The Law on Identification was passed by the 15th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at its 6th session on November 27, 2023, and will take effect from July 1, 2024.

According to Article 7 of the 2023 Law on Identification, there are 9 prohibited acts including:

1. Issuing, changing, reissuing, and revoking identity cards and identity certificates in violation of the law.

2. Keeping identity cards and identity certificates in violation of the law.

3. Harassment, annoyance, and discrimination when handling administrative procedures related to identification, the National Population Database, and the Identification Database.

4. Falsifying books and records on identity, information in the National Population Database and Identity Database; failing to provide, providing incompletely, providing inaccurately, or providing in violation of the law, information and documents on identity or information in the National Population Database and Identity Database.

5. Failure to carry out procedures for issuing identity cards as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 19 of this Law.

6. Producing or putting into use tools, means, software or engaging in other acts that hinder or disrupt the operation of the information infrastructure of the National Population Database and the Identity Database, the electronic identification and authentication system.

7. Forging, modifying, intentionally distorting the content of identity cards, electronic identity cards, identity certificates; illegally appropriating or using identity cards, electronic identity cards, identity certificates of others; renting, leasing, mortgaging, accepting mortgages, destroying identity cards, identity certificates; using fake identity cards, fake electronic identity cards, fake identity certificates.

8. Accessing, changing, deleting, destroying, disseminating or performing other activities related to processing personal data in the National Population Database, Identity Database, electronic identification and authentication system in violation of the law.

9. Illegally exploiting, sharing, buying, selling, exchanging, appropriating, or using information and data in the National Population Database, Identity Database, and electronic identification and authentication system.

In addition, according to Article 46 of the Law on Identification, citizens with ID cards issued before July 1, 2024 that are still valid have the right to use the card until the expiration date printed on the card. However, citizens who need it can be issued a replacement ID card.

Identity cards that are valid until December 31, 2024 will be valid until the end of this date. Documents that have been issued using information from identity cards and citizen identification cards will retain their validity.

At that time, State agencies are not allowed to request citizens to change or adjust information on their identity cards or citizen identification cards in issued documents.

Citizen identification cards and identity cards that expire from January 15, 2024 to before June 30, 2024 will continue to be valid until June 30, 2024. From July 1, 2024, if the citizen identification card expires, it must be changed to a new model identification card.

Minh Hoa (t/h)