The U.S. government continues to review the new Vietnamese blue passport issued since July 1, 2022 to determine if it meets U.S. requirements for visa issuance and travel, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam announced on August 12. It expects a determination to be made soon.

The U.S. Embassy recommends that from August 15, new visa applicants and those having their visa interviews already scheduled should request the addition of their Place of Birth (POB) information to avoid interruptions. POB should be included in their new travel document.

Those who have their interview already scheduled need to bring along their birth certificate. If they do not have an original birth certificate, they need to bring their old (green) passport showing their place of birth along with their new blue ones to the interview.

When filling out the DS-160 or DS-260 visa application form, new visa applicants should write down their place of birth. “Do NOT write your place of origin or your place of birth registration. Write the name of the city/province and country where your mother gave birth to you,” the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam posted on Facebook.

At a regular press conference on August 11, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Finland, Germany and the Czech Republic still do not recognize Vietnam’s new passports due to the absence of the POB field. The lack of the bearer’s POB make it difficult to verify personal identity, these countries said.

Spain has resumed receiving visa applications from holders of new Vietnamese passports but visa applicants must show a valid citizen ID (identification card) when they submist applications.

On August 9, the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Department at the Ministry of Public Security worked with the Embassies of Germany, the Czech Republic and Spain in Hanoi over the new Vietnamese passports.

At the meeting, representatives of the two departments said Vietnamese authorities would include the POB information in the new passport immediately after receiving requests from citizens.

Source: Saigon Times