Circular No. 08/BNV guiding the implementation of the Government Decree No. 48-CP dated July 8, 1993 on passports and visas.

CIRCULAR

OF THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

Guidelines for Implementing Government Decree No. 48/CP dated July 8, 1993 on Passports and Visas
Regarding Passports and Visas

Pursuant to Government Decree No. 250/CP dated June 12, 1981 stipulating the tasks, authorities, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Interior;

Pursuant to Government Decree No. 48/CP dated July 8, 1993 on Passports and Visas;

The Ministry of Interior provides guidelines for issuing ordinary passports and visas as follows:

I. OBJECTS ELIGIBLE FOR ORDINARY PASSPORTS

Except for Vietnamese citizens eligible for diplomatic passports and official passports as provided for in Articles 5 and 6 of Government Decree No. 48/CP dated July 8, 1993. Other cases of departure from Vietnam or entry and exit from Vietnam (Article 7 of Government Decree No. 48/CP dated July 8, 1993) shall be issued ordinary passports by the Ministry of Interior, including:

1. State officials within the scope of personnel management and decision-making authority of the heads of central ministries, agencies, and mass organizations, and the Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities who are dispatched abroad to implement commitments and contracts signed in economic, cultural, press, scientific and technological, training, labor, expert fields, etc., with foreign organizations having legal personality or with international organizations.

2. Personnel on the state payroll and those under labor contracts within the scope of direct personnel management and salary payment by the head of the enterprise or institution (listed in the payroll according to Government Decrees No. 25/CP and No. 26/CP dated May 23, 1993) who are dispatched abroad by the General Director or Director of state-owned enterprises (if authorized by the head of the main managing ministry, department, or the Chairperson of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally-administered cities) to implement contracts signed with foreign organizations having legal personality.

3. Workers and officials of non-state economic organizations and Vietnamese citizens working in foreign-invested enterprises, branches, and representative offices of foreign economic organizations in Vietnam who are dispatched abroad by the General Director, Director of enterprises or factories, branch manager, or head of the representative office of foreign economic organizations to perform work for the enterprise, branch, and representative office.

4. Vietnamese citizens dispatched abroad by foreign organizations having legal personality established by competent ministries or provincial and centrally-administered city people's committees according to the law and approved by the specialized management ministry (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, or Ministry of Education and Training) to work or study abroad.

5. Individuals applying for departure for personal matters such as tourism, visiting relatives, medical treatment, self-funded work, self-funded study, and other personal departures.

6. Vietnamese citizens residing abroad.

II. PROCEDURES FOR ISSUING ORDINARY PASSPORTS AND VISAS

1. For persons mentioned in Clause 1 and 2 of Section I of this Circular, the application for an ordinary passport shall include:

A dispatch letter from the Minister, Head of a ministry equivalent to a ministry, Head of a government agency, Chairperson of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally-administered cities, or the General Director of state-owned enterprises clearly stating the name, position, workplace.

An application form for an ordinary passport (according to the model of the Ministry of Interior), accompanied by three photographs (4x6cm, recently taken, bareheaded, facing forward), one of which is affixed to the application form and stamped with a cross-stamp: the application form must be confirmed by the managing agency.

Place to submit the application: Exit and Entry Management Department - Ministry of Interior; the passport will be returned within five days from the date of receipt of complete and valid application.

2. For persons mentioned in Clause 3 of Section I of this Circular, the application for an ordinary passport shall include:

A dispatch letter from the General Director of non-state-owned enterprises, branch manager, or head of the representative office of foreign economic organizations in Vietnam clearly stating the name, ID number (or passport number), workplace, and place of permanent household registration.

An application form for an ordinary passport (according to the model of the Ministry of Interior), accompanied by five photographs (4x6cm, recently taken, bareheaded, facing forward), one of which is affixed to the application form and stamped with a cross-stamp; the application form must be confirmed by the General Director, Director, or branch manager, head of the representative office of the company.

Place to submit the application: Exit and Entry Management Office of the Public Security Department of provinces and centrally-administered cities where the applicant has permanent residence; the result will be replied within fifteen days from the date of receipt of complete and valid application.

In case of necessity, the Exit and Entry Management Department may accept applications at the Exit and Entry Management Department and process them according to the regulations of the Ministry of Interior.

3. For persons mentioned in Clause 4 of Section I of this Circular, the application for an ordinary passport shall include:

A document from the competent ministry or provincial and centrally-administered city people's committees approving or allowing foreign organizations having legal personality to send people abroad for work or study.

A document from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs or Ministry of Education and Training permitting sending people abroad for work or study.

A document from the organization having legal personality regarding the person applying for a passport who is sent abroad by that organization for study or work.

An application form for an ordinary passport (according to the model of the Ministry of Interior), accompanied by five photographs (4x6cm, recently taken, bareheaded, facing forward), one of which is affixed to the application form and stamped with a cross-stamp by the Chief of Police Station or Village Chief of the place of permanent household registration and confirmed.

Place to submit the application:

Documents from the competent ministry or provincial and centrally-administered city people's committees allowing foreign organizations having legal personality to send people abroad and opinions of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs or Ministry of Education and Training sent to the Exit and Entry Management Department - Ministry of Interior for foreign organizations having legal personality applying for passports and visas for the first time at the Ministry of Interior.

Documents from the organization having legal personality dispatching people abroad for study or work and the application for an ordinary passport and visa sent to the Exit and Entry Management Office - Public Security Department of provinces and centrally-administered cities.

Processing time is fifteen days from the date the Public Security Department of provinces and centrally-administered cities receives complete and valid application.

In case of necessity, the Exit and Entry Management Department may accept applications at the Exit and Entry Management Department and process them within the prescribed time.

4. For individuals applying for departure for personal matters

1. A registration form for issuing a journalist card filled out by the applicant according to the model; approved and stamped by the head of the applying agency (Model No. 1);

An application for passport and visa (according to the model of the Ministry of Public Security) accompanied by five photographs (size 4x6cm, recently taken, bareheaded, looking straight ahead), including one photograph affixed to the application, must be stamped and confirmed by the head of the Police Station of the ward or commune where the applicant's permanent household registration is located.

Submit relevant certificates concerning departure from the country according to Decision No. 48-CP dated February 26, 1988 or Decision No. 121-CP dated March 19, 1979 of the Council of Ministers (now the Government).

If the applicant is an officer, employee, or member of the armed forces, they must have the consent of the competent authority.

Place to submit the application: The Exit and Entry Management Department of the Provincial Police or the Municipal Police directly under the Central Government; the response time is fifteen days for short-term departure applicants and thirty days for permanent departure applicants.

In necessary cases, the Exit and Entry Management Department may accept applications at its own office and process them in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Public Security.

5. For Vietnamese citizens working, studying, laboring... abroad who return to Vietnam for work or to visit relatives, if applying for extension, amendment, or supplement of passports and visas, then:

Submit a work permit or work certificate issued by the management agency abroad;

Provide a letter from the organization or entity sending the person abroad requesting it, for those individuals proposed by organizations or entities to be issued passports;

Provide an application form and confirmation from the Police Station of the ward or commune, and the Provincial or Municipal Police proposing it for those not directly managed by domestic organizations or entities;

Place to submit the application: At the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security or through the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Provincial or Municipal Police transferring the application to the Exit and Entry Management Department; the processing time at the Exit and Entry Management Department is three days from the date of receipt of complete valid documents.

In cases with specific and clear reasons and documents to facilitate Vietnamese citizens' entry and exit, the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security may extend, amend, or supplement passports and visas without waiting for the opinion of the competent authority or local police.

6. For Vietnamese citizens permanently residing abroad, the application for issuance, extension, amendment, supplementation, or cancellation of passports and visas shall be carried out in accordance with Circular No. 04/LB dated January 18, 1993 of the Joint Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, and Overseas Vietnamese Affairs; the issuance, extension, amendment, supplementation, or cancellation of visas for Vietnamese citizens permanently residing abroad in Vietnam shall also be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 04TT/BNV(A18) dated March 27, 1993 of the Ministry of Public Security.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Ordinary passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Vietnamese citizens before September 1, 1993 will continue to be valid according to the validity period stated in the passport. The extension, amendment, supplementation, or cancellation of ordinary passports and visas in Vietnam after September 1, 1993 shall be handled by the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security.

2. From September 1, 1993, ordinary passports will not be recalled except in cases of violation of Article 1 of Decree No. 48-CP dated July 8, 1993 or in cases prohibited from departure.

3. The Ministry of Public Security assigns the Exit and Entry Management Department to be responsible for printing and managing various types of passports and travel documents before their use (white paper products) and organizing the issuance of ordinary passports, travel documents, and visas for Vietnamese citizens applying for entry and exit, in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 48-CP and this Circular.

4. The Ministry of Public Security authorizes diplomatic missions, consular offices, and other authorized agencies of Vietnam abroad to issue, extend, amend, supplement, or cancel ordinary passports and travel documents for Vietnamese citizens permanently residing abroad and in cases where the ordinary passports of Vietnamese citizens are lost, damaged, or expired while abroad. After issuance, extension, amendment, supplementation, or cancellation, the files must be transferred to the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security.

For unclear reasons for reissuing or extending passports, the opinion of the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security must be sought.

5. The fee for issuing passports and visas shall be applied according to the price list prescribed by the Joint Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Public Security.

This Circular takes effect from September 1, 1993, and all previous regulations on procedures for issuing passports and visas issued by the Ministry of Public Security that conflict with this Circular are hereby abolished.

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

Independence - Freedom - Happiness

APPLICATION FOR PASSPORT AND VISA

Respected,

1. My name (print):...Male/Female:...

2. Common name:...

Nickname,...pen name:...

3. Nationality:...

4. Ethnic group:...

5. Religion: ...

6. Date of birth:...Month:...Year:...

7. Place of birth:...

8. Place of permanent household registration:...

9. ID number:...

Date of issue:...Issuing authority:...

10. Occupation: ...

Place of work: ...

11. Request to depart to the country: ...

12. Purpose: ...Duration of stay abroad:...

13. Name of individual or organization sponsoring in the foreign country:...

Address:…

Phone number, Fax: ...

Relationship:...

14. Planned departure date...Month...Year...

15. Through border gate:...

16. Transit through which countries? ...

Summary of activities from before to now...

17. Have you ever been convicted? Reason: ...

18. Are you currently involved in any criminal, civil, or administrative issues? Where?...

19. Relatives in Vietnam (father, mother, wife, husband, children, siblings)

20. Relatives abroad (father, mother, wife, husband, children, siblings)

21. Relatives accompanying (father, mother, wife, husband, children)

Head of household:…

22. Additional information:…

I solemnly declare that the above statements are true and I am willing to take responsibility before the law for my declarations.

Enterprise (in capital letters): ...

Done at:...Date... Month... Year...

(Head of the organization or unit or Chief of Ward or Commune Police)