What are Vietnam's current digital ID policies and deadlines for bank account verification in 2025?
Executive summary
Vietnam in 2025 has tied its national digital ID (VNeID/e‑ID) rollout to both public administration and banking: individuals faced biometric verification and transaction restrictions from January 1, 2025, while corporate legal representatives had to complete biometric/e‑ID registration by July 1, 2025 to keep electronic banking services [1] [2]. The Ministry of Public Security ran a 50‑day campaign from July 1–Aug 19, 2025 to issue Level‑2 e‑ID accounts to foreigners; by mid‑2025 the government reported over 62 million VNeID accounts issued and aims for near‑universal coverage by 2026 [3] [4] [5].
1. Digital ID is now the gating credential for government services and many bank functions
From July 1, 2025, administrative procedures on the National Public Service Portal and provincial/ministerial systems must be processed using MPS‑issued VNeID corporate or personal e‑ID accounts; legacy portal accounts ceased to be valid after June 30, 2025 [6] [7]. The new framework replaces older portal credentials with a centrally issued electronic identification under Decree 69/2024 and related guidance [6].
2. Individual bank accounts: biometric verification enforced from January 1, 2025
The State Bank’s rules required customers to update biometric data and chip‑based ID info by December 31, 2024 or face restrictions starting January 1, 2025. Unverified accounts were barred from online and QR transactions (though physical ATM/POS withdrawals remained possible in some descriptions) under Circulars and Decision 2345/QD‑NHNN [1] [8] [9].
3. Corporate accounts: legal representatives’ biometrics due by July 1, 2025
Regulatory extensions shifted the biometric/KYC burden to businesses: legal representatives of corporate accounts had to be ID‑verified and biometrically registered by July 1, 2025 or face suspension of electronic payment and withdrawal services for those accounts, per Circular 17/2024/TT‑NHNN and related SBV guidance [10] [11] [2].
4. Foreign nationals: Level‑2 e‑ID rollout and a focused issuance campaign
Vietnam opened Level‑2 e‑ID registration to foreigners holding valid residence documents beginning July 1, 2025 and ran a 50‑day nationwide campaign (July 1–Aug 19, 2025) to enroll foreign residents; Level‑2 status enables bank authentication, rental contracts and more via the VNeID app [4] [12] [13].
5. Scope, technology and linkage to national databases
The VNeID system is tied into the National Population Database and supports tiered account levels; biometric checks (facial recognition, NFC chip reads) and cross‑referencing with encrypted CCCD data are central to approving e‑ID and banking authentication [12] [11] [10]. The State Bank and banks used these mechanisms to satisfy anti‑fraud and KYC objectives [11] [10].
6. Reported scale and consequences — deactivations, freezes and targets
Multiple sources report intensive account‑cleaning: some outlets and industry pieces describe more than 86 million accounts being deactivated or frozen in the broader campaign tied to biometric verification, while government sources framed the work as modernization and fraud reduction; counts and characterizations vary across reports [14] [15] [16]. The government also set an ambition for 100% adult digital ID and service access by 2026 and reported issuing over 62 million VNeID accounts by mid‑2025 [5] [3].
7. Implementation frictions and compliance reality
Reporting shows banks and customers rushed to comply: branches extended hours for face captures, some foreign banks lagged in rollout, and technical hurdles (NFC reading success rates, citizen familiarity) complicated implementation. Sources note questions remained about detailed guidance for businesses with foreign legal representatives and operational issues for remote or expatriate customers [9] [17] [18].
8. Two competing narratives: security and inclusion vs. surveillance and exclusion
Government and banking sources emphasize fraud reduction, digital convenience and alignment with Project 06 goals; industry pieces and critics warn the measures can exclude unverified users and concentrate identity power centrally. Coverage of account deactivations is framed by some as necessary “data cleansing” and by others as heavy‑handed and privacy‑risking [15] [14] [11].
9. What reporting does not settle (limits of available sources)
Available sources do not mention precise penalties for businesses that miss the July 1 corporate deadline beyond service suspension, nor do they provide an exhaustive, audited count of exactly how many accounts were permanently deleted versus temporarily frozen — figures differ between outlets (not found in current reporting; see [15]; p2_s9).
10. Practical takeaways for residents and companies in 2025
If you are an individual who uses online banking in Vietnam, biometric registration and an up‑to‑date chip ID were required to avoid online transaction limits from Jan 1, 2025 [1]. If you represent a company, ensure your legal representative completed Level‑2 e‑ID/biometric verification by July 1, 2025 or expect suspension of electronic corporate payment services [10] [6]. Foreign residents should have used the July–Aug 2025 campaign to secure Level‑2 credentials to access banking and public services via VNeID [4].