Vietnam upgrades VNeID with digital signatures, health records

Vietnam has announced the capability for its citizens to create digital signatures in the national digital ID app.

The Southeast Asian country’s national digital identification and authentication system VNeID has added a host of new features over the past few weeks.

The latest is provided by Group VNPT, which is the first digital signature provider that meets the security regulations to connect with VNeID, according to the government newspaper.

Those with level two electronic identification accounts can register for VNPT SmartCA digital signatures on the VNeID app. This means a personal digital signature can be registered without having to provide copies of documents and subscription records as per the previous traditional registration method.

Prior to this, Vietnamese citizens could create a digital signature on the VNPT SmartCA app but the functionality to do so has now been added to VNeID.

Vietnam aims to have half of its adult population to possess a personal digital signature by 2025, and more than 70 percent by 2030.

In the past month, Vietnam’s government has expanded the country’s electronic health record system and the issuance of judicial record certificates via VNeID. Previously, these online services had been piloted in the capital Hanoi and the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, but has since been expanded nationwide.

The e-health record system is expected to help save around 1.15 trillion VND (around US$46.6 million) annually on the purchase of health record books for 230 million patient visits, according to Vietnam Plus.

Meanwhile, electronic judicial record certificates on VNeID are supposed to offer greater convenience and compliance with online transaction laws. Digital signatures will also add to functionality. Benefits should include streamlined operations for businesses, especially in recruitment, for example. As ever, paper copies will be reduced thereby saving on costs.

Bank enables immediate biometric authentication through app

A popular banking app in the country has been upgraded as well. Vietcombank is now allowing customers the ability to authenticate their biometric information during registration when they open an account with the bank online. The capability is implemented via an authentication solution using NFC to scan a chip-embedded CCCD or by using the VNeID app when users have a level two identification account. The information collected is compared with Vietnam’s National Population Database.

Customers can directly connect app to app between VCB Digibank and VNeID for authentication. Integrating biometric information, customers will be able to transfer large amounts immediately after opening an account. The Vietnamese government news site has more information here.

This comes following Vietnam International Bank (VIB) becoming the first bank in the country to issue credit cards through online applications using information from VNeID.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  electronic-signature  |  medical records  |  Southeast Asia  |  Vietnam  |  VNeID  |  VNPT