Starting from January 1, 2023, the ‘ho khau,’ or household registration books, will be abolished and replaced with an online database of citizens’ information.

Police in Da Nang's Thanh Khe District collecting neccessary documents to issue chip-based citizen identification cards and personal identification numbers to local citizens. Photo: LE HUNG

Accordingly, citizens will be able to use any of four valid documents to prove their residence when conducting certain administrative procedures and public services. They are chip-based citizen identification cards, identification cards, certificates of residence information, and notices of personal identification number in the National Population Database.  

During his recent interview with the Da Nang Newspaper reporter, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Vo Hoang Trung, Head of The Police Division for Administrative Management of Social Order under the Da Nang Department of Police, informed that under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Security, citizens can provide relevant officials with their residence and identity information through chip-based citizen identification cards, QR code reader device, chip reading and lookup device, exploiting information on the public service portal and VNeID, reviewing residence information, and notices of personal identification number.

He also pointed out some advantages of using personal identification numbers instead of household registration books in conducting certain administrative procedures and public services.

In particular, with the abolishment of the household registration book, some time-consuming administrative procedures, such as procedures to change persons listed in a book, procedures to obtain a new book when moving houses, or procedures to void permanent residency, will be scrapped.

The procedures to declare temporary residence with ward- and commune-level police will also be abolished.

Citizens will also no longer be required to present household registration books and ID cards when registering vehicles, registering businesses, or procedures at border gates.

Instead, all personal procedures will be performed with the personal identification number, as all changes of personal information will be updated on the national database and recorded in each personal identification number.

The removal of the household registration book will contribute to enhancing the state management effectiveness and efficiency in population, as well as reducing costs for State administrative agencies in exploiting population data and in entering cases with duplicate information about citizens.

More importantly, heed will be on reducing costs for storing the volume of records and papers at State administrative agencies, increasing the publicity and transparency of all administrative procedures, and promoting the handling of online public administrative procedures.

Besides, importance will be attached to boosting connection and sharing information about the population between sectors and fields of social life, contributing to promoting the country’s socio-economic development.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Vo Hoang Trung An added that a VNeID e-identification account contains a citizen ID number and password created by the e-ID and e-authentication system of the Ministry of Public Security and sent to the account holder via SMS message.  With an e-ID account, a citizen can access public services more quickly and set up accounts for banking, financial, and telecommunications services using the e-ID already on the system.

With an e-ID account, a citizen’s information is secure, accurate and unique because the information is certified by the national citizen database system of the Ministry of Public Security.

Citizens can register for an e-ID account by downloading the VNeID. Information on the physical ID card will be integrated to create an e-ID card which can be used for all public services as the physical ID card.

Reporting by LE HUNG - Translating by M.DUNG