Ministry of Public Security proposes to expand the scope of issuing ordinary passports according to simplified procedures

Secretary General of the National Assembly Bui Van Cuong has just signed the conclusion of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the proposed Law and Ordinance Building Program for 2024, and adjustments to the Law and Ordinance Building Program for 2023.

Accordingly, the Standing Committee issued conclusions related to five draft laws chaired by the Ministry of Public Security, including the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.

The National Assembly Standing Committee will comment on the content of this bill and consider the proposal to add these projects to the 5th session agenda at the legal thematic session in April 2023 and the 23rd session (May 2023).

Proposal according to 1 session process

According to the Government's submission to the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government proposed to add this draft law to the 2023 law and ordinance making program, submit it to the National Assembly for comments, and approve it at the 6th Session according to the one-session process.

The proposal to draft this bill was reviewed and approved by the Government at the regular Government meeting in March 2023 with 4 policy groups.

General To Lam - Minister of Public Security reported at the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on April 14. Photo: Pham Thang

One is to continue reforming administrative procedures and perfecting regulations on the implementation of administrative procedures in the field of immigration management in the electronic environment.

Second, it is to create favorable conditions for citizens to apply for visas to enter foreign countries and issue ordinary passports according to simplified procedures; improve the effectiveness of state management in the field of exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens and the synchronization and unity of the legal system.

Third, continue to create more favorable conditions for foreigners to enter and exit Vietnam, contributing to promoting Vietnam's socio-economic development in the current situation.

Fourth, improve the effectiveness of foreign residence management in Vietnam, contributing to ensuring national security and social order and safety.

Apply online, cutting down on many procedures for issuing ordinary passports

Going into specific content, the bill adds the form of submitting documents in an electronic environment for procedures such as requesting to issue a regular passport, reporting the loss of a regular passport in an electronic environment, and restoring the validity of a regular passport.

Regarding the procedure for applying for a regular passport, the Ministry of Public Security proposes to abolish the regulation on submitting a copy of the Identity Card or Citizen Identification Card in cases where there is a change in personal information compared to the information in the most recently issued passport and abolish the regulation on submitting a copy of the birth certificate or birth certificate extract for people under 14 years old.

Another content of interest is the bill that stipulates that information on immigration documents includes information about “place of birth”.

In addition, the Ministry of Public Security also proposed to amend and supplement regulations to expand the subjects eligible for ordinary passports under simplified procedures, and regulations on passport issuance procedures under simplified procedures in some special urgent cases.

The draft law amends and supplements Clause 2, Article 17 on subjects granted ordinary passports under the simplified procedure to add "people who are not allowed to reside abroad but are not subject to the regulation of international treaties or international agreements on receiving back citizens".

Another new point is that the bill stipulates that the Ministry of Public Security shall preside over proposals for negotiating and signing international treaties and international agreements related to receiving back Vietnamese citizens who are not allowed to reside abroad.

Regarding this content, the Ministry of Public Security has proposed two options. Option 1: The Ministry of Public Security shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense to propose negotiations and signing international treaties and international agreements on the re-admission of Vietnamese citizens who are not permitted to reside abroad.

Option 2: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense to propose negotiations and signing international treaties and international agreements on receiving back Vietnamese citizens who are not permitted to reside abroad.

This content has been sent by the Government Office to ask for opinions from Government members, accordingly, 17/26 Government members agreed with option 1; 4/26 Government members agreed with option 2; 5 Government members have not yet commented.

Thus, the majority of Government members agreed with option 1 and the Ministry of Public Security proposed to implement option 1.