Circular No. 08/2025/TT-BNG on issuance, renewal, and revocation of diplomatic and official passports

CIRCULAR

Guiding the issuance, renewal, revocation, invalidation of diplomatic passports, official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application

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Pursuant to the November 22, 2019 Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens; the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the June 24, 2023 Law on Foreigners’ Entry into, Exit from, Transit through, and Residence in Vietnam;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 28/2025/ND-CP of February 24, 2025, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

At the proposal of the Director of the Consular Department;

The Minister of Foreign Affairs promulgates the Circular guiding the issuance, renewal, revocation, invalidation of diplomatic passports, official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular provides guidance on the procedures for the issuance, renewal, revocation, and invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports; and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application in accordance with the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens (hereinafter referred to as the Law).

Article 2. Competent authorities

1. Authorities competent to issue, renew, revoke, invalidate diplomatic passports and official passports, and to issue diplomatic notes for visa application within the territory of the country shall include the Consular Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority).

2. Authorities competent to issue, renew, revoke, invalidate diplomatic passports and official passports, and to issue diplomatic notes for visa application abroad shall include the diplomatic missions, consular missions, and other agencies authorized to perform consular functions of Vietnam abroad (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Representative Missions).

Article 3. Validity period of diplomatic passports and official passports in certain specific cases

1. If the previous passport is damaged, lost, or exhausted of pages during an overseas assignment, the validity period of an issued diplomatic passport or official passport shall not exceed the validity period of the previous passport and shall be at least one (01) year.

2. The validity period of a diplomatic passport or official passport issued to a person whose position has changed as prescribed at Point b, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law shall not exceed the validity period of the previous passport and shall be at least one (01) year.

3. The validity period of a diplomatic passport or official passport issued or renewed for a person specified at Point d, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law shall not exceed the validity period of the diplomatic passport or official passport of the person whom he or she accompanies or visits, and shall be at least one (01) year.

Article 4. Decision on assignment or document of authorization for officials, public employees, and civil servants to travel abroad

1. The decision on assignment or document of authorization for cadres, public employees, and civil servants to travel abroad (hereinafter referred to as the document of assignment abroad) as prescribed in Point a, Clause 2, Article 12 of the Law shall contain all the contents in accordance with the form promulgated together with this Circular.

2. The document of assignment abroad shall be signed by the competent person or an authorized representative, affixed with the official seal of the agency, and comply with the law on the format of administrative documents.

If the document of assignment abroad consists of two or more pages, all pages shall be consecutively numbered and sealed across the adjoining edges of the pages. For documents comprising only two pages printed on a single sheet, the first page shall bear an overlapping seal. If the document is amended or supplemented, the competent person shall sign and affix the official seal of the agency at the place of amendment or supplement. If two or more contents are amended or supplemented, the competent agency or person shall issue a new document.

If the application record is submitted via electronic means, the document of assignment abroad shall comply with relevant laws on digital signatures and electronic documents.

3. The document of assignment abroad may be an official dispatch issued by the Office of the President, the Office of the National Assembly or its Committees, the Office of the Party Central Committee or its Commissions, or the Office of the Government, notifying the list of the delegation in respect of persons traveling abroad on official duty as members or entourages of the delegations of the General Secretary, the Standing Secretariat, members of the Politburo, Secretaries of the Party Central Committee, the President, the Vice President, the Chairperson of the National Assembly, the Vice Chairpersons of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, or the Deputy Prime Ministers.

4. The document of assignment abroad shall be an official dispatch issued by the Office of the Party Central Committee, the Office of the President, the Office of the National Assembly, or the Office of the Government, notifying the approval of the competent authority for traveling abroad in cases that the person traveling on official duty is under the management of the Party Central Committee.

5. The document of assignment abroad shall be an appointment document designating a member to the representative mission in accordance with the Law on Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam abroad, where the person holds a position at the representative mission as prescribed in Clause 11, Article 8 and Clause 4, Article 9 of the Law.

6. A person concurrently holding multiple positions at different agencies or organizations shall, when traveling on official duty to perform tasks falling within the functions of a particular agency, use the document of assignment abroad issued by that agency.

Article 5. Authorization to assign or permit official duty abroad

1. The authorization granted to the head of a subordinate unit to assign or permit official overseas assignment as prescribed in Clause 11, Article 11 of the Law shall be made in writing in accordance with the form promulgated together with this Circular and submitted to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority. The authorization document shall be signed by the competent person as specified in Clause 11, Article 11 of the Law and affixed with the official seal of the agency. If the authorized person is reappointed, ceases, or completes the term of assignment, a new authorization document shall be prepared and submitted to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority.

2. If the regulations on the management of external activities or the regulations on the management of overseas travel by cadres, public employees, and civil servants issued by the competent persons as stipulated from Clause 1 to Clause 9, Article 11 of the Law prescribing the authorization, assignment, or delegation to assign or permit officials, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment, the competent person shall not be required to issue the authorization document as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article; however, the agency promulgating such regulations shall notify in writing the above-mentioned provisions to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority.

3. Agencies, units, and individuals authorized, assigned, or delegated the competence to assign or permit officials, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment shall provide specimens of seals, signatures, and titles in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of this Circular.  

Article 6. Introduction of specimens of seals, signatures, and titles

1. Competent agencies or units having individuals authorized to assign officials, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment as prescribed in Clause 11, Article 11 of the Law shall notify in writing to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority the agency’s seal, the signature, and the title of the competent person in accordance with the form promulgated together with this Circular, prior to assigning or permitting cadres, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment. If the agency changes its seal, or the competent person changes his/her signature or title, or is re-appointed, the relevant agency or unit shall re-submit a written notification to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority.

2. If the competent agency or the unit having individuals authorized to assign officials, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment as prescribed in Clause 11, Article 11 of the Law uses the electronic seal or signature, the document of assignment abroad issued by the competent agency shall fully comply with relevant laws on digital signatures and electronic documents. 

Article 7. Application form for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports, official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application

1. The application form for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports, official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application shall be in the form promulgated together with this Circular.

2. The application form shall be certified by the agency or organization where the applicant is working and shall bear a seal affixed across the photograph.

If a diplomatic passport is issued to an accompanying person as prescribed in Clause 13, Article 8 of the Law, the application form shall be certified by the agency or organization directly managing the personnel of the person assigned to undertake official overseas assignment whom the applicant will accompany.

If a diplomatic passport or official passport is issued to a person traveling for visiting purposes or as an accompanying person as prescribed in Clause 14, Article 8 and Clause 5, Article 9 of the Law, the application form shall be certified by the Party or State agency or organization of which such person is on the payroll. If the person is not on the payroll of a Party or State agency or organization, the application form shall be certified by the agency or organization directly managing the personnel of the person assigned to undertake official overseas assignment whom the applicant will visit or accompany.

3. In cases of the renewal of diplomatic passports or official passports, or the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application only, the application form shall not require certification or affixing a photograph.

4. In cases of the issuance of diplomatic passports or official passports abroad, the application form shall not require certification.

5. If the application record is submitted via electronic means, the application form shall comply with relevant laws on electronic documents or interactive electronic forms.

Article 8. Titles in diplomatic passports and official passports

1. The Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority or the representative mission shall record the title in Vietnamese in the diplomatic passport for individuals holding positions prescribed from Clause 2 thru Clause 10, Article 8 of the Law, unless the managing agency requests that the title not be indicated, or for reasons of foreign affairs or national security.

2. The Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority or the representative mission shall record the title in Vietnamese and English in the diplomatic passport or official passport of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, persons serving in the diplomatic service that have been conferred diplomatic ranks, members of representative missions, state news agencies and press agencies of Vietnam permanently stationed abroad, and persons traveling for visits or as accompanying persons as prescribed in Clause 14, Article 8 and Clause 5, Article 9 of the Law, unless for reasons of foreign affairs or national security.

3. In addition to the provisions set forth in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article, agencies, organizations, and individuals shall not be permitted to record titles in diplomatic passports or official passports on their own accord.

Chapter II

THE ISSUANCE, RENEWAL, REVOCATION, INVALIDATION OF DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS, OFFICIAL PASSPORTS, AND THE ISSUANCE OF DIPLOMATIC NOTES FOR VISA APPLICATION WITHIN THE COUNTRY

Article 9. Receipt of application records and return of results through agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The receipt of application records and return of results for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports and official passports without electronic chips, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application, shall be authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to specialized agencies of the provinces and centrally governed cities (hereinafter referred to as the Authorized Agencies) and shall be implemented as follows:

1. The Authorized Agencies shall receive and verify the completeness and validity of the application records for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports, official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application before forwarding the records to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority for processing in accordance with regulations.

2. Upon receipt of the results from the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority, the Authorized Agencies shall verify and cross-check the information and return the results to the applicant.

Article 10. Receipt of application records and return of results for the issuance of diplomatic passports and official passports with electronic chips within the country

1. The receipt of application records and return of results for the issuance of diplomatic passports and official passports with electronic chips shall be implemented at the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority.

2. The Authorized Agencies shall receive application records and return results for the issuance of diplomatic passports and official passports with electronic chips in accordance with the applicable regulations and the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Article 11. Application records for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports, official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application within the country

1. The applicant for the issuance of a diplomatic passport or official passport shall submit the application form as prescribed in Article 7 of this Circular, two (02) portrait photographs, and the relevant documents as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 12 of the Law.

If the issuance of a new diplomatic passport or official passport is requested due to the loss of the previous passport, the applicant shall additionally submit a written notification of passport loss in accordance with the form promulgated together with this Circular.

2. If the renewal of a diplomatic passport or official passport is requested, the applicant shall submit the application form as prescribed in Article 7 of this Circular and the documents prescribed at Point a and Point d, Clause 2, Article 12 of the Law.

3. If only the issuance of a diplomatic note in support of a visa application is requested, the applicant shall submit the application form as prescribed in Article 7 of this Circular, the document of assignment abroad or the document of approval as prescribed at Point b, Clause 2, Article 12 of the Law, a valid diplomatic passport or official passport, and a copy of the invitation letter from the foreign party (if any).

4. If the application record is submitted via electronic means, all components of the record shall comply with relevant laws on digital signatures and electronic documents.

Article 12. Procedures for the issuance, renewal, revocation, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application within the country

1. Processing procedures:

a) For applications for the issuance of diplomatic passports or official passports, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall process the application within a period not exceeding five (05) working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid record; For applications for the renewal of diplomatic passports or official passports, or the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall process the application within a period not exceeding two (02) working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid record;

b) For records submitted in accordance with Article 9 of this Circular, within a period not exceeding two (02) working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid record, the Authorized Agency shall forward the record to the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority. If the issuance of diplomatic passports or official passports is requested, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall process the application within a period not exceeding three (03) working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid record; If the renewal of diplomatic passports or official passports, or the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application is requested, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall process the application within a period not exceeding two (02) working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid record.

2. If the applicant’s diplomatic passport or official passport remains valid, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall carry out procedures to invalidate the previous passport prior to issuing a new passport. For persons traveling for visits or as accompanying persons as prescribed in Clause 14, Article 8 and Clause 5, Article 9 of the Law, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall issue a new passport without carrying out procedures to invalidate the previous passport.

3. If the applicant has lost the passport, the Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall invalidate such passport in accordance with Clause 1, Article 28 of the Law.

Article 13. Issuance, revocation, and invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports in special cases

1. If the competent agency or person as prescribed in Article 11 of the Law requests the Minister of Foreign Affairs to consider the issuance of a diplomatic passport or official passport in accordance with Clause 15, Article 8 and Clause 6, Article 9 of the Law, in addition to the record prescribed in Article 11 of this Circular, the applicant shall submit one (01) original of the written request addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued by the competent agency under the Law, clearly stating the reasons for requesting the issuance of the diplomatic passport or official passport.

2. The Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for consideration and decision on the issuance of the diplomatic passport or official passport with an appropriate validity period.

3. The Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority shall implement the revocation and invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports issued in special cases in accordance with Article 30 of the Law.

Chapter III

ISSUANCE, RENEWAL, REVOCATION, INVALIDATION OF DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS, OFFICIAL PASSPORTS, AND ISSUANCE OF DIPLOMATIC NOTES FOR VISA APPLICATION ABROAD

Article 14. Application records for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports and official passports and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application abroad

1. The applicant for the issuance of a diplomatic passport or official passport shall submit the application form as prescribed in Article 7 of this Circular, two (02) portrait photographs, and the relevant documents as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 13 of the Law, including:

a) The document prescribed at Point a, Clause 3, Article 13 of the Law may be the verification result according to Point a, Clause 2, Article 15 of this Circular;

b) The document prescribed at Point b, Clause 3, Article 13 of the Law may be a document issued by the Department of Personnel and Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notifying the Representative Mission;

c) If the issuance of a new diplomatic passport or official passport is requested due to the loss of the previous passport, the applicant shall additionally submit a written notification of the loss of the diplomatic passport or official passport in accordance with the form promulgated together with this Circular.

2. If the renewal of a diplomatic passport or official passport is requested, the applicant shall submit the application form in the form prescribed in Article 7 of this Circular and the documents prescribed at Points a, b, and c, Clause 3, Article 13 of the Law.

3. If only the issuance of a diplomatic note in support of a visa application is requested, the applicant shall submit the record in accordance with Clause 3, Article 11 of this Circular.

Article 15. Procedures for the issuance, renewal, revocation, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application abroad

1. The Representative Mission shall issue, renew, revoke, invalidate diplomatic passports and official passports, and issue diplomatic notes for visa application on the basis of verification and cross-checking with information contained in the National Database on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens in accordance with Clause 5, Article 13 and Clause 1, Article 28 of the Law.

2. For requests for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports or official passports, or the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application for persons specified in Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law, if the connection or the transmission line connecting to the National Database on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens has not been established or interrupted:

a) Except for the cases prescribed at Point b of this Clause, the Representative Mission shall send the personal identification information, including full name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, nationality (with attached photograph) of the applicant for the issuance or renewal of a diplomatic passport or official passport, to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a copy to the authority that issued the previous passport (if such passport was issued by another Representative Mission or by the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), for verification. Within one (01) working day from the date of receipt of the response from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Representative Mission shall process the application and notify the result to the applicant;

b) In cases prescribed at Point b and Point c, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law, or for the first-time issuance of a diplomatic passport or official passport to a spouse or child under eighteen (18) years of age traveling for visits or as accompanying persons as prescribed at Point d, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law, the Representative Mission shall issue the passport in accordance with the decision or notification of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If a member of a representative mission or Vietnam’s state news agencies and press agencies permanently stationed abroad, as specified at Point d, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law, has a newborn child abroad, the Representative Mission shall issue a diplomatic passport or official passport in accordance with Clause 2 and Point a, Clause 3, Article 13 of the Law.

In cases prescribed at Point a, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law, the head of the Representative Mission may decide to immediately issue or renew a diplomatic passport or official passport without verification and shall bear responsibility for such decision if there is a basis to confirm the authenticity of the personal identification information, the information on the diplomatic passport or official passport that has been lost, damaged, exhausted of pages, or expired, and the information concerning the itinerary of official overseas assignment of the applicant.  

After issuing a diplomatic passport or official passport, the Representative Mission shall notify the Consular Department of the list of persons to whom diplomatic passports or official passports have been issued, clearly stating the personal identification information, passport number, date of issuance, date of expiration of the new and previous passports, the validity period of the new passport, the reason for issuance, and the title of the passport holder. If a diplomatic passport or official passport is issued to a newborn child abroad of a member of a representative mission or Vietnam’s state news agencies and press agencies permanently stationed abroad, as specified at Point d, Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law, the Representative Mission shall notify the Department of Personnel and Organization and the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3. For requests for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports or official passports in accordance with Clause 15, Article 8 and Clause 6, Article 9 of the Law, the Representative Mission shall implement in accordance with the provisions of the Law and the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chapter IV

RETENTION AND PRESERVATION OF RECORDS

Article 16. Archived records

1. Archived records shall include the records related to the issuance, renewal, revocation, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application. The Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority and the Representative Missions shall archive the records in accordance with the applicable regulations.

2. The Domestic Passport-Issuing Authority and the Representative Missions shall digitize records and documents in accordance with the applicable law provisions.

Article 17. Record preservation regime

1. Records of the issuance, renewal, revocation, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application shall be retained for a period of eight (08) years.

2. Registers of the issuance and renewal of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application shall be archived permanently.

Chapter V

ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 18. Promulgation of forms

The following forms shall be promulgated together with this Circular:

1. Application form for the issuance or renewal of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes for visa application (Form 01/NG-XNC).

2. Document assigning cadres, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment (Form 02/NG-XNC).

3. Document introducing the specimen seal, signature, and title of the competent agency or person assigning cadres, public employees, and civil servants to travel abroad (Form 03/NG-XNC).

4. Authorization document for assigning cadres, public employees, and civil servants to undertake official overseas assignment (Form 04/NG-XNC).

5. Document notifying the loss of a diplomatic passport or official passport within the country (Form 05/NG-XNC).

6. Notification form regarding the loss of a diplomatic passport or official passport abroad (Form 06/NG-XNC).

Article 19. Implementation provisions

1. This Circular takes effect from July 13, 2025.

2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 04/2020/TT-BNG of September 25, 2020 guiding the issuance, renewal, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes requesting the foreign authorities to grant visas; Article 3 of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 06/2023/TT-BNG of December 26, 2023 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 01/2011/TT-BNG of June 20, 2011 stipulating the procedures for granting permits for the entry of human corpses, remains and ashes into Vietnam; the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNG of June 27, 2011 guiding procedures for citizenship registration by overseas Vietnamese; the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 04/2020/TT-BNG of September 25, 2020 guiding the issuance, renewal, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes requesting the foreign authorities to grant visas, shall cease to be effective from the date this Circular takes effect.

3. Records received prior to the effective date of this Circular shall continue to be processed in accordance with the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 04/2020/TT-BNG of September 25, 2020 guiding the issuance, renewal, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes requesting the foreign authorities to grant visas; Article 3 of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 06/2023/TT-BNG of December 26, 2023 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 01/2011/TT-BNG of June 20, 2011 stipulating the procedures for granting permits for the entry of human corpses, remains and ashes into Vietnam; the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNG of June 27, 2011 guiding procedures for citizenship registration by overseas Vietnamese; the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Circular No. 04/2020/TT-BNG of September 25, 2020 guiding the issuance, renewal, invalidation of diplomatic passports and official passports, and the issuance of diplomatic notes requesting the foreign authorities to grant visas, and other relevant legal documents.

4. In the course of implementation, should any difficulties and problems arise, the relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals shall be requested to promptly notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for guidance./.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.