INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS CAN USE ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION ACCOUNTS AS THEIR CITIZEN IDENTIFICATIONS/ENTERPRISE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES WHEN ENTERING INTO ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS

In order to implement the goal of establishing a national database on population and businesses of the State, on September 5, 2022, the Government issued Decree No. 59/2022/ND-CP (“Decree 59”) supplementing and concretizing regulations related to electronic identification and authentication in Decree 45/2020/ND-CP on the implementation of administrative procedures in the electronic environment. Decree 59 has some notable contents on electronic identity accounts as follows:

An electronic identification account is a authentication method of personal and organizational information; being used to replace documents and licenses such as: Citizen ID card with chip, health insurance card, driver license, vehicle registration certificate, business registration certificate, etc. when participating in transactions requiring presentation of documents or when paying electronic invoices. The use of an electronic identification account was expected to save time and costs because it does require to declare many types of forms, leading to the reduction of procedures in public administrative transactions.

Subjects eligible for being granted an electronic identification account (“Subjects”):

1. Vietnamese citizens or foreigners who enter Vietnam whose age of 14 or older. In case of age of under 14 years old, it shall be registered under the electronic identification account of the father, mother or guardian;
2. Agencies and organizations established or registered in Vietnam.

Levels of an electronic identification account:

Decree 59 stipulated on the registration and use of an electronic identification account for the transaction performance of the Subjects without presenting hard-copy documents. Accordingly, the Subject could register an identity account at 2 levels as follows:

1. Personal identification account – level 1 includes the following personal information: Personal identification number; full name; date of birth; sex. In case of a foreigner, the information shall additionally includes: nationality, passport information or international travel documents;
2. Personal identification account – level 2 includes the information at level 1 and biometric information (portrait and fingerprint);
3. The organization’s identification account includes the following information: Electronic identifier; organization name in Vietnamese, abbreviated name (if any) and foreign name (if any); establishment date; head office address; identification number, full name of the legal representative/head of the organization.

Scope of use of each electronic identity account’s level:

1. Personal identity accounts – level 1: Performing activities and transactions that require the presentation of personal information;
2. Personal identification account – level 2: Being used as citizen identification or passport/international travel documents in entry and exit of Vietnam;
3. Identity account of the organization: Being considered as a set of electronic records of the organization, which contains documents proving the identity of the organization (such as: business registration certificate, tax registration certificate, etc.). When performing transactions that require the presentation of these documents, the legal representative/authorized person of organizations managing and using the electronic identification account could use this account instead of presenting the corresponding documents as before.

Receipient of dossiers for registering an electronic identification account:

Decree 59 stipulated the procedures for registration of an electronic identification account:

1. For individuals registering a level-1 electronic identification account: On the VneID application;
2. For individuals registering a level-2 electronic identification account: At the police station of communes, wards, towns or the place where the procedures for issuance of citizen identification cards are carried out – for Vietnamese citizens; or at the Immigration management agency under the Ministry of Public Security/Provincial Public Security – for foreigners;
3. For organizations registering an electronic identification account: The legal representative, the head of the organization registered on the VneID application.

The registration of an electronic identification account is not mandatory and is completely free for Vietnamese agencies, organizations and citizens.

The State encourages individuals and organizations to use it to carry out administrative procedures or their activities and transactions without presenting relevant legal papers and documents (due to the integration to the e-ID account).

Decree 59 shall take effect from October 20, 2022.