Can I keep my old passport if I change my passport? Does renewing a passport change the number?

1. In what cases can a passport be reissued or changed?

Passport is an important legal document of the people, owned by the State, issued by competent Vietnamese agencies for Vietnamese citizens to use to exit, enter, and prove nationality. and identity. Passports are classified into ordinary passports, official passports and diplomatic passports. Information on the passport will include portrait photo, surname, middle name and first name; date of birth; sex; nationality; symbol; Immigration document number; date of issue, issuing agency; expiration date; personal identification number or identity card number; positions and titles for diplomatic passports and official passports in accordance with foreign affairs requirements.

And that is why, in case there is a change in any of the above personal information, you will have to change your passport for consistency. Avoid leaving the country and presenting your passport and citizen identification card if the two information do not match, the border customs will naturally not allow you to leave or enter the country.

Similarly, if the photo or information in the passport is blurred, scratched, or cannot be seen clearly, a new passport must be issued. In case the passport is lost, damaged, or torn even though it is valid for less than 30 days, the passport must be replaced with a new one.

Besides, you will have to change your passport in case it expires (with ordinary passports), but with official passports and diplomatic passports, you are allowed to apply for renewal according to regulations.  

2. How long is a passport valid?

The 2019 Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens specifically regulates the validity of three types of passports: ordinary passports, diplomatic passports and official passports as follows:

- Diplomatic passports and official passports are valid from 01 year to 05 years. Can be extended once for no more than 3 years

- The validity period of an ordinary passport is divided into each case as follows:

+ Ordinary passports issued to people aged 14 years or older are valid for 10 years and cannot be renewed.

+ Ordinary passports issued to people under 14 years old are valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed

+ Ordinary passports issued under simplified procedures are valid for no more than 12 months and cannot be extended.

So, when your ordinary passport expires, you must carry out the procedure to apply for a new passport according to the order that we will guide in detail in section 5 of the article. You can only extend diplomatic and official passports.

3. Can I keep my old passport if I change my passport?

According to current law, when changing a passport, whether it is an ordinary passport, a diplomatic passport, or an official passport, you must return the old passport to the competent authority for inspection and recall. If you want to receive your old passport back for some legitimate reason, in the "Proposed content" section of the passport reissuance application form in the application dossier, you must clearly state the proposed content. Request the immigration authority to keep the old passport and clearly state the reason for wanting to keep it

Therefore, when there is a legitimate need, you must immediately write down your request in the declaration form when conducting passport issuance procedures. The immigration authority will check and approve, if valid, you will receive both new and old passports. If you do not write down your request in the declaration form, the immigration authority will not handle returning your old passport.

4. Does changing a passport change the original passport number?

In the 2019 law on entry and exit management, it is clearly stated that the passport will include your basic personal information to serve the purpose of exiting, entering, and proving your identity. In addition to that information, the passport also has a passport number. This is a series of numbers consisting of 07 digits and 01 capital letter, punched with laser technology throughout page 1 to the back cover of the passport and coincides with the letters and numbers on page 1 according to the regulations of the new passport form. .

And this line will be changed if you proceed with the procedure to request a new passport. Unlike ID cards or citizen identification cards, in case of passport renewal, the old passport number is also completely changed. Not only that, now when you renew your passport, not only is the passport number changed to be different from the original number, but the passport form is also changed to the new form:

- The new passport may or may not have an electronic chip placed on the back cover of the passport. The previous passport had absolutely no electronic chip

- Images on the passport pages are beautiful landscapes of the country, Vietnamese cultural heritage such as Ha Long Bay, Hue capital, Hung temple, Hoi An ancient town... combined with bronze drum motifs contribute to affirming determine sovereignty and promote Vietnam's image (previously it was not available in the old passport model)

- The new passport is more secure, printed with modern technology to ensure against the risk of counterfeiting and meets ICAO standards with all content and images printed in the passport.

- The new passport is no longer stamped and signed like before, but all information is shown by digital signature.  

Procedure for applying for replacement of ordinary passport

When your passport expires or if it is lost, torn, damaged, out of pages..., you will proceed with the procedure to reissue your passport for an ordinary passport as follows:

1. Procedures for reissuing ordinary passports in the country

Step 1: Prepare documents:

- 01 copy of birth certificate or birth certificate extract for people under 14 years old

- 01 original ordinary passport issued for the first time. If the passport is lost, it must be accompanied by a lost notice or notice of receipt of the application from the competent authority.

- 01 photocopy of ID card or citizen identification card in case there is a change in personal information compared to the information in the most recently issued passport

- 01 certified copy of documents issued by a competent Vietnamese agency proving that he/she is the legal representative of a person who has lost civil act capacity or has difficulty in cognition and behavior control. according to the provisions of the 2015 Civil Code; people under 14 years old. If the photocopy is not authenticated, present the original for the agency to check and compare

Step 2: Submit documents to the competent authority:

After completing the above set of documents, you proceed to submit 01 set of documents to request a passport to the Immigration Management Agency of the Provincial Police where convenient or the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Works. an

When receiving the application, you will receive an appointment letter from the agency to return the results

Step 3: Monitor the resolution process and receive results:

Within 08 working days from the date of receipt, the immigration management agency of the Provincial Police will return the results to you.

Within 05 working days from the date of receiving the application, the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Security will return the results to you if you submit your application at this agency.

In case you request to receive results at a location other than the agency mentioned above, you will have to pay for postal delivery service.

2. Procedures for reissuing ordinary passports abroad:

Similar to the process of reissuing a domestic ordinary passport, you will have to prepare a set of documents including the following documents:

- 01 application form for passport issuance according to regulations

- 02 portrait photos

- Present your Vietnamese passport or identification documents issued by a competent Vietnamese agency. In case you do not have a Vietnamese passport or identification documents issued by a competent Vietnamese agency, present identification documents issued by a competent foreign agency and documents proving Vietnamese nationality. or documents as a basis to determine Vietnamese nationality according to the provisions of law on nationality

- 01 most recently issued ordinary passport. In case the passport is lost, it must be accompanied by a lost notice or notice of receipt of the application from the competent authority

- 01 photocopy of ID card or citizen identification card in case there is a change in personal information compared to the information in the most recently issued passport

- 01 certified copy of documents issued by a competent Vietnamese agency proving the legal representative of a person who has lost civil act capacity or has difficulty in cognition and behavior control. According to the provisions of the 2015 Civil Code, people under 14 years old. In case the photocopy is not authenticated, present the original for checking and comparison

After completing the above documents section, you proceed to submit 01 set of documents to a convenient Vietnamese representative agency abroad.

Within 03 working days from the date of receipt, the Vietnamese representative agency abroad will return the results to you if you submit your application at this agency and notify the management agency in writing. Immigration of the Ministry of Public Security and the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in case they have not been connected to the National Database on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens.

In case there is not enough basis to issue a passport or it is necessary to extend the time to determine the basis for issuing a passport, the Vietnamese representative agency abroad will send you a written response clearly stating the reason. Accordingly, the extended time to determine the basis for issuing a passport is prescribed as follows:

+ Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the request, the Vietnamese representative agency abroad sends a document according to the form to the Consular office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Security for verified by authority

+ Within 15 days from the date of receipt of the exchanged documents, the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the immigration management agency of the Ministry of Public Security shall respond in writing to Vietnamese representative agencies abroad.

+ Within 02 working days from the date of receiving the response from the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Management Agency of the Ministry of Public Security, and the Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to issue passports and return the results. results for customers. In case a passport has not been issued, the Vietnamese representative agency abroad will be responsible for responding in writing to you and clearly stating the reason.

If you request to receive results at a location other than the two agencies mentioned above, you must pay an additional delivery service fee.

Procedures for applying to change diplomatic passports and official passports

1. For applying to change diplomatic passports and official passports in the country

Similar to the process of applying for a replacement of a domestic ordinary passport, you will now have to prepare a set of documents to request a replacement of a diplomatic or official passport with the following documents:

- 01 fully filled out declaration form, 02 general photos

- Appointment decision or document permitting a person to go abroad from a competent agency or person clearly stating the subject subject to request for issuance.

- Written consent of the agency or person competent to appoint foreigners for the following subjects:

    + Spouses of the General Secretary of the Party Central Committee, President, Chairman of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Vice President, National Vice President Association and Deputy Prime Minister accompanied the working journey

     + Spouses and children under 18 years of age of people serving in the diplomatic service who have been appointed diplomats or hold positions of Attaché or higher at diplomatic missions or permanent missions at organizations intergovernmental international, Vietnamese consular representative agencies abroad accompany or visit this person during their working term

      + Spouses, children under 18 years old of employees of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, Vietnamese state news and press reporters permanently residing abroad accompanying or visiting these people during the working term

- Decision and written consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the above mentioned subjects

- Photocopy of ID card, citizen identification card or other identification document and present the original for comparison

- Photocopy of ID card, citizen identification card, birth certificate, birth certificate extract or adoption certificate for cases under 18 years old according to regulations and present the original for comparison.

- Letter of introduction from an agency or organization in case the representative submits on behalf of the applicant; The representative submitting on behalf must present identification documents

After completing the above documents, you will submit the documents to the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and receive an appointment letter to return the results from the agency.

Within 05 working days from the date of receipt, the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall issue the passport and return the results. In case a passport has not been issued, a written response must be given, stating the reason

Applicants for diplomatic passports or official passports in the country who request to receive results at a location other than the above agency must pay a delivery service fee.

2. In case of issuance of diplomatic passports and official passports abroad

Then you can also submit your application to the competent authority with the following documents:

- 01 completed declaration form, 02 portrait photos

- Appointment decision or document permitting a person to go abroad from a competent agency or person clearly stating the subject subject to request for issuance in the following cases:

    + People whose diplomatic or official passports are lost, damaged, out of pages or expired while working abroad

     + Spouses, children under 18 years old who are visiting, accompanying, and newborn children abroad of members of representative agencies or state news agencies of Vietnam permanently residing in the country outside

     + New children born abroad must have a copy of the birth certificate or birth certificate extract

- Document from the competent agency or person on appointment of position or change of working position in prescribed cases

- Diplomatic passport, most recently issued official passport. In case of loss of passport, a report must be submitted to the Vietnamese representative agency abroad

And after completing the application, you proceed to submit the application to the Vietnamese representative agency abroad and receive an appointment letter to return the results.

Within 05 working days from the date of receiving the dossier, the Vietnamese representative agency abroad will return the results to you. In case the verification time must be extended, the agency will be responsible for responding in writing, clearly stating the reason and notifying in writing the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in case it has not yet been connected to the Consular Office. National database on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens