TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. WHO NEEDS TO RENEW A PASSPORT IN VIETNAM?
As a Vietnamese citizen who wishes to travel, study, or work abroad, it is essential to possess a valid passport.
Renewing, reissuing, and replacing passports is necessary in certain cases to ensure legality, validity, and convenience for entry and exit. There are specific cases that require passport extension, reissue, and replacement for holders of ordinary passports, diplomatic and official passports.
- If your passport is expired or has no pages, it is no longer legally valid for entry or exit.
- If you have lost your passport, you do not meet the necessary paperwork requirements for entry and exit.
- If your passport is damaged, its integrity and information are no longer guaranteed, affecting immigration.
- If you need to change your personal information on your passport like your name, date of birth, gender or permanent address, renew your passport to update the information to ensure accuracy and legality.
If you want to change your passport photo because the old photo is no longer suitable or damaged, make sure to accurately identify the passport holder.
2. RENEW VIETNAM PASSPORT’S DOCUMENT
To renew your Vietnamese passport, you need to prepare several documents, including general identification and additional documents in specific cases.
2.1. General Profile
To apply for a new passport, you need to prepare the following documents:
- Download the application form from the website of the Vietnam Immigration Department or obtain it from the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police where you currently reside.
- 02 4x6cm ID photos with a white background, a straight face, bare head, and no colored glasses, which should have been taken within the last 6 months.
- If the applicant is under 14 years old, they must provide either the original and a copy of their birth certificate or a copy of their birth certificate.
- If the applicant is 14 years old or older, they need to submit both the original and a copy of their ID card/Citizen identification card.
2.2. Other Profile
In addition, in some other cases, you need to prepare the following documents:
- If your passport has expired, you will need to provide your old passport (if it’s still available).
- If you have lost your passport, you will need to obtain a notice of lost passport from the police agency where you registered your permanent residence.
- If your passport has been damaged, you will need to provide the damaged passport.
- In case of a change in personal information, you will need to provide original or notarized copies of documents proving the change.
- If you only want to change your photo, there is no need to provide additional documents.
Note:
Documents must be complete, accurate, intact and legally notarized in accordance with regulations.
3. THE STEPS INVOLVED IN RENEWING, REISSUING, OR REPLACING A VIETNAM PASSPORT
If you need to renew, reissue, or replace your passport, follow the steps given below:
Step 1: First, determine whether you need to renew, reissue, or replace your passport.
This could be because it has expired, been lost, or damaged, or because you need to change your personal information or photo.
Step 2: Prepare the required documents.
This will include general records, as well as any additional records specific to your case.
Step 3: Submit your application
You can submit your application at the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police in the area where you currently reside. The working hours for each department may vary.
Step 4: Track the progress of approval and receipt of passport
After submitting your application, an officer will check and guide you to pay the fee. Once you have paid the fee, you will receive an application receipt. You can track the progress of your application review on the website of the Vietnam Immigration Department or via SMS. Once your passport is issued, you will be notified to pick it up.
Step 5: Pay the fee
The fee for reissuing a passport is 200,000 VND per time, while passport renewal costs 300,000 VND per time.
Note that:
It is recommended to submit your passport renewal application at least 6 months before its expiration date to ensure there is enough time to complete the procedure. In case of any necessity, the authorities may ask you to provide additional documents or explain some related information.
4. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RENEW A PASSPORT?
The time taken for passport renewal relies on the location of your application submission. The following processing times are applicable:
Case 1:
When you submit your application at the Consular Department or Department of Foreign Affairs, the processing time will not exceed two working days from the date of receipt of complete and valid documents.
Case 2:
If you submit your application at the Immigration Management Department of the Provincial/City Police Municipal City, the processing time will not exceed eight working days from the date of receipt of complete and valid documents.
5. WHERE TO RENEW YOUR PASSPORT?
To renew your passport, you can renew at the following locations:
5.1. Consular Department or Department of Foreign Affairs
Target audience: Vietnamese citizens residing or working outside Vietnam.
Advantages:
– Quick resolution time – not more than two working days.
– Simple and convenient process.
Disadvantages:
– Applicants must personally visit the Consular Department or Department of Foreign Affairs to submit the required documents and receive the results.
– The cost may be higher compared to renewing a passport at the Immigration Department.
5.2. The Immigration Management Department of the Provincial/City Police Department
Target audience: for Vietnamese citizens residing in Vietnam.
The advantage of renewing your immigration documents here is that the process is simple and convenient, and the cost is lower than renewing at the Consular Department or the Department of Foreign Affairs. However, the processing time is longer, and it may take up to eight working days.
Subjects: Vietnamese citizens residing in Vietnam.
Advantage:
The advantage of renewing your immigration documents here is that the process is simple and convenient
The cost is lower than renewing at the Consular Department or the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Disadvantage:
The processing time is longer, and it may take up to 08 working days.
6. HOW MUCH DOES THE VIETNAM PASSPORT RENEWAL COST?
Renewal or expiration-related passport applications have specified renewal costs listed in the following table:
7. FAQ ABOUT PASSPORT RENEWAL YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
There are many questions related to passport renewal, below are some questions that many people are interested in.
❓How long before it expires must I change my passport?
✅ It’s not mandatory to renew your passport before its expiration date according to current regulations in Vietnam. However, to ensure smooth international travel, it’s recommended that you renew your passport within six months before it expires. This is because:
- Some countries require a minimum of 06 months of remaining passport validity upon entry, and renewing your passport early will help you avoid any unexpected travel issues.
- Passport renewal documents may change over time, so renewing early will help you stay current with the latest regulations.
Here are some scenarios where it’s best to renew your passport early:
- if you plan to travel abroad within the next 06 months,
- if your passport is lost or damaged
- if you need to update personal information on your passport such as your name, date of birth, or ID card/ID number.
❓Can a passport that is still valid for 1 year be changed?
✅ It is possible to replace a passport that is still valid for 01 year with a new one. According to Vietnamese regulations, there are no restrictions on exchanging passports before they expire.
However, it is generally not necessary to replace a passport with 1 year validity, as you can still use it for international travel until it expires.
Additionally, the cost of replacing a passport is not cheap (300,000 VND per replacement) and the process can take from 02 to 08 working days to complete.
❓What is the validity period of a passport?
✅ To know when your passport expires, you need to determine the type of passport you have.
In Vietnam, there are three popular types of passports:
- Normal passport are issued to people aged 14 or older, valid for 10 years and cannot be renewed
- Normal passport are issued to people under 14 years old, valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed
- Normal passports are issued according to simplified procedures, valid for a maximum of 12 months and cannot be extended.
You can check your passport’s expiration date directly on the passport page where it’s recorded. Renewing your passport is not a difficult process. With the tips shared in this article, you can easily complete the renewal procedure quickly, simply and economically. Start planning your next journey and renew your passport as soon as possible!