From January 1 to June 30, 2021, Hanoi police will set up mobile teams to issue chip-based identity cards for local residents throughout the city.

Accordingly, Hanoi police will increase the time of receiving ID card applications (at least 10 hours per day and six days per week) at police offices at districts and towns.

The citizens eligible to be granted chip-based identity cards are those who are 14 years of age or older and have never been issued an identification card, or their identity card is damaged, lost, or expired. Hanoi police encourage these cases to renew their identity documents with a chip card.

New template of identification card.

Old ID cards without chip are still valid until expiration or they can be changed to chip-based cards after June 30, 2021.

The Ministry of Public Security expects to issue 50 million chip-based identity cards by July 2021.

Chip-based ID cards are believed to contain information of 20 different fields like social insurance, health insurance, driving license, tax code, among others.

The card, which is designed to be encrypted, will store facial recognition features, fingerprints, and anthropometry.

Notably, the card would be highly secure, shielded against counterfeiting. It can store much more information than identity (ID) card with barcode that has been issued since 2016.

The new model is expected to meet the requirements of administrative reform, e-Government development, which will help streamlining administrative procedures for citizens in the time ahead.

Current situation

Currently, Vietnamese citizens are using either nine-digit ID cards, 12-digit ID cards or ID cards with barcode.

The latest kind which was introduced in 2016 is now available in 16 cities and provinces namely Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Haiphong, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Quang Binh.

The Law on Citizen Identification in 2014 stipulates that people from 14 years old are eligible to be issued an ID card and it will be renewed when they turn 25, 40, and 60.

Over the past 63 years, the ID card in Vietnam has undergone five changes. The first nine-digit ID card made debut in 1957. It was renewed in 1964 and 1999. The 12-digit ID card was introduced in 2012 and ID with barcode in 2016.

Chip-based or electronic identity cards promise to supply a universal, nation-wide mechanism for user authentication.