The Da Nang authorities have strived to accelerate the issuance of 12- digit chip-based citizen identity (ID) cards to residents citywide as soon as possible after many weeks of suspension due to the influence of many objective factors, especially the recently complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Da Nang Post Office employee checks chip-based ID cards with chips before delivering them to people. Photo: DAC MANH

According to the Office of Administrative Management for Social Order under the Da Nang Police Department, as of October 18, 475,566 out of the registered 524,889 chip-based ID cards had been delivered to citizens across the city.

“Due to the complicated developments of COVID-19, it has affected the production progress of IT cards with electronic chips. In addition, during the implementation, some personal information collected from citizens is not correct, so the production and issuance of the cards were affected. The Ministry of Public Security is, for the time being, trying to speed up the granting of the cards to the public at the earliest”, said Senior Colonel Doan Thi, Deputy Head of the Office of Administrative Management for Social Order.

Also according to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Doan Thi, from October 1, 2021, functional local forces have resumed the reception of applications for the issuance of ID cards from residents after a temporary delay due to the COVID-19 threat.

The resumption came amidst the COVID-19 resurgence being contained effectively in the city, in a bid to realise the city’s target of issuing chip-based ID cards to over 411,300 eligible citizens across the city.

According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Doan Thi, people still use their old nine-digit ID cards or related confirmation papers for normal transactions. In case old ID cards have expired or are lost or damaged, citizens should contact the police of wards/communes where they reside to obtain certificates of their residence status.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh Nga, Director of Da Nang Post Office under the Viet Nam Post Corporation, currently, the issuance of ID cards is implemented in two forms: directly receiving cards from the police and by post if previously registered.

Chip-based ID cards only differ from previous versions in the addition of an electronic chip, while other information, including the ID number, will remain unchanged. The smart card, which is designed to be encrypted, will store facial recognition features, fingerprints, and anthropometry.

The chips can store 20 personal data fields, and have a high security level so they cannot be falsified easily.

Once the mandatory portrait photography is completed, the applicants have their fingerprint samples taken.

Taking pictures and taking fingerprint samples normally take only from 2-3 minutes. However, taking fingerprint samples of senior citizens requires a longer time as theirs are blurred. After completing the procedures, police officers give printed information sheets for people to sign for certification.

In particular, driver's license, social insurance, and COVID-19 vaccination certificate are among many documents to be incorporated into new chip-based ID cards in the upcoming period, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Reporting by DAC MANH – Translating by A. THU