Vietnam Clarifies SIM Card Registration Rules for Digital ID App Amidst Citizen Confusion
Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- To fully utilize the VNeID super-app, citizens need an electronic identification account of level 2, which requires a personal phone number.
- A case arose where a father's son could not complete the level 2 identification process because his phone number was registered under his father's name, and the mobile carrier required level 2 identification to register the number under the son's name.
- The Ministry of Public Security clarified that while a personal phone number is required for registration, it doesn't need to be linked to another electronic identification account; however, the SIM must be registered to the individual to prevent account lockouts.
The VNeID super-app, developed by Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security, aims to streamline citizen services by integrating various digital documents and administrative procedures. However, a recent case has highlighted a confusing bureaucratic loop concerning the requirement for a personal phone number, or 'chรญnh chแปง' SIM, for registering a level 2 electronic identification account.
To use the VNeID super-app optimally, citizens and businesses need a level 2 electronic identification account. When the account is at this level, the account holder can use all the utilities that the VNeID super-app offers, from managing the electronic document wallet to performing administrative procedures, using the e-wallet...
The issue came to light when Mr. Lรช Hแบฃi Nam's 19-year-old son encountered difficulties obtaining his level 2 identification. The son's phone number was registered under his father's name. When he attempted to register the SIM card under his own name at a mobile carrier's office, he was told he needed a level 2 electronic identification account first. This created a Catch-22 situation, as he needed the SIM to be in his name to get the identification, but needed the identification to register the SIM in his name.
To register an electronic identification account, citizens only need to register with a phone number that has not yet been linked to any electronic identification account (no check for personal ownership on the software). However, the registration process still requires the SIM to be registered to the owner to avoid account lockouts when the owner of that phone number registers an electronic identification account in their name.
Responding to this predicament, the Ministry of Public Security clarified the process. While a personal phone number is indeed necessary for registering an electronic identification account, it does not need to be linked to any existing electronic identification. The crucial point is that the SIM card itself must be registered to the individual user. This ensures that the account remains secure and prevents issues if the legitimate owner of the phone number later attempts to register an account under their own name. Furthermore, the Ministry reiterated that registering a 'chรญnh chแปง' SIM only requires a valid ID card or passport, not a level 2 electronic identification account, debunking the mobile carrier's requirement in this specific instance.
Regarding the registration of a personal ownership SIM, the Ministry of Public Security stated that according to current regulations, citizens only need a valid ID card or passport and do not need a level 2 electronic identification account.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Thanh Niรชn in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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