As Vietnam accelerates digital transformation under Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation, foreigners living in the country are increasingly benefiting from more convenient, transparent and user-friendly public services, reflecting the Government’s commitment to placing citizens and businesses at the center of governance.
Following the implementation of Government Decree No. 69, foreigners holding valid temporary or permanent residence cards are eligible to apply for level-2 electronic identification (e-ID) accounts. Applications can be submitted at immigration offices under the Ministry of Public Security or the provincial-level Departments of Public Security, where biometric information is collected to enable access to a wide range of digital public services.
Kim Ji Eun, President of the Korea Global School (KGS) System, was among the first foreign nationals to register for a level-2 e-ID account in Hanoi. During her first experience with Vietnam's public administrative services on June 25, 2025, Kim said she was most impressed not by the processing speed, but by the transparency of the procedure and the ease with which users could track their applications.
“As a foreign investor, I appreciate Vietnam’s efforts to reform administrative procedures and digitalise public services. These reforms help reduce paperwork, shorten processing time and create a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Jeong Young Oh, KGS Principal, who has lived in Vietnam for more than a decade, said the country’s digital transformation has become increasingly visible in daily life.
He shared that at airports, he can now simply present his electronic boarding pass together with his VNeID account on his mobile phone instead of carrying paper documents as before.
American English teacher Samuel Herbert Brinkerhoff, who has worked in several countries, said digital identity systems are becoming a global trend and Vietnam is making steady progress in catching up with international practices.
According to Deputy Director of the Department of Immigration Dang Tuan Viet, level-2 e-ID accounts enable foreign residents to verify their identity through biometric authentication, complete selected administrative procedures online and access services such as banking, healthcare and insurance without repeatedly presenting passports or residence cards.
Since July 2025, immigration authorities have processed 84,831 applications, with Republic of Korean, Chinese and Japanese nationals accounting for the largest numbers of registered users.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Language barriers require immigration authorities to provide multilingual support, while many foreign employees working in industrial parks find it difficult to arrange time to complete registration procedures. In addition, differences in policy interpretation among government agencies can still create administrative bottlenecks.
Kim Ji Eun cited the recruitment of foreign principals for international schools as one example, where overlapping requirements between labour and education authorities can delay administrative procedures. She expressed confidence that stronger inter-agency coordination will further improve Vietnam’s investment environment and accelerate comprehensive digital transformation.
Speaking at the National Innovation Day on October 1, 2025, Party General Secretary To Lam reaffirmed that science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are key drivers of Vietnam’s future development as it is aiming to secure an upper-middle income status by 2030, and become a developed, high-income country by 2045.
Alongside digital technologies, experts believe governance reform remains equally important to ensure that public services become more transparent, efficient and responsive to the needs of citizens, businesses and international residents.
The experiences of foreigners living in Vietnam suggest that the country’s digital transformation is increasingly delivering practical benefits. As innovation is combined with administrative reform, Vietnam is steadily building a modern digital government that places users at the heart of public service delivery./.
