On November 17, 2023, the Ministry of Public Security issued Circular No. 66/2023/TT-BCA ("Circular 66"), amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 55/2021/TT-BCA, Circular No. 56/2021/TT-BCA, and Circular No. 57/2021/TT-BCA that guide on matters related to registration and management of residence. Circular 66 introduces several noteworthy changes:
1. Specific Guidelines for Online Submission and Processing of Residence Registration
a. Allows the online submission and processing of residence registration via the VNeID application, in addition to the e-government portal.
b. Applicants only need to upload valid scanned or photographed documents without the requirement for notarization, authentication, digital signatures, or other forms of verification. However, if citizens upload documents without digital signatures or alternative verification, they must present the originals for comparison and verification as per regulations.
c. Responsibilities of the registration authority when receiving residence registration files:
+ Citizens are not required to submit or present information and documents proving the conditions for residence registration that have been shared and extracted from national databases or specialized databases.
+ Only citizens' documents are required for verification; citizens are not required to submit these documents for storage.
+ In cases where the file meets the conditions but requires adjustment or additional information, officials must provide comprehensive and specific guidance in a single instance for citizens to supplement and complete the file as required.
2. Addition of Relationship Identification in Household Registration
Supplementary cases for identifying relationships with the head of the household in the family, including: stepfather; stepmother; father-in-law; mother-in-law; stepfather; stepmother; daughter-in-law; son-in-law; spouse's biological child or husband's biological child; siblings with the same father but different mother; siblings with the same mother but different father; brother-in-law; sister-in-law; son-in-law; daughter-in-law; legal guardian.
3. Changes in Document Requirements for Vietnamese Nationals Residing Abroad
Under the previous regulation, Vietnamese nationals residing abroad who used a passport or substitute documents issued by the foreign country for entry into Vietnam had to include documents proving Vietnamese nationality and an agreement letter for the settlement of residence by the immigration management authority.
However, Circular 66 eliminates the requirement for the "agreement letter for the settlement of residence by the immigration management authority" and only mandates that Vietnamese nationals residing abroad present documents proving Vietnamese nationality and documents used for entry into Vietnam when registering for permanent residence.
Vietnamese nationals residing abroad, who have previously registered for permanent residence, will be notified about the invalidity of their passport or international travel document issued by the foreign competent authority for entry into Vietnam. They will be required to submit these documents, issued by the Vietnamese competent authority, for withdrawal and annulment.
4. Amendments to the Procedure for Confirming Residence Information
a. Allows online confirmation of residence information through the VNeID application, in addition to the e-government portal.
b. Supplements the content of residence information confirmation, including information about current residence, previous residences, duration of residence at each location, form of residence registration, and other residence information available in the residence database and the national population database.
c. Extends the validity period of residence information confirmation to one year from the date of issuance.
d. Reduces the confirmation period for residence information: In cases where the information to be confirmed is already available in the national population database, the resolution period should not exceed half a working day. For cases where the information to be confirmed is not available in the national population database or residence database, the confirmation period remains unchanged at three working days.
Circular 66 comes into effect on January 1, 2024. However, the implementation of the reception and processing of residence procedures via the VNeID application will be carried out upon ensuring technical infrastructure and at the discretion of the Director of the Administrative Management Police Department for Social Order.
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