New emergency passports to be available from August 15

The new emergency passport will be granted via shortened procedures. It has a black cover, comprises 12 pages, and has a validity period of no more than 12 months.

Emergency passports granted via shortened procedures will be issued besides existing passport types in special circumstances such as when the original is lost.

Circular 31/2023/TT-BCA regulates the forms of passports, laissez-passers, and related forms and is applied to Vietnamese citizens and relevant agencies. It will take effect on August 15, 2023.

The new emergency passport will be granted via shortened procedures. It has a black cover, comprises 12 pages, and has a validity period of no more than 12 months.

There are four groups of persons entitled to the granting of this passport. Those are persons travelling abroad for a definite period, losing their regular passports and wishing to return immediately.

The second group includes persons not allowed to reside in their host countries, not covered by international treaties or agreements on the repatriation of citizens and lacking passports.

The third group comprises persons forced to return under international treaties or agreements on repatriation. And finally, the passports are available to those are eligible to be granted regular passports for defence and security reasons, according to Article 17 of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and Law No 23/2023/QH15 which amends some of its articles.

The three existing passport types are the diplomatic passport with a brown-red cover, the official passport with a dark green cover, and the regular passport with a purple-blue cover.