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Fact check: Can foreign nationals in Vietnam be exempt from the digital ID requirement?
Executive Summary
Vietnam’s legal framework allows some foreign nationals to be exempt from the digital ID requirement under specific conditions, but the texts and commentary provided vary in clarity and emphasis. The most direct legal claim — that exemptions exist tied to possession of valid travel documents — is stated in Decree guidance summaries dated June–September 2024/2025, while commercial and media pieces focus on VNeID features without firm conclusions about exemptions [1] [2] [3].
1. Legal Claim That Exemptions Exist — What the Decree Texts Say and When
The strongest, most explicit claim in the dataset is that Article 7 of Decree No. 69/2024 (and related guidance Nghị định 70/2024) provides for exemptions of foreign nationals from the digital ID requirement under certain conditions; this is presented as a legal summary dated June 25, 2024 and reiterated in subsequent summaries [1]. The June 2024 decree date anchors the rule in statute, and the September 28, 2025 recaps repeat the legal claim that holders of valid passports or international travel documents may be treated differently for digital ID mandates [1]. This is the central legal basis offered across the analyses.
2. Practical Condition Cited — Passports or International Travel Documents
Multiple summaries state that the practical basis for exemption is possession of a valid passport or international travel document, implying that foreign nationals already holding such documents may not be forced into Vietnam’s citizen-focused digital ID system [1]. The wording in the summaries suggests the exemption is conditional rather than blanket, and it frames the passport as a substitute identity credential. This narrows the claim: exemption depends on documentary status, not nationality alone, and the guidance dates indicate officials articulated this stance in 2024–2025 documents [1].
3. What Commercial and Practical Guides Say — Silence and Focus on VNeID Features
Commercial and user-facing sources like the vietnam-visa.com guide (dated September 19, 2025) do not substantively address exemptions; they emphasize how foreigners can register for VNeID and practical benefits instead [2]. Similarly, a Soha article (September 23, 2025) focuses on the convenience of integrating passports into the VNeID app, reporting a new feature rather than legal interpretations about exemptions [3]. These sources shift the conversation from statutory exemptions to operational adoption and app functionality, which can obscure legal limits.
4. Divergent Emphases Point to Mixed Messaging — Government Guidance vs. Media Reporting
The governmental/legal summaries present a clearer statutory position on conditional exemptions [1], whereas media and private guides emphasize digital services and user convenience without detailing legal exemptions [2] [3]. The gap between legal summaries and commercial commentary could create confusion among foreign nationals: official decrees imply defined exemptions while popular guides recommend registration or describe new app features, potentially encouraging compliance even where exemption might apply [1] [3]. This discrepancy suggests a communication gap between regulators and intermediaries.
5. Timelines Matter — Dates Show Policy and Feature Rollouts
The legal base (decree dated June 25, 2024) predates the later reporting and app enhancements referenced in September 2025 summaries, showing a sequence where law was set first and app features followed [1] [3]. The presence of repeated recaps on September 28, 2025 that cite Article 7 indicates ongoing interpretation or reaffirmation of exemptions roughly a year after the decree [1]. Chronology matters: readers should treat the June 2024 decree as the statutory baseline and the 2025 pieces as explanations, feature rollouts, or peripheral coverage.
6. What Is Not Said — Important Omissions Across Sources
None of the provided sources offer a full, verbatim translation of Article 7 or a definitive list of procedural steps or exceptions that foreign nationals must follow to claim exemption, and operational details such as how authorities verify passports or whether residency status affects eligibility are not documented in these summaries [2] [3] [1]. The absence of procedural clarity means that while legal exemption is asserted, practical enforcement and documentary procedures remain opaque, leaving room for inconsistent application on the ground.
7. How to Reconcile Conflicting Signals — Practical Next Steps for Foreign Nationals
Given the legal claim of conditional exemptions and the practical silence in user guides, a prudent path is to seek direct confirmation from Vietnamese administrative sources or legal counsel and to retain and carry valid passports/international travel documents as primary evidence [1]. Users should also monitor official communications for procedural guidance or registration requirements tied to VNeID feature rollouts reported in September 2025, because app integration trends could change verification norms even if statutory exemptions remain [3] [2].
8. Bottom Line: Legal Exemptions Exist but Practical Clarity Lags
The dataset consistently supports the substantive claim that foreign nationals can be exempt from the digital ID requirement under conditions tied to valid travel documents, anchored to Decree guidance from mid-2024 and reiterated in 2025 summaries [1]. However, media and commercial sources prioritize VNeID adoption and lack operational detail, creating a patchwork of messages; the decisive facts are legal texts and official procedural guidance, which are only partially summarized here and should be consulted directly for definitive enforcement and compliance steps [1] [3].