For people working in Vietnam and for local subsidiaries, immigration procedures changed significantly from June 1, 2026. Major applications—visa extensions, work visas (new and renewal), residence cards (TRC), entry permits, and exit visas—have been unified through the portal of Vietnam's digital ID "VNeID" (reported June 24, 2026). The methods of going directly to a counter and logging in with the company's electronic signature and token that had been used until now were halted with no transition period, meaning the day-to-day practice of Japanese residents and Japanese companies based in Vietnam switches over all at once. We lay out why this change is happening now and what specifically needs to be prepared.
What changed: offline reception disappeared
The heart of this change is that companies, representative offices, and organizations registered in Vietnam must now use a "Business VNeID" when accessing the National Public Service Portal and the Ministry of Public Security portal. The covered procedures span a wide range: applying for entry permits, visa extensions, new work visas and renewals, exit visas, and residence card applications. According to several immigration-specialized law firms, offline or in-person counter submissions are no longer accepted, and no alternative means has been provided. The electronic signatures and tokens previously used to log in were also invalidated immediately, with no grace period. The very "entrance" to the procedures has, from one day, been narrowed to digital ID alone.
The backdrop of Vietnam's administrative digitalization
This change may look sudden, but the trend itself has been building for years. VNeID was originally a digital ID and app for citizens, a system that consolidates access to administrative services—identity verification, tax payment, banking, household registration, corporate procedures—into a single ID. For foreigners, under Decree 69/2024/ND-CP, those holding a valid residence card or permanent residence card became able to register. Registration for residence card holders began in 2025, and this June 2026 unification of immigration procedures is positioned as the "mandatory use" that extends that line. From the administration's viewpoint, it is a move to consolidate person-dependent procedures via paper and tokens into a traceable digital entrance.
Who can register, and who cannot
Those who can register for VNeID are foreigners holding a valid residence card (TRC) or permanent residence card. Those aged six and over are eligible for both Level 1 and Level 2; those under six are eligible for Level 1 if they have a residence card. Conversely, people staying only on short-term visas such as e-visas or visas on arrival cannot register, because VNeID is designed as a system primarily for long-term stayers and residents. In other words, while there are few situations where travelers or short-term business visitors are tossed around by this system for sightseeing purposes, it becomes an unavoidable procedure for those settled in for work or assignment and for the companies that host them.
Accounts have two levels. Level 1 is online registration completed within the app; you can activate it in a few minutes by entering passport and residence-card details, a Vietnamese-registered mobile number, and email, then verifying with an OTP. Level 2, which unlocks full functionality, requires in-person verification at a local immigration or police office where you register a facial photo and fingerprints. Processing times differ between urban areas with heavy traffic and rural ones, so the closer your renewal deadline, the safer it is to start early.
The practical flow of what residents and employers must do
For an individual residence-card holder, there are roughly three steps. First, install the VNeID app from the App Store or Google Play. Next, enter your passport and residence-card details and a Vietnamese mobile number in your own name to register Level 1. If needed, register biometric data at an immigration or police office to upgrade to Level 2. Registration is basically done at the immigration office in the city where the residence card was issued, and the in-person process takes roughly 30 minutes to 2 hours. After the procedure, you activate the app with a verification code that arrives by SMS within 3 to 7 days. The documents to prepare center on three items: a valid passport, a residence card, and a Vietnamese mobile number in your own name.
On the company side, unless you first obtain your own Business VNeID, neither an expatriate's visa extension nor a residence card application can move forward at all. Here, what Japanese companies especially want to watch out for is the "circular dependency" pitfall. If the company's sole legal representative is a foreigner, obtaining the Business VNeID requires that representative to hold a valid residence card. Yet that residence card application itself cannot be filed without a Business VNeID. Unless authorities issue a practical workaround, it is pointed out that some companies may be forced to change their business license to add a Vietnamese national as a legal representative. The smaller the base run by a representative dispatched from Japanese headquarters, the more easily it falls into this structure, so early review is essential.
Reactions on the ground and from experts
Law firms in various countries that handle immigration view this switch as a sudden institutional change with scant advance notice. One firm warned that companies not registered for Business VNeID face immediate operational risk if they have applications with looming deadlines. The aforementioned circular-dependency problem over the representative is also cited as a concrete concern by several practitioners. On the other hand, authorities recognize the inconvenience that foreigners without residence cards may face and have indicated they will soon prepare a solution allowing non-TRC holders to register a VNeID account. The system is being arranged while in motion, so for the time being the realistic stance is to keep following the latest operational information.
Implications for Japanese readers
In Vietnam, a trend of "consolidating into a digital entrance" is advancing simultaneously on both the administrative and transport fronts. Changes continue on the mobility side as well; for example,The move to make Ho Chi Minh City's bus routes free from JulyandA plan where Hanoi's metro groundbreaking changes airport accessare both policies that rapidly update the infrastructure of city life. This VNeID consolidation is in the same context, marking a turning point where the old procedures premised on "paper and counters" no longer work.
The first thing to act on in practice is taking stock of renewal deadlines. The closer a person or base is to a work visa or residence card deadline, the more directly a delay in registration leads to a delay in procedures. Those who visit only for travel or short business trips are not directly covered by this system, but in terms of pre-arrival preparation, you'll want to keep an eye on other procedures too. For example,The health declaration on entry to Vietnam, revived from JulyAs with these, changes that add an extra step before departure are proceeding in parallel. The basic line that the more digitalization advances, the greater the weight of "getting things done online in advance" applies to individuals and companies alike.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Start date of the requirement | June 1, 2026 |
| Date reported | June 24, 2026 |
| Applicable procedures | Entry permits, visa extensions, work visas (new/renewal), exit visas, residence card applications |
| Who can register | Holders of a valid residence card (TRC) or permanent residence card (aged six and over) |
| Who cannot register | Stayers on short-term visas only, such as e-visas or visas on arrival |
| In-person registration time for individuals | Roughly 30 minutes to 2 hours |
| App activation | SMS verification code within 3–7 days after registration |
| Former login | Electronic signatures and tokens halted with no transition period |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register for VNeID just to visit Vietnam as a tourist?
No. VNeID is a system for long-term stayers who hold a residence card or permanent residence card, and travelers staying on an e-visa or visa on arrival are not eligible to register. For sightseeing purposes, you'll have no problem as long as you prepare the usual visa and entry procedures. That said, separate pre-arrival steps such as a health declaration on entry run in parallel, so it's reassuring to check the latest information before departure.
What do I need for an individual VNeID registration?
The three basics are a valid passport, a residence card (or permanent residence card), and a Vietnamese mobile number in your own name. After registering Level 1 on the app, upgrading to the full-featured Level 2 requires registering your photo and fingerprints at the immigration or police office in the city where your residence card was issued. In-person registration takes roughly 30 minutes to 2 hours.
If the representative of a local subsidiary is a foreigner, how does the procedure work?
It is pointed out that obtaining a Business VNeID requires the representative to hold a valid residence card, while that residence card application requires a Business VNeID—a circular dependency. Unless authorities present a workaround, changing the business license to add a Vietnamese national as a legal representative may become a realistic option. Bases with looming deadlines are safest consulting a specialist early.
Sources
Visas Update: Vietnam Requires VNeID for All Immigration Procedures Beginning June 1, 2026
Fragomen: Vietnam eID Requirement for Foreign Nationals Holding Residence Cards Launched
Vietnam-visa.com: VNeID for Foreigners in Vietnam – Guide to Register 2026
