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Fact check: Can foreigners in Vietnam opt out of the digital ID program?
Executive summary
Foreigners residing in Vietnam are eligible to be issued a government digital ID account under the new legal framework, but the decrees and reporting examined do not contain an explicit legal right to opt out of the digital ID system; the laws specify issuance procedures without clearly stating voluntary or mandatory status [1]. Reporting on related biometric enforcement—most notably mass bank-account deactivations tied to identity verification—shows practical pressure on people to adopt digital identity tools even where the statutes remain silent about formal opt-out rights [2] [3].
1. How the law frames foreigners’ digital ID access — a quiet entitlement, not a choice headline
Vietnam’s implementing decree for the national ID and related electronic identification rules explicitly provides for issuing digital ID accounts to foreigners; Article 7 and related provisions set out the documentation and procedural steps for foreigners to receive accounts, such as passport identification requirements and integration into the VNeID system [1]. The legal texts referenced focus on eligibility and administrative mechanics, describing how an account is issued and managed, without carving out an express opt-out clause or stating that participation is strictly voluntary. This creates a legal picture where access is assured but the statute’s silence on refusal leaves a gap between entitlement and choice [1].
2. What recent reporting reveals about real-world pressure to enroll
Investigative and news reporting on the downstream effects of identity verification policies shows concrete consequences: banking sector actions linked to biometric verification rules resulted in the deactivation of tens of millions of dormant accounts, signaling operational enforcement mechanisms that can compel identity alignment for continued access to services [2] [3]. Even if decrees do not say foreigners must enroll, the nexus between service providers (banks, travel checkpoints) and identity systems creates a de facto incentive structure that effectively limits practical opt-out options for anyone needing routine services, including noncitizens.
3. Government guidance and service integration: voluntary language or administrative default?
Administrative guidance and local police campaigns encourage integrating passports into VNeID and using Level-2 digital ID features for travel and verification, with provincial police promoting passport integration to reduce paperwork for entry and exit procedures [4]. These implementation materials emphasize convenience and administrative streamlining, framing digital ID uptake as a facilitation measure rather than an enforcement act. Yet such framing does not counterbalance the earlier evidence that service providers might restrict access absent compliance, so the operational environment may push foreigners toward adoption despite the formal language of guidance documents [4].
4. The policy gap: law prescribes issuance but not explicit refusal procedures
Across the legal analyses and decrees cited, there is consistent content on issuing and managing digital ID accounts and on electronic authentication frameworks (Nghị định 69/2024 and 70/2024), but none of the examined texts explicitly define an opt-out pathway for foreign residents [1]. This statutory silence creates legal uncertainty for foreigners seeking to decline participation: the law sets up systems to identify and authenticate, but omits a clear mechanism ensuring that individuals can legally refuse without losing access to essential services or facing administrative friction [1].
5. Divergent sources paint different practical risks for non-enrollees
Some sources focus on administrative facilitation and user benefits—passport integration into VNeID to ease travel and transactions—while investigative reports highlight systemic enforcement outcomes like mass bank-account closures due to biometric alignment rules [4] [2]. The contradiction between convenience narratives and enforcement realities suggests an agenda split: government messaging emphasizes digital convenience, whereas reporting on financial-sector compliance shows how identity mandates translate into exclusionary effects for those who do not or cannot integrate, including foreigners.
6. What this means for foreigners today — legal ambiguity, practical pressure
The combined evidence establishes two facts: the law creates a mechanism to issue digital ID accounts to foreigners, and implementation actions in related sectors can create strong incentives to enroll [1] [2]. It does not establish a clear legal right to opt out. Therefore, foreigners face a practical dilemma: they may be legally eligible to hold a digital ID, but refusal risks service restrictions in areas governed by identity checks, notably banking and travel administration, where enforcement actions have already shown significant consequences [3] [4].
7. Missing answers and recommended next steps for clarity
Key missing elements are an explicit opt-out clause in the decrees and authoritative administrative guidance on consequences of refusal for noncitizens. To resolve individual situations, consult official Vietnamese decrees (Nghị định 69/2024 and 70/2024) and seek confirmation from the local public security office or immigration authorities, and contact one’s embassy for consular guidance; these sources will provide binding administrative interpretation and updates to practice [1]. Monitor further reporting on enforcement actions, as implementation developments—like bank compliance—are the most immediate determinants of whether opting out is feasible in practice [2] [3].