipped passport will switch to e-passport when the existing one expires. Vietnamese citizens above 14 years of age are free to choose either passport on their application forms. Every Vietnamese person can choose between chipped and unchipped passport when applying for a new passport../.

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