The National Assembly has decided to remove the regulation that a passport with a remaining validity of 6 months or more is eligible for exit.

On the morning of June 24, on the last working day of the 5th session, the 15th National Assembly passed the 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 with 470/475 National Assembly deputies participating in the vote in favor, equal to 95.14% of the total number of National Assembly deputies; effective from August 15, 2023.

The promulgation of this Law aims to contribute to simplifying procedures, promoting the implementation of administrative procedures in the electronic environment, continuing to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese citizens in issuing exit and entry documents and foreigners entering, exiting, transiting and residing in Vietnam.

At the same time, contributing to socio-economic development; both protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety. Completing the legal basis, ensuring synchronization, unity and improving the effectiveness of state management of entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, contributing to making tourism a key economic sector, creating conditions for investors to explore the market and invest.

The 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 has 3 articles.

The 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 amends an article and clause related to groups of contents to reform administrative procedures, perfect regulations on the implementation of administrative procedures in the field of exit and entry management in the electronic environment and to create favorable conditions for citizens in applying for visas to enter foreign countries, issuing ordinary passports according to simplified procedures; improving the effectiveness of state management in the field of exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens and synchronization and unity of the legal system.

Specifically, such as adding the form of submitting documents in the electronic environment for the procedure of requesting to issue a regular passport, reporting the loss of a regular passport in the electronic environment, restoring the validity of a regular passport; decentralizing the handling of reporting the loss of a regular passport from the Immigration Department to the provincial police, from the provincial police to the district police, from the district police to the commune police.

The Law also stipulates additional information on “place of birth” on exit and entry documents; regulations on cases; expansion of subjects eligible for ordinary passports under simplified procedures; regulations on passport issuance procedures under simplified procedures in some special urgent cases.

The law also stipulates that a passport with remaining validity is eligible for exit; the regulation requiring a passport with remaining validity of 6 months or more is removed to facilitate citizens.

The 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 also focuses on amending regulations to further facilitate foreigners entering and exiting Vietnam, such as: increasing the duration of electronic visas from 30 days to 3 months, valid for single or multiple entries.

Expand the issuance of e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories and assign the Government to decide on a specific list of countries and territories on the basis of ensuring national defense, security, social order and safety, in accordance with Vietnam's foreign policy and socio-economic development; increase the temporary stay period from 15 days to 45 days for citizens of countries unilaterally exempted from visas by Vietnam and be considered for visa issuance and temporary stay extension according to other provisions of the Law.

The Law also amends and supplements a number of contents related to the management of foreign residence in Vietnam, contributing to protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety.

Also in the morning session on June 24, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law on Forces participating in protecting security and order at the grassroots level and performing personnel work.