VNeID's digital passport is for domestic flights only; international flights from Vietnam require the physical passport booklet

Now that passport details appear in VNeID, Vietnam's smartphone ID app, some people have concluded they no longer need to carry the booklet. Since July 2026, however, the Ministry of Public Security and immigration authorities have repeatedly warned that this digital passport record is for administrative procedures and does not stand in for the physical passport at immigration checks at airports or borders. CafeF revisited a July 9, 2026 notice from the Hanoi City Police immigration division on August 5, 2026, reporting that the misunderstanding is spreading as the travel season peaks. So that business travelers from Japan and Japanese residents are not held up at the airport, here is where the app works and where paper is required.

VNeID's "digital passport" is for administrative procedures only, and only the booklet gets you through international immigration

Vietnamese authorities are clear on this. The passport data integrated into VNeID "does not replace the hộ chiếu bản giấy (the paper booklet)," and travelers must carry a valid original booklet for exit and entry formalities. The same applies whether you travel by air or cross an international land gate.

Authorities also named and rejected every workaround: photos, scans, copies and the data displayed in VNeID are none of them accepted at inspection. The idea that showing passport details on a phone screen will get you through does not hold on Vietnam's international routes. The Hanoi City Police immigration division limits VNeID passport data to standing in for the booklet "only during administrative procedures," and states that at immigration "presenting the paper booklet is mandatory."

On domestic flights VNeID works for Vietnamese nationals, while foreigners still have to show a passport

The confusion comes from the rules being completely different for domestic and international flights. After a trial from June 1 to August 1, 2023, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam allowed Level 2 VNeID accounts (accounts registered down to biometric data) to be used in place of the national ID card (CCCD) at all domestic airports from August 2, 2023. Because it works at check-in, security screening and the boarding gate, Vietnamese travelers have come to take for granted that "you can fly with VNeID."

Where foreign residents easily go wrong is assuming this domestic-flight rule applies to them as well. Foreigners in Vietnam have been able to open Level 2 VNeID accounts since July 1, 2025 (registration requires a valid passport, a temporary residence card or permanent residence card, and a Vietnamese mobile number in your own name, with the first application handled in person at a counter), but in practice foreign passengers are still asked for a paper passport even on domestic flights. Under 2026 practice, boarding a domestic flight on a temporary residence card (TRC) or permanent residence card (PRC) alone is not permitted, and carrying the original passport is taken as a given. VNeID can back you up, but for foreigners it is no dependable substitute for the booklet.

Autogate or online check-in, you still cannot skip showing the booklet

Authorities also reject the belief that registering for "Autogate," the airport's face-recognition automated gates, lets you walk through empty-handed. Guidance on the Ministry of Public Security's public service portal states that even registered Autogate users must present the original passport and the documents required for entry or exit. Automating the gate does not change the premise that you are carrying the original.

Completing online check-in and holding a boarding pass changes nothing. On international flights the booklet is physically checked at the counter and the gate, and a passport damaged by tears, water or writing can slow down inspection or lead to boarding being refused. Keeping your details in VNeID helps confirm your identity if the booklet is lost or damaged, but clearing immigration remains the booklet's job.

Four things Japanese residents and business travelers should sort out today

None of this calls for bracing yourself. It simply means applying the obvious rule in Vietnam too: digital is the backup, the original is the star.

• On international flights to and from Vietnam, always pack a passport booklet with at least six months of validity remaining in your carry-on. Do not treat VNeID on your phone or a photo as a substitute.
• If you plan to fly within Vietnam, foreigners should carry the original passport. Do not head to the airport with only a residence card.
• When Vietnamese colleagues or family say "you can fly with VNeID," they are talking about domestic flights and Vietnamese nationality. Do not apply it to your own situation.
• Before departure, also check theDigital Arrival Card (pre-arrival declaration)and, depending on where you stay, thevisa exemption conditionsand other procedures separate from the booklet itself, before you leave.

Make the paper booklet primary and digital secondary, and you will avoid being held up

Vietnam's digital ID has certainly made administrative procedures easier, but as of 2026 the paper passport still has the final say whenever you cross a border. Remember the division of roles, with VNeID's digital passport record for domestic counters and the paper original for international entry and exit, and you will never be caught out at an airport counter. Adding one habit to your Vietnam packing check, confirming the day before you fly where the booklet is and how much validity it has left, is worth the peace of mind.

Sources

• CafeF, "Lưu ý quan trọng liên quan đến ‘hộ chiếu số’ trên VNeID" (August 5, 2026)
• Tuổi Trẻ, "Hộ chiếu trên VNeID không thay thế bản cứng khi xuất nhập cảnh" (July 9, 2026; notice from the Hanoi City Police immigration division)
• VTV「Hộ chiếu trên ứng dụng VNeID không thay thế hộ chiếu bản giấy khi xuất cảnh, nhập cảnh」
• VietnamNet「Foreigners in Vietnam can now register for level-2 VNeID accounts」