Vietnam identity card renewal offers indefinite validity for certain citizens in 2026

Under the Law on Identity in Vietnam, citizens who complete their identity card renewal procedures by December 31, 2026, may qualify for cards with indefinite validity. Specifically, citizens aged 58 and older who apply for a new card during this period will receive a card that remains valid for life, provided they do not lose the card, suffer physical damage, or require legal information updates.

Standard regulations require citizens to renew their identity cards at the ages of 14, 25, 40, and 60. However, if a renewal is performed within two years of these milestones, the new card's validity is extended to the next milestone.

The renewal process has been digitized through the VNeID national identification application and the National Public Service Portal. Citizens can register profiles, review automatically extracted personal information, and schedule appointments at local police stations to undergo biometric collection, including fingerprints and iris scans, to avoid waiting in lines.