| THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ------- No. 08/2009/TTLT-BCA-BNG | SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence- Freedom- Happiness ---------- Hanoi, October 06, 2009 |
JOINT CIRCULAR
Guiding the overseas issuance of ordinary passports and laissez-passers under the Government’s Decree No. 136/2007/ND-CP dated August 17, 2007 on Vietnamese citizens’ entry and exit
Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 136/2007/ND-CP dated August 17, 2007, on Vietnamese citizens’ entry and exit (below referred to as Decree No. 136/2007/ND-CP);
In order to facilitate the issuance and modification of ordinary passports and laissez-passers for Vietnamese overseas citizens, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide the following uniform guidance:
Article 1.
General provisions
1. Vietnamese overseas citizens who wish to be issued ordinary passports (below referred to as passports), have their passports modified or supplemented or to be issued laissez-passers shall submit dossiers and receive replies at overseas Vietnamese diplomatic representative missions, consular offices or other agencies authorized to perform consular functions (below referred to as Vietnamese representative missions). If they are in a country without Vietnamese representative mission, they shall submit dossiers to and receive replies from Vietnamese representative missions which are convenient to them.
2. The suspension of the issuance, modification or supplementation of passports and the suspension of the issuance of laissez-passers to overseas Vietnamese citizens prescribed in Clause 2, Article 23 of Decree No. 136/2007/ND-CP comply with notifications of the Public Security Ministry's Immigration Department.
3. The paper used as the ground for issuance, modification or supplementation of a passport or issuance of a laissez-passer is any of the following papers:
a/ Paper evidencing Vietnamese nationality (stuck with a photo) as prescribed by Vietnam’s law on nationality in different periods;
b/ A valid paper issued by a competent Vietnamese state management agency to citizens, containing full personal information and stuck with a photo. A person's personal information covers his/her full name, date of birth, place of birth, gender and nationality.
If the above papers are no longer valid or not stuck with photos, they shall be used only for reference in the issuance, modification or supplementation of passports or issuance of laissez-passers.
4. Before issuing, modifying or supplementing a passport or issuing a laissez-passer, Vietnamese representative missions shall examine and check the list of those who have lost Vietnamese nationality to ensure that those who are to be issued passports or have their passports modified or supplemented and those who are issued laissez-passers hold Vietnamese nationality.
5. Vietnamese representative missions shall keep and manage dossiers of application for the issuance, modification or supplementation of passports and dossiers of application for issuance of laissez-passers within 10 years after the date of issuing, modifying or supplementing these passports or issuing these laissez-passers.
Article 2.
Issuance, modification and supplementation of passports
1. For cases of application for first-time issuance of passports
a/ A dossier of application comprises:
- An application, made according to a set form.
- Two 4 x 6 cm white-background photos, recently taken with straight-looking eyes and bare head.
A certified true copy or a copy of the paper used as a basis for the issuance of a passport defined in Clause 3, Article 1 of this Circular).
- A certified true copy or a copy of the paper evidencing the applicant’s presence in the host country
For under-14 children:
+ An under-14 child may be issued a separate passport or share passport with his/her natural father or mother or adoptive father or mother (below referred to as father or mother) but may not share passport with his/her guardian; the passport shall only be issued to a child if he/she is determined as holding Vietnamese nationality.
+ In addition to the declaration and photos prescribed above, a dossier of application for a passport must also contain a certified true copy or a copy of the child’s birth certificate specifying his/her Vietnamese nationality. In case the birth certificate does not show the child’s Vietnamese nationality, papers evidencing his/her Vietnamese nationality are required. In case the child is adopted, a certified true copy or a copy of the decision recognizing the adoption is required.
+ The declaration must be signed by the child’s father, mother or guardian. If the declaration is signed by the guardian, a certified true copy or a copy of the paper valid to determine that this person is the child’s guardian is required. If the parent wishes to use his/her passport also for the child, he/she shall declare information on the child in his/her declaration form and submit two 3x4 cm photos of the child.
- For submitted copies of papers specified in this Point, their originals must be produced for examination and comparison.
b/ The handling of dossiers by Vietnamese representative missions:
- Within 5 working days after the complete and valid dossier, the Vietnamese representative mission shall decide to issue a passport and reply the applicant.
- In case the dossier is incomplete, the Vietnamese representative mission shall ask the applicant to clearly declare his/her personal identity details and request the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security, to conduct verification. A person’s personal identity details cover his/her personal information and relevant information to support the identification of that person such as his/he address of permanent or temporary residence in the country before exit, details of the entry and exit paper (type of paper, serial number, date of issue and issuing agency) and his/her relatives in Vietnam.
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