Decision No. 20/2004/QĐ-BGTVT on passenger documents for domestic and international civil aircraft flights

Pursuant to …;

On passenger documents for use when traveling on civil aircraft

_________________________ 

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION

Pursuant to the Civil Aviation Law of Vietnam dated December 26, 1991 and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Civil Aviation Law of Vietnam dated April 20, 1995;

Pursuant to Decree No. 34/2003/NĐ-CP dated April 4, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

Pursuant to Decree No. 11/2000/NĐ-CP dated May 3, 2000 of the Government promulgating the Civil Aviation Security Regulations;

Pursuant to Decision No. 04/2004/QĐ-BGTVT dated March 19, 2004 of the Minister of Transport on the promulgation of the Civil Aviation Security Program of Vietnam;

At the proposal of the Director of the Legal Department and the Director of the Civil Aviation Administration.

DECISION:

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

This Decision stipulates the documents that passengers must present when traveling on aircraft (hereinafter referred to as aircraft) on domestic flights within the territory of Vietnam, international flights departing from the territory of Vietnam; the responsibilities and authorities of Vietnamese airlines, domestic and foreign ticket sales agents of Vietnamese airlines, foreign airline ticket sales agents in Vietnam, and Vietnamese airports with respect to checking passengers' documents when traveling on aircraft.

Article 2. Documents that passengers must present when traveling on aircraft

1. Passengers when processing boarding procedures for international flights departing from the territory of Vietnam must present a passport or travel document or other documents with exit and entry validity as prescribed by law (hereinafter collectively referred to as passport); in cases where children do not have their own passports, the name, date of birth, and photograph of the child shall be recorded and affixed to the legal representative's document, including: biological father, biological mother, adoptive father, adoptive mother, or guardian.

2. Passengers, except those specified in Clause 3 of this Article, when processing boarding procedures for domestic flights must present:

a) For passengers holding foreign nationality: Passport;

b) For passengers holding Vietnamese nationality: must present one of the following types of documents:

- Passport;

- Identity card; in case of loss of identity card, a certificate of personal identification with confirmation from the police station of the place of residence shall be required;

- Identification and certification documents of armed forces;

- National Assembly Representative Card;

- Party Member Card;

- Journalist Card;

- Driver's license for automobiles and motorcycles;

- Air Cargo Security Control Card;

- Identification card of Vietnamese airlines.

3. Children passengers when processing boarding procedures for domestic flights must comply with the following regulations:

a) For children under 14 years old, a birth certificate must be presented. In cases where children under one month old do not yet have a birth certificate, a birth certificate must be presented.

b) For children who are brought up by social organizations, a confirmation letter from such organization must be presented. The confirmation letter is valid for use for six months from the date of confirmation.

c) For children under 14 years old traveling alone on domestic flights, in addition to the documents specified in Points a and b of Clause 3 of this Article, they must also present a commitment letter from the legal representative.

4. For passengers who are convicts, suspects, defendants being escorted, extradited, or deported when processing boarding procedures, in addition to the documents specified in Clause 1 of this Article (for international flights) and Clause 2 of this Article (for domestic flights), they must also present a decision from the competent authority.

5. The documents that passengers must present when traveling on aircraft as stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this Article must meet the following conditions:

a) Valid for use;

b) Have a stamped photo, except for the birth certificate and birth registration of children.

Article 3. Responsibilities of Vietnamese Airlines and Air Ticket Sales Agents.

1. Vietnamese airlines and their domestic and foreign air ticket sales agents, as well as foreign airline air ticket sales agents operating in Vietnam (hereinafter referred to collectively as air ticket sales agents), must publicly display the provisions set forth in Articles 2 and 5 of this Decision at ticket sales points and passenger check-in counters for air travel.

2. When issuing air tickets to passengers, employees of Vietnamese airlines or air ticket sales agents shall be responsible for:

a) Fully recording the surname, given name, and middle name of the passenger on the travel documents. In cases where the passenger's surname, given name, and middle name are too long, only the surname and given name should be recorded, with the middle name abbreviated if necessary;

b) Informing passengers about the types of documents required for air travel.

3) Employees handling passenger transportation procedures by air have the responsibility to verify and cross-check the passenger's documents against the air ticket before issuing the boarding pass.

Article 4. Responsibilities of Airport Security Forces.

Airport security forces are responsible for verifying and cross-checking the passenger's documents against the air ticket and boarding pass before allowing the passenger to enter the isolation area for boarding.

Article 5. Handling Violations

1. Passengers using counterfeit documents will be refused check-in procedures for air travel; airport security forces are responsible for documenting the violation of using counterfeit documents and transferring it to the local police authority for resolution according to the law.

2. Any entity, organization, or individual violating this Decision shall be subject to legal action depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

Article 6. Implementation Organization

1. This Decision takes effect from January 1, 2005, and replaces Decision No. 743/CAAV dated April 19, 1994, issued by the Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam regarding personal identification documents for passengers traveling on domestic routes of Vietnamese civil aviation.

2. All previous regulations that conflict with this Decision are hereby abolished.

3. The Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam is responsible for implementing this Decision to relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals within the civil aviation sector for enforcement.

4. The Head of the Office, the Inspector General, Department Heads under the Ministry, the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, and the Heads of related agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for enforcing this Decision./.