Chipped ID documents expand in Vietnam with passport launch, healthcare use

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security will begin issuing chip-based biometric passports from 1 March in line with exit/entry requirements for its citizens. Meanwhile, 96 percent of the country’s medical units are now accepting the national digital ID card for healthcare access and almost twelve million people have used it.

Biometric passports begin journey

The new credentials will store encoded biometric information on the holder – fingerprint, iris and face – along with blood type and biographic details on the inbuilt chip which will enhance the state’s management of the entry/exit system as well allow the country to meet international integration requirements, reports the Saigon Giai Phong News (SGGP).

The chip-based travel documents will allow more automation of border controls and help Vietnamese citizens at the borders of other countries.

The blue booklet has a barcode on its back cover. Citizens will still have the choice to opt for a passport without the chip.

11.8 million people use chip-enabled ID cards for healthcare

Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has announced that nearly 11.8 million people have used their chip-based national ID cards to access healthcare services at 12,270 medical centers, 96 percent of the country’s facilities, reports Vietnam News.

The population and insurance database reconciliation is progressing. As of 20 February, the data of 74.4 million citizens held in the National Database on Insurance has been cross-checked and verified with that held by the National Database on Population, according to the VSS.

The VSS continues to update the National Database on Population with new records. It has shared 96.3 million records on social insurance and health insurance to the population register.

The agency had issued 76.5 million citizen identification cards as of the end of December 2022 reports Vietnam News. The population is around 104 million.

The Ministry of Health has been urging hospitals and health departments to promote the use of the cards for examinations and treatments covered by health insurance. As of early December 2022, 92 percent of health facilities were using the system. However, only 4.3 percent of medical examination and treatment visits were done via the cards.

Children under the age of six could be receiving the ID cards soon following proposals from the Ministry for Public Security under the Draft Law on Citizenship Identity. Biometrics would not be required for the cards, which would not be compulsory. They could be issued alongside birth certificates.

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital ID cards  |  identity document  |  Vietnam