Czech Republic and Benelux countries recognise new Vietnamese passport

The Czech Republic will only accept the new Vietnamese passport that feature the place of birth added in to page four of the document, according to the official website of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vietnam.

This annotation can only be applied by Vietnamese immigration authorities in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, or alternatively by Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies.

The Czech Republic's decision regarding accepting the new Vietnamese passports will be temporarily applied until the end of the year.

The same day saw the Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam announce on its official page that Benelux countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, also agreed to recognise the new ‘blue’ Vietnamese passport as long as it features a stamp indicating the place of birth of the passport holder.

The Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam has issued a new passport model since July 2022 which can be used for visa application at diplomatic missions in Vietnam.

However, the new passport stirred up controversy as it lacks information about the holder’s place of birth.

While France, the UK and Australia recognised the new passport of Vietnam, several other European countries such as Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and Finland refused to accept visa applications for holders of the new passport.

During a recent hearing at the National Assembly Standing Committee, Minister of Public Security To Lam took the responsibility for issues relating to the new passport and said it would add the citizen’s place of birth in the passport.

Germany, Spain, and Finland recently changed their decisions and agreed to accept the new Vietnamese passport providing the holder’s place of birth should be added to the observation page of the passport.