Vietnam pilots biometric airport check-in, eliminating need for ID documents

The pilot system, currently in operation at Tan Son Nhat Airport's Terminal 3 in Ho Chi Minh City, allows passengers to check in online, pass through security, and board flights by simply scanning their face using a mobile device equipped with the government's VNeID app, which stores digital identity profiles.

Passengers can complete biometric enrollment on the VNeID app between 24 hours and one hour before departure, or at the airline check-in counter.

Once enrolled, travelers proceed through security and boarding gates by scanning their face at biometric checkpoints, a process that takes about three seconds.

"All procedures—from security screening to boarding—can now be done using biometric verification without showing any physical documents," said Lieutenant Colonel Ho Duc Thien, deputy head of the city's police division for administrative management.

The initiative, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Public Security, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, and national airport operator ACV, is part of a broader government push to digitize public services and enhance airport security.

It is scheduled to run through August 15. 

During this period, police and airport staff are stationed at Terminal 3 to assist passengers in using the app and to ensure system reliability.

The system has been tested at major airports including Hanoi's Noi Bai, T3 Terminal at Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province, and Phu Bai in Hue City from April 17 to date.

Vietnam Airlines reported 14,763 passengers using biometric check-in across 6,555 flights during this period, while Vietjet Air recorded 10,317 users on 3,376 flights, police said. 

As these numbers represent a small fraction of total passengers, the Ministry of Public Security plans to expand the program nationwide and raise adoption rates.

It targets 70 percent of domestic passengers using biometric check-in at automated gates by the end of 2025.

Officials also plan to extend the program to seaports, bus stations, and other transport hubs as part of Vietnam's national digital transformation strategy through 2030.

Authorities say biometric systems improve identity verification accuracy, reduce document fraud, and enhance operation efficiency. 

They also enable better data sharing between agencies, lowering administrative costs.