HID eyes Vietnam for biometric growth

HID Global is sharpening its focus on Vietnam’s fast-growing market with the launch of its latest face biometrics reader, HID Amico. Vietnam holds strategic importance in HID’s regional expansion, driven by rising demand for secure, privacy-first identity solutions across sectors.

Speaking to Vietnam Investment Review (VIR), Christian Marcos, HID’s regional sales manager for the Philippines and Vietnam, spoke on its increasing significance. “Vietnam was chosen because of its rapid growth across sectors like transportation, real estate, and manufacturing where many global brands have set up operations,” he said.

Marcos said HID’s parent company, Assa Abloy, runs two factories in Vietnam already and that the country is emerging as a hub for innovation, pointing to VinFast’s EV taxi service and government support for IT and engineering. “This dynamic environment makes Vietnam an ideal market for HID to introduce trusted identity and secure access solutions while meeting international security standards,” he said.

At the Tech4Life 2025 exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, HID unveiled the Amico reader, designed for multifactor authentication using face biometrics, cards, mobile credentials, QR codes or PINs. Marcos highlighted HID’s proprietary Paravision algorithm as a differentiator, enabling high-precision facial recognition while integrating with other access methods.

A longstanding partnership with Vietnam Smart Card Technology JSC has also bolstered HID’s presence. Marcos believes biometrics are becoming integral to daily life in Vietnam, pointing out that technology like cloud computing has become the norm and that biometrics will follow. “With proper policies and strong data protection, the market will increasingly embrace these [biometric] solutions,” he said.

This change can be seen in Vietnam’s banking, as VinCSS released a report on the authentication experience in apps for the country’s banks. The industry-first report shows a “strong shift from traditional to modern authentication methods,” in the banking ecosystem in Vietnam. Biometrics ranks as the most commonly used authentication methods for high risk transactions.

Mandatory IDV for ecommerce

Vietnam’s National Assembly Standing Committee has reviewed a draft Law on ecommerce aimed at updating the country’s legal framework to match the rapid growth of online trade.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan said Vietnam now ranks third in Southeast Asia by market size and fifth globally by growth rate. However, existing regulations (mainly Decrees 52 (2013) and 85 (2021)) lack the authority to address emerging challenges, reports VIR.

The draft law responds to rising concerns over counterfeit goods, intellectual property violations, and unregulated practices like livestream selling and affiliate marketing. Livestream commerce, in particular, has surged, yet remains legally undefined, complicating enforcement and tax collection.

The draft proposes mandatory seller ID authentication via VNeID for domestic sellers, and legal documentation for foreign sellers. Identity verification is seen as a way to curb tax evasion and protect consumers, but there is caution over implementation so as not to burden small traders or content creators.

Biometric fare system for metro

Hanoi Metro has a pilot program introducing digital identity verification and biometric recognition across all 12 stations of the Cat Linh – Ha Dong urban railway (Line 2A), reports Vietnam Net.

The trial covers 65 ticket gates and integrates multiple access methods, including chip-based ID cards, the Hanoi Metro mobile app, contactless metro cards, and international Visa payment cards. Eligible participants include senior citizens over 60, who ride free, and general commuters using single-use or daily tickets.

Vietnam also ran a biometric passenger authentication system at Ha Noi Station. The system verifies passenger identity using chip-based citizen ID cards linked to the national population database. VNR General Director Hoang Gia Khanh confirmed that integration with VNeID is underway, allowing passengers to use digital ID credentials without carrying physical documents. This will enable a fully electronic ticketing model across the national rail network.

The pilot phase from August 1 to 10 showed the system cut average ticket-checking time to just three to five seconds per passenger, according to a report in Nhan Dan, nearly halving the time required by QR-based methods. The recognition success rate exceeded 98 percent and passenger feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 92 percent rating the experience as convenient or very convenient, especially during peak travel hours.

Unified digital land database

Vietnam is accelerating the development of a unified digital land database, assigning unique identifiers — akin to citizen ID numbers — to more than 49.7 million land plots across all 34 centrally governed provinces. These digital codes are linked to the national population database, promising transparent land management, streamlined transactions, and improved public service delivery.

Integration with tax authorities now allows automatic calculation of financial obligations, while a nationwide digital land-use status map is being compiled using ministry-provided software. Hai Phong was the first locality to submit its inventory, with 10 other provinces completing full commune-level approvals.

To ensure data accuracy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has launched a 90-day campaign to cleanse and validate records. The initiative is seen as part of Vietnam’s digital transformation.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital payments  |  ecommerce  |  HID  |  identity verification  |  land registry  |  Vietnam  |  VNeID