1. What is a passport?

A passport is a type of identification document used for immigration purposes. This includes confirmation from a competent state agency about the personal characteristics and nationality of the passport holder.

According to the definition of state agencies, a passport is a permit with the right to leave the country and the right to re-enter from abroad. According to a simple and common understanding, a passport is an international identity card for citizens to go abroad and return to Vietnam. For countries that exempt visas for Vietnamese passport holders, there is no need to apply for a visa, and for countries that require a visa, people need to apply for a visa from that country to conveniently enter the country like countries in Europe. and Americas such as the US, EU, Korea, Japan, Australia, ...

According to the 2019 law on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens, passports are documents owned by the state, issued by competent Vietnamese agencies for Vietnamese citizens to use for exit and entry. background, proof of nationality and identity. The passport includes basic information such as: portrait photo; surname, middle name and first name; date of birth; sex; nationality; symbols and numbers of immigration documents; date, month, year of issue; expiration date; personal identification number or identity card number; positions and titles for diplomatic passports and official passports in accordance with foreign affairs requirements.

Depending on the purpose of use of the passport, there are 3 main types of passports in our country:

·    Ordinary passports are the most common type of passport commonly used for travel;

·    Official passport is a type of passport for people working on official duty abroad;

·    Diplomatic passports are only for high-ranking officials in the state apparatus.

Specifically, an ordinary passport is a common type of passport issued to Vietnamese citizens with a term of 10 years or more. The age to be issued a passport according to regulations is 14 years old from the date of issue. However, for citizens from 9 to 14 years old, passports are issued but the validity is only 5 years. As for children under the age of 9, they will not be issued separate passports but must share them with their parents.

2. Can I get a passport in a province other than my permanent residence?

A passport is a small book that is considered a travel ticket so you can make trips abroad. The passport acts as a document that helps identify you personally as well as your nationality. Passport provides information such as portrait photo, full name, date of birth, date of issue, expiration date, nationality, passport signature... of the owner. It should be noted that passport information without date of birth is inaccurate. Vietnamese passports always clearly state the date of birth to avoid confusion due to coincidence of other information.

Currently, the Vietnamese passport allows Vietnamese citizens to travel to about 54 countries and territories without a visa. In Southeast Asia, Vietnamese passports can visit 9 countries visa-free including: Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Brunei. According to regulations, any Vietnamese citizen in the country applying for a passport can directly submit the application at the immigration department of the Provincial Police, centrally run city or province where you register. staying.

Accordingly, the authority to issue passports is specified in the 2019 Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens, specifically as follows:

·    The first application for a passport is made at the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police of the place of permanent or temporary residence;

·    In case of having a citizen identification card, please do so at the Provincial Police Immigration Management Agency at a convenient place.

Thus, if people already have a citizen identification card, they will be able to apply for a passport at the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police of any locality. Because once you have made a citizen identification card, the following information of the citizen will be included in the Citizen Identification Database, specifically:

·    Surname, middle name and birth name; date of birth; sex; place of birth registration; home town; nation; religion; nationality;

·    Marital status; residence; shelter; status of temporary absence; current residence; relationship with the head of household; full name, middle name and first name, personal identification number or identity card number, nationality of father, mother, wife, husband or legal representative;

·    Full name, middle name, first name, personal identification number or ID card number of the head of household and household members, relationship with the head of household; date of death or disappearance

Accordingly, the citizen identification card contains all the necessary information to make a passport without the need to add any other authentication documents. If a citizen wants to apply for a passport but is far from home and cannot return to the place of permanent residence registration to do it, he or she can do it in another province or city that is convenient for him or her. It should be noted that when submitting a passport application, you need to prepare documents as required by law.

Based on the above regulations, people who already have a citizen identification card will be able to apply for a passport at the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police of any locality. Accordingly, people are not required to return to their place of residence to apply for a passport for the first time. When you have a citizen identification card, all information of that citizen has been included in the Citizen Identification Database. Based on that information, the immigration authorities of the provinces can easily look up this information as a basis for issuing passports without the applicant needing to return to their permanent or temporary residence. The Immigration Management Agency can easily look up this information as a basis for issuing a passport without the applicant needing to go to the place of permanent residence to do so.

In particular, first-time passport applicants in one of the following cases can choose to do so at the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Security:

·    Have a referral or request from the hospital to go abroad for medical examination and treatment;

·    There are grounds to determine that a relative abroad has an accident, illness, or death;

·    There is a written request from the direct management agency for cadres, civil servants, public employees, officers, non-commissioned officers, professional soldiers, workers, public employees in the armed forces, and people working in the military. weak organization.

Thus, an important note is that citizens must have a citizen identification card to be able to apply for a passport at any convenient Immigration Management agency.

In addition, according to the provisions of the Law on Immigration of Vietnamese Citizens in 2019, when carrying out the second passport issuance procedure, it is carried out at the immigration management agency of the Provincial Police in a convenient place or Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Security.

Thus, issuing second or subsequent passports to citizens is much easier. Because, it can be applied for at the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security at the provincial level of any province or city.