Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BTP Issuing, guiding the use, and management of nationality record books and nationality-related documents

CIRCULAR

ISSUING GUIDELINES FOR USE AND MANAGEMENT OF NATIONALITY REGISTERS AND DOCUMENTS

REGARDING NATIONALITY

Pursuant to the Nationality Law of Vietnam No. 24/2008/QH12 dated November 13, 2008, amended and supplemented by Law No. 56/2014/QH13 and Law No. 79/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to Decree No. 191/2025/NĐ-CP dated July 1, 2025 of the Government detailing certain provisions and measures for organizing and guiding the implementation of the Nationality Law of Vietnam;

Pursuant to Decree No. 39/2025/NĐ-CP dated February 26, 2025 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Justice;

At the proposal of the Director of the Administrative Justice Department;

The Minister of Justice issues this Circular on issuing, guiding the use and management of nationality registers and nationality documents.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular issues and guides the use and management of nationality registers and nationality documents.

Article 2. Subjects using nationality registers and nationality documents

1. Vietnamese citizens and foreigners who have needs to request resolution of matters related to nationality;

2. Diplomatic missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam abroad;

3. Departments of Justice of provinces and centrally governed cities;

4. People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities;

5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

6. Ministry of Justice;

7. Agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in resolving matters related to nationality.

Article 3. Issuing three types of nationality registers

Article 4. Issuing seventeen types of nationality documents

Article 5. Issuing contents of interactive electronic nationality models for online submission of nationality applications and electronic nationality documents

1. Issuing contents of interactive electronic nationality models for online submission of nationality applications

2. Issuing two types of electronic nationality documents

Article 6. Legal Value of Electronic Nationality Documents

1. Electronic nationality documents have legal value and are used like paper nationality documents in online transactions and administrative procedures; they can replace paper nationality documents when handling direct administrative procedures related to nationality.

2. The QR code on electronic nationality documents is an internet address leading to the data and image format of the corresponding nationality document in the Nationality Database, providing information about the accuracy, validity, and detailed information of the nationality document in the Nationality Database.

3. Individuals, agencies, organizations when receiving electronic nationality documents presented by persons requesting nationality-related matters may verify the accuracy and updated information of the electronic nationality documents through the QR code on those documents.

Article 7. Printing and Using Sample Nationality Books and Nationality Documents

1. Sample nationality books and nationality documents issued under Article 3 and Article 4 of this Circular are published on the National Public Service Portal, the National Law Portal, and the website of the Ministry of Justice. Competent authorities handling nationality-related matters can access and print them for use.

2. Persons requesting nationality-related matters can access the National Public Service Portal, the National Law Portal, and the website of the Ministry of Justice to print and use the forms, application forms, and declaration forms specified in Article 4 of this Circular. If the person cannot print themselves, the competent authority handling the matter must print and provide the forms to the person making the request.

Article 8. Principles for Using Nationality Books

1. Civil servants working on nationality at the Department of Justice, diplomatic officials, consular officials working on nationality at representative offices of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam abroad (hereinafter referred to as officials working on nationality) must personally record in the nationality book when receiving paper applications for nationality-related matters. The recorded content must be accurate, without abbreviations, erasures; multiple colors of ink should not be used in one entry.

When using information technology to print nationality books on a machine, it must be printed with good quality black ink that does not smudge, blur, or fade.

In cases where nationality-related matters are handled through a single-window mechanism, the person receiving the application is responsible for recording in the nationality book.

2. Nationality books must be stamped across from the first page to the last page immediately upon opening the book. Entries must be made consecutively page by page, without leaving any blank pages. In cases where information technology is applied, a complete book must be printed and bound annually, and stamped across from the first page to the last page.

Article 9. Principles for Using Nationality Document Samples

1. Depending on each type of matter, persons requesting nationality-related matters must fill in all necessary and accurate information in the columns and sections of the application form, declaration form, and declaration sheet according to specific instructions provided with each sample issued along with this Circular.

2. The person receiving the application shall extract information from the National Population Database in accordance with the law if the person requesting nationality-related matters has provided their surname, middle name, given name; date of birth; and personal identification number. If the required information is not available in the National Population Database, the person requesting should be asked to declare it fully.

Article 10. Statistics of cases accepted and resolved in the year; storage of nationality registers

1. By no later than December 31 of each year, personnel responsible for nationality work must clearly compile statistics on the total number of cases recorded in the register within one year; if multiple registers of the same type of work are used in one year, the total number of volumes and the number of cases recorded must be noted; sign, write full name clearly, and report to the head of the agency for confirmation with signature and stamp.

2. Nationality registers must be stored permanently and preserved according to the laws on record management.

Article 11. Effectiveness and responsibility for implementation

1. This Circular takes effect from July 1, 2025.

2. This Circular replaces Circular No. 02/2020/TT-BTP dated April 8, 2020 issued by the Minister of Justice guiding the use and management of nationality register models and nationality-related documents.

3. Repeal Article 1 and Clause 2 of Article 3 of Circular No. 04/2024/TT-BTP dated June 6, 2024 issued by the Minister of Justice amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2020/TT-BTP dated April 8, 2020 issued by the Minister of Justice guiding the use and management of nationality register models and nationality-related documents and Circular No. 04/2020/TT-BTP dated May 28, 2020 issued by the Minister of Justice detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Household Registration Law and Decision No. 123/2015/NĐ-CP dated November 15, 2015 of the Government detailing certain provisions and measures to implement the Household Registration Law.

4. The Director of the Department of Administrative Justice, heads of units under the Ministry of Justice, Directors of Provincial Departments of Justice, and relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

Article 12. Transitional Provisions

The nationality register models issued together with Circular No. 02/2020/TT-BTP dated April 8, 2020 issued by the Minister of Justice guiding the use and management of nationality register models and nationality-related documents, which have been amended and supplemented by Circular No. 04/2024/TT-BTP dated June 6, 2024 issued by the Minister of Justice amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2020/TT-BTP dated April 8, 2020 issued by the Minister of Justice guiding the use and management of nationality register models and nationality-related documents and Circular No. 04/2020/TT-BTP dated May 28, 2020 issued by the Minister of Justice detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Household Registration Law and Decision No. 123/2015/NĐ-CP dated November 15, 2015 of the Government detailing certain provisions and measures to implement the Household Registration Law shall continue to be used until December 31, 2025.