An electronic identification account (e-ID account) of a citizen has two levels. The first can be registered online using VNeID, while the second must be applied directly at a police office or when citizens come for a new chip-based citizen ID card. This account is considered an ‘electronic document wallet’ for a citizen to use his or her certified personal information on the cyber space.
A level-1 account allows citizens to declare their health status and vaccination, to apply for temporary or permanent residence. A level-2 account offers more features of integrated personal documents (vehicle registration certificate, driver’s license, health insurance), utility bill payment (electricity, water, social insurance, health insurance, money transfer).
An e-ID account can display information of:
_A chip-based citizen ID card: functional agencies and citizens can use this when performing many administrative procedures without displaying the hard version of a citizen ID card.
_Health insurance card: information about health insurance is extracted by VNeID from the database of Vietnam Health Insurance for functional agencies and citizens to use when going to a hospital for disease diagnosis and treatment without displaying the hard version of this card.
_Vehicle registration certificate and driver’s license: information about vehicle registration and driver’s license is extracted by VNeID from the official database of transportation for functional agencies and citizens to use when carrying out procedures related to vehicle inspection, traffic control and handling of road traffic violations.
_Dependent and guardian information: VNeID allows users to apply for changes in accommodation anytime and anywhere without a need to visit a police station.
_Crime report function: VNeID offers a formal channel for the public to report crimes to the police secretly and safely.
All citizens from 14 years old are entitled to registering for their e-ID account via VNeID. People under 14 or wards can apply via the account of their parents or guardians.
When applying for an e-ID account, it is necessary to prepare these information pieces: personal identification number, passport number or international travel document (for foreigners), full name, date of birth, gender, nationality (for foreigners), a valid phone number and email address. The registration is free of charge, and the e-ID account expires at the same time as the user’s chip-based citizen ID card.
Thanks to the usefulness of this account, the Public Security Ministry encourages all citizens to apply for one to take its advantages of time and cost saving, especially when performing administrative procedures.
All data about e-ID are not saved directly onto any smart device where VNeID is installed, so it is extremely hard for hackers to access and steal them. These data are temporarily available only when users sign in. Functional agencies asking for personal documents of a citizen can only access them when allowed by information owners. Third parties like banks, e-wallet companies, healthcare units, public service systems also need an approval of account owners before they can see these data.
In addition, citizen information will be digitally signed (anti-change, non-repudiation) and encrypted. Any systems from a third party wishing to the electronic identification and authentication system must be securely authenticated. These are two effective methods to protect sensitive data from being hacked and stolen.
