Issuing chip-based passport: It is convenient for people

From March 1, 2023, the Ministry of Public Security and overseas Vietnamese representative agencies will issue ordinary passport with electronic chip for Vietnamese citizens according to the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese citizens. Following the direction of the Ministry of Public Security, the Provincial Department of Public Security assigned the Immigration Division to issue chip-based ordinary passports, creating favorable conditions for people when carrying out immigration procedures.

Officials of the Immigration Division, Provincial Department of Public Security distribute leaflets guiding people to apply for passports online

An ordinary passport with electronic chip is a passport with an electronic device that stores encrypted information of the passport holder and the signature of the issuer. It not only stores information such as full name, date of birth, nationality as ordinary passport, this one with electronic chip is capable of storing information about human biometrics such as fingerprints, face, blood type … Therefore, a passport with electronic chip will help identify a person more accurately, the information about the passport holder is also highly confidential, avoiding counterfeiting.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Tuyet, Deputy Head of the Immigration Division, Provincial Department of Public Security said: “Determining that the issuance of passports with electronic chips is a necessary task, contributing to improving the efficiency of state management of immigration and meeting the requirements of international integration, from March 1, 2023, following the direction of the Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security and the Provincial Department of Public Security, we have informed the people about the advantages of chip-based passports. At the same time, we required our staff to actively study and improve their professional qualifications with the aim of quickly receiving and processing applications in accordance with the regulations. We also need more staff from other teams to support receiving and processing applications and to work overtime to meet the needs of citizens.”

Specifically, in order to help people understand about the strength of ordinary passports with chips, the Immigration Division, Provincial Department of Public Security has used mass media, posted news and pictures on social network sites such as facebook, zalo of the unit; uploaded pictures of the application process for passports with chips online and displayed them at the reception area. From the beginning of March until now, the unit has provided information to nearly 1,100 people, distributed over 1,000 bilingual leaflets (in Vietnamese and English) about on how to apply for a passport online. In addition, the unit has publicized its reception phone number and zalo phone number to promptly answer citizens’ questions.

It is known that in order to create favorable conditions for people, officials of the Immigration Division have focused on guiding people to apply for passports with electronic chips online through the portal of Ministry of Public Security. Captain Ha Thi Thuy Duong, an officer of the Immigration and Exit Management Team of Vietnamese citizens under Immigration Division of the Provincial Department of of Public Security, said: “Up to now, the number of citizens applying for chip-based passports has been increasing, most of them did it online via public service portal. Through the public service portal, people can apply for a passport 24 hours a day, which is easier for us to control, receive, process documents, and reduce the number of people coming to do it in-person. People who need guidance can call the unit’s zalo phone number to be receive information from our staff.”

After receiving information, people have understood the benefits of chip-based passports. Ms. Dao Thi Giang Thu, Vinh Trai ward, Lang Son city said: “Through the mass media, I come to know the benefits of chip-based passports, which are high security, prevention of copying data and personal information… Therefore, I applied for a chip-based passport through the public service portal. As long as I have a phone with an internet connection, I can easily submit a passport application, it is very quick and convenient, saving me time and travel costs.

As a result, from March 1, 2023 until now, the Immigration Division of Provincial Department of Public Security has received nearly 2,200 passport applications, nearly 700 applications of them are the applications for passports with electronic chips (accounting for nearly 32%).

In order to create favorable conditions for the people, to contribute to improving the efficiency of State management of import and export and to meet the requirements of international integration of the country, in the coming time, the Immigration Division will continue to strengthen propaganda about the benefits of ordinary passports with chips; issue passports with chips in accordance with the regulations, meeting the needs of the people.