Circular No. 02/2008/TT-BNG guides the issuance, extension, amendment, and supplementation of diplomatic passports and official passports within the country and abroad according to Government Decree No. 136/2007/NĐ-CP dated August 17, 2007 on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens.

Subjects eligible for the issue of official passports are state officials, civil servants, and state functionaries as prescribed by laws on state officials and civil servants, including:

3. Civil servant reserves as defined in Article 2 of Decree No. 115/2003/NĐ-CP dated October 10, 2003 of the Government on the civil servant reserve system;

4. State functionaries in state-run public service units as defined in Article 2 of Decree No. 116/2003/NĐ-CP dated October 10, 2003 of the Government on recruitment, employment, and management of cadres and civil servants in state-run public service units;

5. Specialized cadres and civil servants at commune, ward, and town levels as defined in Article 2 of Decree No. 114/2003/NĐ-CP dated October 10, 2003 of the Government on cadres and civil servants at commune, ward, and town levels;

6. Judges of People's Courts and Prosecutors of People's Procuratorates.

II. VALIDITY PERIOD OF DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS AND OFFICIAL PASSPORTS

1. Diplomatic passports issued under Clause 12 Article 6 and official passports issued under Clause 5 Article 7 of the Decree shall have a validity period of at least one year from the date of issuance, and may be extended once not exceeding the initial validity period of the passport and not more than three years.

2. Passports issued to children under 18 years old as stipulated in Clause 11 Article 6 and Clause 4 Article 7 of the Decree shall be valid until the child reaches 18 years old but shall have a minimum validity period of one year from the date of issuance and shall not be extendable.

1. The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City are the authorities responsible for receiving applications and processing the issue, extension, amendment, and supplementation of diplomatic passports and official passports domestically (hereinafter referred to as domestic passport issuing authorities).

In cases where applicants submit applications for the issue, extension, amendment, and supplementation of diplomatic passports and official passports to the Provincial or Central City Offices of Foreign Affairs, these offices shall examine and accept the applications based on the regulations on application forms and procedures set forth in the Decree and this Circular, and shall be responsible for transferring the applications to the domestic passport issuing authorities.

2. The title of the person holding the passport shall be recorded as follows:

a) For positions specified from Clause 2 to Clause 8 of Article 6 of the Decree, the title shall be recorded in Vietnamese, except when the competent authority requests that the title not be recorded;

b) For Ministers, Deputy Ministers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomats who have been granted rank, members of Vietnamese representative offices abroad, state news agencies' permanent representatives abroad, and persons traveling as provided for in Clause 11 of Article 6 and Clause 4 of Article 7 of the Decree, the title shall be recorded in both Vietnamese and English;

c) For other positions, the title shall not be recorded in the passport.

3. Documents appointing or deciding to send abroad, as prescribed in Clause 1 of Article 32 of the Decree or by units authorized according to Clause 2 of Article 32 of the Decree, must be directly signed by the authorized person and stamped by the agency. Documents with two or more pages must be stamped across the seams between pages, and any amendments must be confirmed with a stamp. The document must clearly state the full name, title of the person appointed or allowed to travel abroad, destination country, duration, and purpose of the mission abroad. If the person is a civil servant or state functionary with a code, grade, and rank, the document must specify the type of code, grade, and rank. If the person is a civil servant or state functionary who cannot be appointed to a specific grade, the document must specify the type of civil servant or state functionary. If the person is an officer or professional military personnel, their position and rank must be clearly stated.

4. The sample of the agency's seal, signature, and title of the authorized person signing the appointment or decision to send abroad must be introduced in writing to the domestic passport issuing authority when the person signs such documents.

5. Regarding the delegation of signing powers for appointment or decision to send abroad as prescribed in Clause 2 of Article 32 of the Decree, the delegation document must be directly signed by the Minister, Head of a ministry equivalent to a ministry, or Chairman of the People's Committee of a province or centrally-administered city, and must clearly state the full name, title, scope, and duration of the delegation.

IV. GUIDELINES FOR THE ISSUE, EXTENSION, AMENDMENT, AND SUPPLEMENTATION OF DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS AND OFFICIAL PASSPORTS DOMESTICALLY

1. Issuance procedure:

a) Application materials for passport issuance include:

1. Procedures for issuing passports:

a) The application dossier for issuing a passport includes:

- A completed passport application form in accordance with the prescribed model. The applicant must fill out all contents in the form, sign directly, and have it confirmed by the direct personnel management agency. In cases where children are traveling to visit or accompany others, the application form must be confirmed by the direct management agency of the parents or guardians (if they are state officials) or by the Head of the police station or commune where the child resides permanently or temporarily.

- Three identical photographs, size 4 x 6 cm, taken against a white background, looking straight ahead, bareheaded, without tinted glasses, in ordinary clothing, not older than one year; one photograph affixed to the Application Form stamped with a border seal, two photographs attached.

- A dispatch or decision authorizing travel abroad issued by the competent authority as specified in Point 3, Section III of this Circular.

- Present the passport already issued (if any) for cancellation procedures.

- In case of loss of the passport, there must be a notification letter from the managing agency of the person who was issued the passport.

- In cases of visiting or following members of Vietnam's representative offices abroad or state news agencies permanently stationed abroad as stipulated in Clause 11, Article 6 and Clause 4, Article 7 of the Decree, the Department of Organization and Cadres of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must provide a written opinion. For those under 18 years old, a copy of the Birth Certificate or Decision on Recognition of Adoption, Decision on Recognition of Guardianship (presenting the original for verification) must be provided.

b) The passport issuing authority within the country may request additional information from the applicant if the application file and documents are unclear.

c) In cases where the passport is issued at the request of the competent authority as specified in Clause 12, Article 6 and Clause 5, Article 7 of the Decree, the passport issuing authority within the country will only consider and process based on the request of the competent authority as specified in Clause 1, Article 32 of the Decree, and not on the basis of requests from subordinate units authorized.

d) The passport issuing authority within the country will consider and process the issuance of passports within five working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid application file.

2. Procedures for extending, amending, and supplementing passports:

a) Extending passports:

At least thirty days before the passport expires, the holder may apply for an extension. If the passport has expired or has less than thirty days remaining validity, a new passport must be applied for.

The documents include:

- An application form for passport extension according to the prescribed model;

- Passport;

- A dispatch or decision authorizing travel abroad as specified in Point 3, Section III of this Circular.

b) Documents for requesting to add children under 14 years old to their parents' or guardians' passports include:

- An application form for amendment and supplementation according to the prescribed model, with confirmation from the direct management agency of the parents or guardian of the child (if they are civil servants) or from the Head of the Police Station of the place of permanent residence or temporary residence of the child;

- Three photographs as prescribed;

- Passport;

- A copy of the Birth Certificate or Decision on Recognition of Adoption, Decision on Recognition of Guardianship (presenting the original for verification);

- A written opinion from the Department of Organization and Cadres of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

c) Documents for requesting amendments and supplements to passports include:

- An application form for amendment and supplementation according to the prescribed model;

- Passport;

- Valid documents proving that the amendment and supplementation of the passport is necessary.

d) The passport issuing authority within the country will consider and process passport extensions, amendments, and supplements within two working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid application file.

1. The following cases are eligible for the issuance, extension, amendment, and supplementation of diplomatic and service passports abroad:

a) Individuals who have been issued diplomatic or service passports while abroad and lost their passports, or whose passports are damaged, full, expired, or require extension, amendment, or supplementation;

b) Individuals who have been issued diplomatic passports according to Clause 9, Article 6 of the Decree during their stay abroad and have received a decision or notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding a change in diplomatic position;

c) Staff members of Vietnam's representative offices abroad who have been issued service passports according to Clause 3, Article 7 of the Decree during their stay abroad and have received a decision or notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding their appointment to a diplomatic post shall be issued diplomatic passports;

d) Individuals who have received a decision or notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding their appointment as a member of Vietnam's representative office, or as a correspondent of state news agencies permanently stationed abroad;

e) Spouses and children under 18 years old of individuals who have been issued passports according to Clause 9, Article 6 and Clause 3, Article 7 of the Decree.

2. Procedures for Issuing Passports:

a) The documents include:

- An application form for passport issuance according to the prescribed model;

- Three photographs as prescribed;

- Applicants falling under Point 1.a, Section V of this Circular must submit a dispatch or decision authorizing continued work abroad meeting the requirements specified in Point 3, Section III of this Circular.

Applicants falling under Points 1.b, 1.c, and 1.d of Section V of this Circular must submit the corresponding documents as specified in these points.

Applicants falling under Point 1.e of Section V of this Circular must have a written opinion from the Department of Organization and Cadres of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or from the Head of the Representative Office.

- Present the passport already issued (if any) for cancellation procedures;

- Report of loss of passport (if the passport is lost).

b) The representative office will consider and issue passports within five working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid application file.

c) In cases of lost or damaged passports, the representative office will handle as follows:

- Within one working day, the representative office will send the personnel data (with attached photographs) of the applicant to the previous passport issuing authority for verification;

- Within three working days, the previous passport issuing authority is responsible for checking and responding to the verification request from the representative office, including the expiration date of the previously issued passport;

- Within one working day from the date of receiving the verification results, if the previous passport issuing authority confirms the issuance of the passport, the representative office will issue a new passport valid until the expiration date of the previously issued passport. If the previous passport has already expired, the representative office will issue a regular passport.

d) After issuing the passport, the representative agency shall promptly notify the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security of the list of persons who have been issued passports (including detailed personal information, passport number, date of issuance of the new and old passports, validity period of the new passport, reason for issuing the passport, and the position of the person to whom the passport was issued), and the list of persons reporting the loss of diplomatic or service passports.

3. Procedures for extending, amending, and supplementing passports:

a) The representative agency shall carry out the procedures for extending, amending, and supplementing passports similarly to those for doing so within the country (as stipulated in point 2, Section IV of this Circular).

b) In cases where an application is made to extend a passport with a validity period of less than five years issued by the passport-issuing authority within the country, the representative agency shall seek the opinion of the passport-issuing authority within the country via telecommunication and issue a new passport or extend the passport according to the guidance of the passport-issuing authority within the country.

c) In cases where an application is made to supplement a child's photograph, the head of the representative agency must provide a written opinion.

1. The Consular Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, and provincial and centrally-administered municipal foreign affairs agencies shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The Consular Department shall issue the forms prescribed in this Circular.

3. This Circular shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette and shall replace Circular No. 04/2000/TT-BNG dated November 8, 2000, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs guiding the issuance, extension, amendment, supplementation, and management of diplomatic and service passports within the country under Decree No. 05/2000/NĐ-CP dated March 3, 2000 on the exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens, and Circular No. 06/2002/TT-BNG dated September 3, 2002, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs guiding the issuance, extension, amendment, and supplementation of diplomatic and service passports abroad under Decree No. 05/2000/NĐ-CP dated March 3, 2000 on the exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens./.