The Ministry of Public Security and the Vietnamese representative offices posted in foreign countries will officially issue passports containing electronic chips for Vietnamese citizens from March 1, 2023.

Vietnam climbed a total of four positions to secure 88th place in a ranking of the world’s most powerful passports in 2023, according to the latest report compiled by the Henley Passport Index.

The Ministry of Public Security and Vietnam’s overseas representative agencies will add “place of birth” information in new passports from January 1, 2023, said the Vietnam Immigration Department.

The National Assembly, the legislature of Vietnam, today, November 15, adopted a resolution that allows the addition of the place of birth (POB) field to new Vietnamese passports.

The Government realizes that it is necessary to study and add “place of birth” information to the personal page in passports and this should be implemented soon before January 1, 2023, has said Minister of Public Security, General To Lam.

The Ministry of Public Security has instructed the Vietnam Immigration Department to add information on the holder’s birthplace in the notes section of Vietnam’s new form of ordinary passport from September 15.

The United States Embassy in Hanoi announced that as of October 3, all Vietnamese visa applicants with the new blue-covered passports must have their place of birth stated in their passport before being allowed a visa interview.

The Czech Republic announced on September 7 that it will temporarily recognise Vietnam’s new passport providing that the place of birth of the passport holder is added.

The decision takes effect immediately, and visa issuance on the new passports will resume.

Germany will temporarily recognise Vietnam’s new passport version with information about holders' place of birth added in the appendix, according to a diplomatic note the German Federal Foreign Office sent to the Vietnamese Embassy on August 15.

The U.S. is still reviewing Vietnam’s new passport and has asked visa applicants to submit their birthplace information.

A number of Vietnamese outbound travel companies have already been affected by the decision of some European nations to not recognise Vietnam’s new passports.

The Ministry of Public Security accepts responsibility for the failure of the new passport model which has not been accepted by some countries, said Minister of Public Security To Lam at the National Assembly Standing Committee's Q&A session today.

The Immigration Office in HCMC has recently been overwhelmed as there are an average of 1,500 daily requests for new passports.

On July 1, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam issued a new model for ordinary passports for Vietnamese citizens at home and abroad.

The Vietnamese passport has climbed four notches to rank 90th on a list of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the latest report compiled by Henley Passport Index.

On July 1 afternoon, thousands of people lined up waiting for passports at the Immigration Department on the first day of issuing ordinary passports in the new form.

The Ministry of Public Security will use a new passport form from July 1, 2022, reported the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP).

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