Residents of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District and Hai Ba Trung District are the first in Vietnam to be eligible to the new chip-based ID cards.

From the early morning of Thursday, people in the two districts have brought the required paperwork and waited for their turn to receive the new ID cards at the Hanoi Police Headquarter on Tran Hung Dao Street.

The police have organized three counters at the main hall to process the massive amount of paperwork and application for the chip-based ID cards on its launching day.

Hanoi police process information for residents for the issuance of chip-based ID cards, December 31, 2020. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre

Vu Thi Ha Kim, 63, a resident of Tran Hung Dao Ward in Hoan Kiem District, said she looked forward to experiencing the new technology after receiving reception and specific guidance from police officers.

“I think the ID card issuance is necessary. It is also relevant in the current 4.0 technology revolution. Residents have rights as well as responsibilities in doing this,” Kim said.

Hanoi police take fingerprint of a resident for the issuance of chip-based ID cards, December 31, 2020. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre

Colonel Nguyen Hong Ky, deputy director of the local public security department, said the Ministry of Public Security’s launch of chip-based ID card is timely considering the current 4.0 technology revolution.

The manufacturing, issuance and administration of ID card is a central responsibility that police force of the city must focus on.

It is expected that all eligible residents in Hanoi receive the new ID card format by July 1.

Based on preliminary calculation, local police will issue the chip-based ID card for over 2.5 million residents of 14 years old and above.

According to Ky, the goal of issuance of 50 million ID cards for Vietnamese citizens, once achieved, will help simplify administration procedures, paperwork, as well as accelerating the progress of developing e-government in Vietnam.

Hanoi police take headshots of a resident for the issuance of chip-based ID cards, December 31, 2020. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre

Earlier on September 2020, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a proposal by the Ministry of Public Security to roll out chip-based national ID cards as early as 2021.

The ministry inaugurated the distribution of barcode-based ID cards in 2016. So far, this design is only available in 16 cities and provinces nationwide, with a total of 16 million cards issued, while the rest of Vietnam are still keeping to the old 9- and 12-digit ID versions.

Chip-based ID cards only differ from previous versions in the addition of an electronic chip, while other information, including the ID number, will remain unchanged.

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