Vietnam changes electronic ID rules for foreigners

The new rules, issued under Decree No. 320/2026/ND-CP on August 13, remove the distinction between Level 1 and Level 2 electronic identification accounts for foreigners.

Foreigners who legally enter or reside in Vietnam can obtain an electronic identification account upon request, without being classified by account level.

Organizations established or registered to operate in Vietnam can also obtain electronic identification accounts.

Revised registration procedures

The decree also revises the registration procedures for foreigners and introduces stronger security measures for electronic identification accounts.

When applying for an account, foreigners must visit the immigration management agency of the provincial-level police and present their passports or other valid international travel documents.

They must provide complete and accurate information on the TK01 application form, including their mobile phone number registered in Vietnam, email address if available, and any other information they wish to integrate into the VNeID national identification application.

The receiving officer will enter the information into the electronic identification and authentication system and collect the applicant’s facial image and fingerprints for verification against the national immigration database.

The officer will also guide applicants in downloading and installing VNeID on their digital devices and entering the required information.

The immigration management agency will then send a request for the electronic identification account to the agency managing and operating the electronic identification and authentication system.

Applicants will receive the registration result through VNeID, their registered mobile phone number or email address.

The new rules also reduce paperwork as local agencies must not require individuals or organizations to submit or present originals or copies of documents that have already been integrated into the application.

In addition, the rules strengthen account security. An electronic identification account will be automatically locked if the registered mobile phone number is no longer registered in the account holder’s name according to mobile network operator data.

Procedures for foreign children under 14

Foreign children under 14 must complete the registration procedure together with their representative or guardian at the provincial-level police’s immigration management agency.

The representative or guardian will use their own registered mobile phone number to register an electronic identification account for the child.

The children must also present their passports or other valid international travel documents and fill in the TK01 form.

Their facial images and fingerprints will be also collected for verification.

Shorter processing times

For foreigners, an electronic identification account must be issued within two working days if the applicant’s facial image and fingerprints are already available in the national immigration database, or within five working days if the biometric data is not yet available.

For organizations, the maximum processing time is 10 working days if the information requiring verification is not available in national or specialized databases.

Overall, the new decree shortens the maximum processing time for electronic identification accounts from seven to five working days for individuals and from 15 to 10 working days for organizations.