VNeID App Showcase with Vietnamese Identity Features

How to Get VNeID as a Foreigner in Vietnam: Step by Step

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VNeID is Vietnam’s national digital identity app. For expats, it is increasingly the thing that makes admin easier, from online public services to stored documents. Getting it as a foreigner is not complicated, but nobody tells you where to go once you are inside the building. Here is exactly how it went for us.

Update: 24/10/2026

Important update: since 28 September 2026, Vietnam has opened VNeID to foreigners who entered legally, not only residence card holders (Decree 320/2026)

Table Of Contents
  1. What VNeID is and who can apply
  2. What to bring
  3. Check your phone number first
  4. Step by step at the immigration office (Ho Chi Minh City)
  5. After the visit: activating the app
  6. Mistakes to avoid
  7. FAQ

What VNeID is and who can apply

VNeID lets you store documents such as your passport, residence card and driving licence in one app and use it for online public services. It does not replace your physical documents everywhere, for example at some banks or at border control, so keep carrying them.

Who can apply:

  • Before 28 September 2026: mostly foreigners holding a Vietnamese residence card (TRC).
  • Since 28 September 2026: any foreigner who entered or lives in Vietnam legally, according to Decree 320/2026 (KPMG and other firms summarize it this way). The sources we checked say you apply in person at the immigration office, with no online application for foreigners.

Not sure about your visa? Read our Vietnam Visa Exemption and E-Visa Guide first.

What to bring

  • Your TRC (temporary residence card). If you apply under the new rule without one, bring your valid passport and visa or entry stamp.
  • Your passport. We were told to bring one with at least 6 months of validity left.
  • 35,000 VND in cash. This paid for the photo ticket (see below). Official sources say registration itself is free, so this was a service charge at our office. It may differ for you.
  • A Vietnamese phone number in your own name. This is the step people miss.

Check your phone number first

Before you go, make sure your SIM is registered in your name. Send an SMS to 1414 with the text TTTB followed by a space and your passport number. You get a reply with the registered details. Keep that message and show it to the immigration officer if asked.

If the SIM is not in your name, fix it at your provider first. Otherwise you may have to come back.

Step by step at the immigration office (Ho Chi Minh City)

Where: the Ho Chi Minh City immigration office at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. The old address reads “Ward 6, District 3”, but district names no longer exist since the July 2025 reform, so check the new ward name on Google Maps. For more on the new address format, see the form tip in step 4.

Ho CHi Minh City Immigration office

When: go in the morning. For us the office closed at 11:30, so arrive early. But it was shortly open in the afternoon.

  1. Buy the photo ticket (35,000 VND). Go to the second room in the center of the building, on the left. There is a bar-style counter with a woman in a white shirt. Pay her 35,000 VND and she gives you a ticket for the ID photo.
  2. Get your photo taken. Go back to the first entrance room, on the right. There are a few desks with cameras. Go straight to the man there and give him your ticket and passport. He takes your photo, and you should take off your glasses.
  3. Get your counter number. He will tell you which numbered counter to go to. Walk to the back of the building, where the counters are.
  4. Pick up the form yourself. Take a small rectangular paper form from the tables. Nobody tells you to, so grab it. Fill in your details. Use the new administrative addresses introduced in 2025, because they differ from the old ones.
  5. Wait for your turn. There is no queue number, so watch carefully that nobody skips the line.
  6. See the officer. Hand over your documents. You then place your fingers on the scanner for fingerprints.
  7. Leave. Once the officer is done, you can go.

After the visit: activating the app

  • Wait about 7 to 10 days (our experience). You then receive an email or message with your login details. Other sources quote 2 to 5 working days, so it may be faster.
  • Log in with the details you receive and activate the app. It took us about an hour at most.
  • Add your documents inside the app.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Arriving after 11:30.
  • A phone number that is not in your name.
  • Forgetting the paper form on the tables.
  • Using old district addresses on the form.
  • Losing your place in the unnumbered queue.

Heading around Vietnam once you are set up? Plan your costs with our Travel Budget Calculator, and see where to withdraw money without fees in Vietnam. New to the city? Our Ho Chi Minh City must-visit places and hidden gems are a good start.

👉 Moving around Vietnam soon? Grab the free Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary.

VNeID readiness checklist for foreigners

Time2Book tool

Ready for the immigration office?

Tick what you have. We tell you what is still missing before you go.

Which describes you?

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    Rules and fees can change. Confirm with the office.

    FAQ

    Is VNeID free for foreigners?
    The sources we checked say registration is free. We paid 35,000 VND for the photo ticket at the Ho Chi Minh City office, so keep a little cash.

    Do I need a residence card to get VNeID?
    Not anymore, according to Decree 320/2026 (effective 28 September 2026). Our own process was done with a TRC, so check with the office.

    Can I apply online?
    Not at the moment. The sources we checked say foreigners must apply in person at the provincial immigration office.

    How long does activation take?
    We received our login details after about 7 to 10 days. The app activation took about an hour.

    How do I check that my phone number is in my name?
    Text TTTB and your passport number to 1414 and keep the reply.

    Does VNeID replace my passport or residence card?
    No. Keep carrying your physical documents.

    Resource box

    Honest, no paid placements: we test what we recommend.

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