Circular No. 56/2025/TT-BCA on the storage of commonly formed digital documents in the People's Public Security Force

CIRCULAR

Regulations on storing digital documents

commonly formed in the People's Public Security

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

Pursuant to the State Secrets Protection Law No. 29/2018/QH14 dated November 15, 2018;

Pursuant to the Archives Law No. 33/2024/QH15 dated June 21, 2024;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 02/2025/ND-CP DATED FEBRUARY 18, 2025 OF THE GOVERNMENT ON FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY;

Decree No. 113/2025/ND-CP dated 03 monthg 6 2025 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Archives Law;

At the proposal of the Director of the Ministry of Public Security’s Office;

The Minister of Public Security issues this Circular regulating the storage of digital documents commonly formed in the People's Public Security.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Article 1. This Circular stipulates the storage of digital documents, construction, management, operation of archival database, and the Digital Archive for digital documents commonly formed in the People's Public Security.

Article 2. This Circular applies to units and local public security agencies and individuals, organizations related to the storage of digital documents commonly formed in the People's Public Security.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

Clause 1. Digitizing documents is the process of converting physical information into digital format for management, exploitation, and use on electronic devices. Information converted will be organized into byte and bit formats. Digitizing documents does not change the information or data but only transforms the form of storage from physical, manual to digital format.

Clause 2. Storing digital documents commonly formed involves preserving such documents in digital format to maintain and promote their archival values.

Clause 3. An electronic dossier is a collection of related electronic documents concerning a specific issue, event, object, or common characteristics, formed during the guidance, monitoring, and resolution of tasks within the scope of functions and responsibilities of the Ministry of Public Security leadership, local public security agencies, and relevant ministries and sectors.

Clause 4. Creating an electronic dossier involves using information technology to link electronic documents into an electronic dossier.

Clause 5. The archival database of the Ministry of Public Security Archive Repository is a collection of archival documents of the Ministry of Public Security Archive Repository, arranged, managed, and organized for access, sharing, exploitation, and updating through application software.

Clause 6. Archival business operations involve digitizing, submitting, preserving, utilizing, and destroying documents.

Clause 7. The archival document management system (referred to as the System) is a software system of the Digital Archive established to perform archival operations, promote the value of archival documents, and manage archival document resources.

Clause 8. A digital archive repository is the material infrastructure and technological base for preserving and performing digital archival operations.

Clause 9. A copy of a digital archival document is a printout or extraction of the entire or part of the content information from a digital archival document.

Article 3. Principles of Management

Clause 1. Digital archiving activities in the People's Public Security shall be unified, managed, directed, and implemented in accordance with the law.

Clause 2. Ensuring the goal of effectively utilizing the value of archival documents to serve the work of units and local public security agencies.

Clause 3. Ensuring legitimate access and use of digital archival documents by agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Clause 4. Managing digital archival documents according to the archive repository, main data, ensuring scientific, systematic, and historical continuity of archival documents.

Clause 5. Ensuring security, safety, confidentiality, integrity, long-term storage of documents, and implementing backup storage of archival documents in accordance with the law.

Clause 6. Managing digital archival documents containing state secrets shall be carried out in accordance with the laws on protecting state secrets and cryptographic communications.

Article 4. The value of digital archival documents

1. Digital archival documents serve as evidence of the activities of the Party, State, and Public Security Sector throughout the historical periods of the country.

2. Digital archival documents possess historical value, legal value, and practical value for research, study, and service to national security protection work, ensuring social order and safety, and combating crime.

Article 5. Prohibited acts

1. Illegally transferring, providing, buying, selling, appropriating, or losing digital archival documents managed by authorized agencies of the Ministry of Public Security.

2. Intentionally damaging, falsifying, distorting the content, or compromising the integrity of digital archival documents; illegally accessing, copying, sharing digital archival documents and archival document databases; illegally destroying digital archival documents and their data.

3. Using digital archival documents to infringe upon national interests, ethnic interests, public interests, lawful rights and interests of organizations, individuals, and communities.

4. Storing and transmitting digital archival documents classified as state secrets over unencrypted communication channels.

Chapter II

PROVISIONS ON THE DIGITAL STORAGE OF DOCUMENTS

Article 6. Archival operations for digital storage

Digital archival operations must comply with general regulations on archival operations stipulated in Circular No. 55/2025/TT-BCA dated July 1, 2025, issued by the Minister of Public Security regarding archival work for commonly formed documents in the People's Public Security Force, and implement specific provisions set forth in this Chapter.

Article 7. Creation of digital archival documents

1. The creation of digital archival documents must meet the following requirements:

a) Being digitally authenticated by the unit or individual creating the document or having identifiable elements indicating the origin of the document;

b) Ensuring security, safety, and completeness of the document from its initial creation until it is put into use;

c) Having recognizable signs due to digitization and being authenticated by the authorized unit or individual;

d) Being accessible and usable in a complete form.

2. Authority to authenticate digitized archival documents is defined as follows:

a) The unit or individual creating the document;

b) The unit or individual receiving the document sent by the unit or individual creating the document;

c) Current digital storage authority authenticating digitized archival documents within its management jurisdiction.

3. The structure of digital archival document data shall be implemented according to the provisions of Article 4 of Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BNV dated May 14, 2025, issued by the Minister of Home Affairs regarding archival operations for digital archival documents.

4. The format, presentation techniques, and data structure of digitized archival documents shall be implemented according to the provisions of Article 8 of Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BNV.

Article 8. Responsibilities for building and managing archival document databases

1. The Office of the Ministry of Public Security is the unit responsible for building and managing the archival document database of the Ministry of Public Security Archive.

2. Local Public Security units build and manage archival document databases within their management jurisdiction.

3. Local Public Security units managing archival document databases have the responsibility to:

a) Advise, organize implementation, supervise policies and regulations, inspect, and monitor data;

b) Implement data governance, design, and model data management; manage data integration and sharing, data quality management; data security; and master data management of the database;

c) Ensure the normal operation of the archival document database to support data collection, updating, maintenance, exploitation, and utilization;

d) Carry out activities prescribed in Article 7 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 3, 2025, issued by the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Archives and related laws;

đ) Develop operational rules for exploiting and using archival document databases within their management jurisdiction.

Article 9. Registration, submission, and storage of digital files and documents

1. Registration and submission of files and documents for storage on the System

Units and local police forces that have been granted access accounts to the System (each unit is granted one account) shall use these accounts to register the submission of digital archival files and documents.

2. Structure of submitted files

a) In cases where units have already established and managed digital archival files within the System, they shall submit digital archival files.

b) When submitting within the same System, the data structure of the submitted files shall comply with the AIP_hoso package structure as stipulated in Article 17 of Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BNV.

3. Structure of submitted documents

a) In cases where units have not yet established and managed digital archival files during the course of their work, and the System has search capabilities ensuring the ability to link scattered documents and display them by topic according to user requirements, they shall submit files and documents.

b) When submitting within the same System, the data structure of the submitted documents shall comply with the AIP_tailieu package structure as stipulated in Article 17 of Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BNV.

4. Time for submission of digital archival files to current digital archives and historical digital archives.

By December 31 each year, units and local police forces are responsible for submitting to the current digital archive all files and documents from the previous year that have a retention period of five years or more. Files and documents related to principles, ongoing work matters, and informational documents for reference purposes shall not be submitted to the current digital archive.

By December 31 each year, the current digital archive shall transfer files and documents with permanent preservation value that have concluded a twenty-year period to the historical digital archive. Current digital archives at subordinate units under the Ministry shall transfer files and documents to the historical digital archive managed by the Ministry's Office. Current digital archives at provincial and communal police forces shall transfer files and documents to the historical digital archive of the provincial police force.

5. Heads of units and local police forces shall establish procedures for the submission of digital files and documents to the current digital archive and the historical digital archive, ensuring compliance with legal regulations and suitability with the actual conditions of their respective Systems.

Article 10. Confirmation of Submission of Files and Documents to Storage on the System

1. The current digital archive and historical digital archive shall accept registration requests for file submissions (submission request documents and file and document indexes, clearly identifying accessible files and documents) from submitting units, and perform the following tasks:

a) Review the index of submitted files and documents on the System;

b) Provide written comments on the index of submitted files and documents (if applicable);

c) Confirm acceptance or rejection of the submission of files and documents on the System, providing specific reasons.

2. Acceptance of file and document submission

The current digital archive and historical digital archive shall agree with the submitting unit on the index of submitted files and documents; specify the method of submission; set the time for submission; and define the data structure of the submitted files and documents.

3. Rejection of file and document submission

The current digital archive and historical digital archive shall reject the submission of files and documents if they fall into any of the following categories:

a) They do not conform to the components required for submission to the archive;

b) The information provided is unclear or incomplete;

c) The total size of the files and documents intended for submission exceeds the processing capacity of the System. In such cases, the current digital archive and historical digital archive shall develop a handling plan and notify the submission schedule to the submitting unit.

Article 11. Receiving and processing business for submitted files and documents

1. Files and documents stored in the current digital archive and historical digital archive upon receipt and storage on the System include the following information:

a) Registration code for submission request (if registered on the System);

b) Submission unit code;

c) Name of submission unit;

d) File name;

đ) Total number of SIP, AIP packages;

e) Total number of files and documents according to registration;

g) Total number of files and documents approved for submission (calculated cumulatively);

h) Total number of files and documents entered into the System;

i) Total number of pages and data volume;

k) Time of receipt.

The System automatically updates the status of file and document receipt to the account of the submitting unit and related accounts (if any).

2. Processing business for files and documents submitted for current digital archive and historical digital archive on the System

a) Checking duplicate files and documents

The System scans the information of files and documents to check for duplicates and does not accept those that are duplicated within the same submission.

In case of duplicate files and documents received compared to those already in the System, the System displays detailed Table of Contents of documents in both sets of files and documents. Officers assigned to manage the digital archive will decide whether to accept or reject each specific file and document.

Checking package data and detailed metadata of files and documents; detailed content of attached file of documents; result for each document: pass, fail (specify reasons).

b) Checking content and retention period

Officers assigned to manage the digital archive review each file and document and compare with the Table of Contents of submitted files and documents; review each document in the file.

Officers assigned to manage the digital archive compile results and complete the Business Processing Report, including the following information: total number of files and documents proposed for submission; total number of files and documents with passing results; total number of files and documents with failing results (specify reasons); proposals for the submission unit (if any); proposals for the approver; submit the report to the authorized approver.

3. Completing the submission process

a) Current digital archive and historical digital archive in the People's Public Security organize the submission of files and documents, uniformly prepare the following records: Record of handover of files and documents for current digital archive and historical digital archive; Record of files and documents returned according to the List of files and documents not approved for digital archive;

b) Uniformly sign all records;

c) Report to managing agencies and units;

d) Prepare the submission process file for files and documents.

Article 12. Using digital archived documents

1. Digital archived documents are used through the following forms: reading, issuing copies, providing information from digital archived documents and document database.

2. Using digital archived documents via application software at the unit.

3. Digital archived documents can be created as copies provided to users in digital format or paper format.

4. Copies for users are reproduced from the original digital archived document in the DIP (Document Information Package) format to provide according to usage purpose.

5. Users may only perform the forms of using digital archived documents after being granted access to the System.

6. Conditional access to digital archived documents

a) Conditional access to digital archived documents includes documents containing state secrets and documents specified in Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

b) For digital archived documents not containing state secrets, subordinate units of the Ministry of Public Security and provincial-level public security organs establish a list of conditionally accessible documents within their management scope, seek unified opinions from the Ministry of Public Security Office, and report to the Minister for approval of the list.

7. Authority and procedures for exploiting and using digital archived documents

a) Authority to approve exploitation and use of digital archived documents

The Minister of Public Security has the authority to approve requests for exploitation and use of digital archived documents within their management scope for foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Heads of public security units and localities, Chiefs of public security at commune level have the authority to approve requests for exploitation and use of digital archived documents within their management scope for public security units and localities, officers and non-commissioned officers in the People's Public Security force, and domestic agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Leaders of units managing digital archived documents under public security units and localities have the authority to approve requests for exploitation and use of documents by officers and non-commissioned officers in public security units and localities.

The Director of the Ministry of Public Security Office, the Provincial Public Security Chief stipulate the use of digital archived documents in historical archives managed by units and localities.

Authority to approve exploitation and use of digital archived documents containing state secrets shall be carried out in accordance with the laws on protecting state secrets.

b) Procedures for exploiting and using digital archived documents are implemented in the following steps:

Step 1: Searching for information on digital archived documents in the System.

Step 2: To register an account, officers, non-commissioned officers, and organizations and individuals outside the People's Public Security (hereinafter referred to as users) declare account issuance information (name; citizen identification code; phone number,...).

Step 3: Current digital archive or historical digital archive receives requests, reviews requests, and gives approval or rejection opinions for each file and document. Notifying the user of the review result includes the following information: approved files and documents; reading time (the System automatically displays); files and documents not approved or rejected with reasons. Reading time for digital archived documents shall not exceed 15 days from the date of approval.

Step 4: Users select the files and documents they need to read and send a request to read digital archived documents. Users enter the purpose of using the document, provide evidence in special cases or when prioritized, review the reading request information, and send the reading request on the System.

Step 5: The System provides results to users according to the exploitation request.

c) Issuing copies of digital archived documents is carried out in accordance with Articles 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 of Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BNV.

Article 13. Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents

1. The head of the unit or locality police force responsible for establishing current digital archives and historical digital archives shall decide to establish the Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents. The Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents will automatically dissolve upon completion of its tasks.

2. Tasks of the Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents

a) Studying and advising leadership on determining retention periods, selecting documents to be submitted to higher-level archives; reviewing and re-evaluating the List of Expired Digital Archive Documents; conducting checks on expired digital archive documents within the System; if necessary, proposing extensions of retention periods for expired digital documents.

b) Reviewing and approving the List of Expired Digital Archive Documents to propose to competent authorities for decisions to destroy them according to regulations.

3. Composition of the Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents

a) A representative from the unit's leadership directly holding digital documents serves as the Chairman of the Board. For village-level police forces, the leader in charge of archival work serves as the Chairman.

b) The leader in charge of digital archival work at the unit or locality level serves as a member. For village-level police forces, officers or non-commissioned officers assigned to perform digital archival work serve as members.

c) Officers or non-commissioned officers assigned to perform digital archival work serve as the Secretary of the Board. For village-level police forces, if an officer or non-commissioned officer assigned to concurrently perform widespread digital archival work among the people's police is the direct holder of digital documents, another officer or non-commissioned officer is appointed as the Secretary of the Board.

Article 14. Destruction of Expired Digital Documents

1. Authority to Decide on the Destruction of Expired Digital Documents: The head of the unit responsible for establishing current digital archives and historical digital archives or their authorized deputy has the authority to decide on the destruction of expired digital documents not containing state secrets within their jurisdiction. For village-level police forces, the Village Chief or Deputy Village Chief with authorization has the authority to decide on the destruction of expired digital documents not containing state secrets within their jurisdiction. The authority to decide on the destruction of expired digital documents containing state secrets is carried out in accordance with laws on protecting state secrets.

2. Documentation for the Destruction of Expired Digital Documents Includes:

a) List of Expired Digital Documents;

b) Decision Establishing the Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents;

c) Minutes of the Board for Determining the Value of Digital Documents;

d) Decision on the Destruction of Expired Digital Documents;

đ) Minutes of the Destruction of Expired Digital Documents;

e) Other related documents.

3. Based on the Decision on the Destruction of Expired Digital Documents by the competent authority, the current digital archive and historical digital archive shall carry out the destruction of expired digital documents within the System.

4. The System records the entire process of destroying expired digital documents: recording the history of implementation and data of the destruction process.

5. Ensuring consistent execution of the destruction of expired digital documents between the Digital Archive Storehouse and other systems.

Chapter III

DIGITAL ARCHIVE STOREHOUSE IN THE PEOPLE'S POLICE

Article 15. Digital Archive Storage Units for Commonly Formed Documents in the People's Public Security

1. The Digital Archive Storage Units for commonly formed documents in the People's Public Security include: Current Digital Archive Storage Unit and Historical Digital Archive Storage Unit.

a) Departments under the Ministry of Public Security, provincial-level Public Security, and communal-level Public Security shall perform the function and duty of current digital archive storage (at the Ministry of Public Security Office, assign to the Administrative Department; at departments under the Ministry of Public Security, assign to the General Staff Department or equivalent departments performing the function of digital archive storage for commonly formed documents in the People's Public Security; at provincial-level Public Security, assign to the General Staff Department; at communal-level Public Security, assign staff on a part-time basis to perform the function and duty of digital archive storage. Communal-level Public Security shall conduct digital archive storage operations through a secure network connection with the General Staff Department).

b) The Ministry of Public Security Office and provincial-level Public Security shall perform the function and duty of historical digital archive storage (at the Ministry of Public Security Office, assign to the Administrative Department; at provincial-level Public Security, assign to the General Staff Department).

2. Digital Archive Storage Units in the People's Public Security shall be established and located at the headquarters of Public Security units and localities (if conditions permit) or at data centers of the Public Security sector as decided by the Minister of Public Security.

3. The document management system of Digital Archive Storage Units in the People's Public Security shall be implemented according to the provisions of Articles 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

Article 16. Requirements for Digital Archive Storage Units in the People's Public Security

1. The requirements for Digital Archive Storage Units in the People's Public Security shall be implemented according to the provisions of Article 13 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

2. Ensure connectivity, integration, interoperability, and information/data sharing among Digital Archive Storage Units in the People's Public Security. The system must meet the requirements for connectivity, sharing, and exploitation of digital archive data through the Integrated Data Trunk of the Ministry of Public Security (LGSP).

3. The scale of Digital Archive Storage Units in the People's Public Security shall be implemented according to the provisions of Article 14 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

Article 17. Determination of Primary Data

1. The primary data of the database of documents stored in the Ministry of Public Security Archive Repository shall ensure consistency with the primary data of currently existing digital archives and historical digital archives.

2. The primary data of archival files includes: file code, file title, retention period, access level (usage regime), language, start time, end time, keywords, total number of documents in the file, number of pages (if applicable), physical condition (if applicable), information symbol (if applicable), reliability level, original paper file code (if applicable), backup copy creation regime, status of backup copy creation, note.

3. The primary data of archival documents includes: document identification code, document storage code, retention period, document type name, document number, document symbol, date, issuing agency, organization, individual name, summary content, language, number of pages, number of sheets (if applicable), information symbol (if applicable), keywords, access level (usage regime), reliability level, signature (if applicable), physical condition (if applicable), processing procedure (if applicable), backup copy creation regime, status of backup copy creation, note.

4. The primary data of film/photo archival documents: document storage code, retention period, classification (negative/photo), specific storage number, information symbol (if applicable), event name, film/photo title, author, shooting location, shooting time, color, film/photo size, accompanying documents (if applicable), access level (usage regime), physical condition (if applicable), backup copy creation regime, status of backup copy creation, note.

5. The primary data of audio/video archival documents: document storage code, retention period, classification (audio/video), specific storage number, information symbol (if applicable), event name, film/audio title, author, location, time, language, duration, accompanying documents (if applicable), access level (usage regime), quality, physical condition (if applicable), backup copy creation regime, status of backup copy creation, note.

Article 18. Data in the Digital Archive and Management of the Digital Archive

1. The components of data and data management in the Digital Archive shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 23 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

2. Maintenance and upkeep of the Digital Archive shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 24 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

3. Periodic inspection and reporting

a) The unit managing the Digital Archive shall organize inspections every six months to check compliance with regulations on management and use of server rooms, compile reports for inclusion in the management file.

b) The contents of inspections and reports shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Clause 2, Article 25 of Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP.

Article 19. Handling Incidents and Recovery of Digital Stored Documents in the People's Public Security

1. When any event causes disruption, error, or problem in the system (hereinafter referred to as an incident), local public security units must identify the cause of the incident to find solutions to resolve it.

2. Handling incidents and recovery of digital stored documents shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 31 of Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BNV and regulations on network incident response and information security incidents of the Ministry of Public Security.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 20. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from July 1, 2025.

Article 21. Transitional Provisions

1. In cases where legal normative documents cited in this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, they shall be applied according to the amended, supplemented, or replacing legal normative documents.

2. When implementing organizational restructuring, functions, tasks, and authorities of units stipulated in this Circular shall continue to be performed by units receiving such functions, tasks, and authorities.

Article 22. Conditions for Ensuring Implementation of Activities for Storing Commonly Formed Documents Digitally in the People's Public Security

1. Funding for activities related to storing commonly formed documents digitally in the People's Public Security shall be allocated in the annual state budget estimate and managed and used in accordance with the law.

2. Local public security units shall review and utilize existing equipment and software investments or propose new equipment and software procurement to serve the digitization of commonly formed documents in the People's Public Security.

Article 23. Responsibilities for Implementation

1. The Office of the Ministry of Public Security shall be responsible for:

a. Building and managing the Digital Archive of commonly formed documents of the Ministry of Public Security;

b. Coordinating with functional units to organize training and professional development for officers assigned to implement digital storage in the People's Public Security forces;

c. Taking the lead and coordinating with relevant units to assist the Minister of Public Security in monitoring, guiding, inspecting, and urging the implementation of this Circular.

2. The Information Technology Department shall be responsible for developing common document management software for commonly formed documents in the People's Public Security; taking the lead and coordinating with relevant units to guide local public security units in designing, building, and installing Digital Archives in compliance with legal regulations.

3. The Telecommunications and Cryptography Department shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to provide and install transmission lines, security devices, and digital signatures for local public security units in compliance with legal regulations.

4. The Technical Operations Department shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to inspect the security and safety of Digital Archive equipment of local public security units in compliance with legal regulations.

5. Local public security units shall carry out tasks related to storing commonly formed documents digitally in the People's Public Security based on their assigned functions and tasks, and disseminate, familiarize, and implement this Circular accordingly.

During the implementation of this Circular, if there are difficulties or obstacles, local public security units shall report to the Ministry (through the Ministry's Office) for guidance and resolution./.