Vietnam to Replace Social Insurance Numbers with Citizen ID Numbers from September 1

Vietnam’s social insurance system will begin using personal identification numbers, including citizen ID numbers, instead of social insurance numbers from September 1.

The transition will take place in two stages. From August 15 through the end of August, the Vietnam Social Security system will standardize participant and employer data, upgrade software and prepare the technical infrastructure. The nationwide system conversion will begin on September 1.

Officials said the change will run automatically on the system’s servers and will not create additional administrative procedures for participants or employers. After the systems open, workers will receive notifications through the VssID application and can log in with their citizen ID number to continue using related services.

Three groups must work directly with social insurance authorities to update their records: people who have not received a citizen ID card, people whose identification details have not been verified or do not match the national population database, and people whose name, birth date or sex contains an error. Local social insurance agencies will review these cases and guide residents through corrections.

The old social insurance number will not disappear entirely. Vietnam Social Security said its professional software will continue to support parallel searches using either the old number or the personal identification or citizen ID number.