The Ministry of Public Security-prepared draft of a law on entry and exit has a provision requiring an electronic chip to be attached to Vietnamese passports to store biometric data and identification information, Lao Dong newspaper reported.

The Ministry of Public Security proposes an electronic chip be attached to passports to store biometric data and identification information 

In addition to connecting the national entry/exit database of Vietnamese citizens and the national database on population, identities, criminal records and nationality, as well as other data, to share and handle information concerning entry and exit, Article 7 of the draft law regulates that an e-chip should be affixed to diplomatic, official and ordinary passports.

The draft has gone before the Government. 

The ministry noted that the Government had approved a project to make and issue Vietnamese passports with an electronic chip, but no relevant legal documents have been issued to date.

If the draft is approved, it would play an important role in establishing a legal foundation for granting, governing and using e-passports.

In addition, the draft stipulates that Vietnamese citizens must use temporary passports, which are valid for one year, as a replacement for laissez-passers for entry and exit.

The temporary passports, to be used as ordinary passports, will be granted to Vietnamese citizens if their passports are lost or invalid, if citizens are denied residence and deported by foreign countries, or if they are forced to return to the country in line with international conventions between Vietnam and host countries.

The use of temporary passports is aimed at assisting Vietnamese citizens to prevent difficulties with entry or exit.

The issuance of the passport will be mainly conducted by Vietnamese representative agencies in foreign countries.

If it is passed by the National Assembly, the law should come into force on July 1, 2020.

SGT