“Citizen identification cards”, which will be applied in 2016 under the Law on Citizen Identification, will be used as a replacement for passports, a senior police official has said 

>> Citizen identification bill gets approval from NA committee, likely valid next year

Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Dang Van Hieu released the information at a press conference held by the State President’s Office on Thursday to announce the laws, including the Law on Citizen Identification, that have been approved by the National Assembly. “Citizen identification cards are valid in proving the origin of persons to whom the cards are issued. Card holders can use the cards to carry out administrative transactions within the territory of Vietnam,” Deputy Minister Hieu said. The card can serve as an alternative for a passport in case Vietnam and foreign countries where the card is to be used have signed agreements recognizing such cards as a replacement for a passport, the official said. Under the Law on Citizen Identification, when citizens have already showed their citizen identification cards at the request of competent authorities, organizations and individuals, then those authorities, organizations and individuals are not entitled to demand that card holders present any papers to prove any information indicated on their cards, the deputy minister said. Under the law, every Vietnamese citizen will be granted a citizen identification card when they are 14 years old. Citizen identification cards will contain a personal identification number of 12 digits, three more digits than the current ID cards, and such information as name, sex, age, ethnic group, place of birth, permanent residence, and other details, The law will take effect on January 1, 2016. Identity cards that have been issued before the date are still valid within their term of validity, and all valid papers that have been issued based on the information from such cards remains valid until December 31, 2019.    As of January 1, 2020, when a national residential database will be made available, citizens will simply use their citizen identification cards for all administrative transactions, instead of using many kinds of papers at the same time as at present.Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!