The requirement is stipulated in Circulars No. 17/2024 and No. 18/2024 issued by the State Bank of Vietnam, which regulate the opening and use of payment accounts at payment service providers. Although both circulars took effect on July 1, 2024, certain provisions will be enforced starting January 1, 2026.
Under the regulations, the banking system will process transactions only after customers are authenticated using biometric data (facial recognition or fingerprints), which is matched against the original data stored in the chip of the citizen identification card, the identity card issued by the Ministry of Public Security, or verified through a VNeID electronic identification account.
Because current passports do not meet the technical requirements for direct verification with the National Population Database, Vietnamese citizens who use passports to open or maintain bank accounts will be unable to continue banking transactions from January 1, 2026.
The State Bank of Vietnam has recommended that the public update their identification information using a chip-based citizen ID card or electronic identification in advance to avoid interruptions to payments, cash withdrawals, and card services.
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