What are Diplomatic Passports? Who is issued this passport?

Diplomatic Passports are a special immigration document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Vietnamese diplomats and diplomatic staff. This type of passport represents the country in international relations, used when making official business trips at the Embassy or Consulate. Diplomatic passports facilitate the performance of diplomatic missions according to the provisions of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019.

What is a Diplomatic Passport?

A diplomatic passport is a legal document proving the bearer’s diplomatic privileges. According to the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, this passport determines the official representative status of Vietnam in diplomatic activities. This document has a unique nature in international diplomatic protocol.

Diplomatic passports have a dark red cover, printed in Vietnamese and English with a special security stamp. The validity period of a diplomatic passport is 5 years from the date of issue. This passport can only be used for official purposes and cannot be used as a substitute for an ordinary passport for personal trips.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the only agency with authority to issue, extend and revoke diplomatic passports. The use of diplomatic passports must strictly comply with the regulations on diplomatic privileges and diplomatic immunities according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961.

Privileges of diplomatic passports

Diplomatic passports bring many special privileges to the holder in diplomatic activities. Diplomatic passport holders enjoy diplomatic immunity according to international regulations. These privileges create favorable conditions for the performance of diplomatic missions.

• Visa-free entry to many countries that have diplomatic relations with Vietnam;
• Access to priority areas at international airports;
• Enjoy diplomatic immunity regarding people and property;
• Can use CD/CC diplomatic license plate;
• Priority in immigration procedures;
• Receive special protection from Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad;
• Exempt from customs inspection in some cases according to regulations.

The use of these privileges must comply with the principle of reciprocity in international relations. Diplomatic passport holders are responsible for protecting national reputation and strictly complying with regulations on diplomatic protocol.

Who is issued a Diplomatic Passport?

According to Article 8 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, subjects eligible for diplomatic passports include:

• High-ranking Party and State leaders;
• Diplomatic positions from Attaché level and above;
• Vietnam’s international delegation staff;
• Diplomatic officers working at representative agencies;
• Diplomatic and consular couriers;
• Spouses of senior leaders on business trips;
• Spouses and children under 18 years old of diplomatic staff.

In addition, in special cases, the Minister of Foreign Affairs may consider granting diplomatic passports to other subjects under the direction of the Prime Minister or at the request of a competent authority.

Conditions for being granted a diplomatic passport

To be issued a diplomatic passport, applicants must meet the following conditions:

• Subject to being issued under Article 8 of the Law on Entry and Exit 2019;
• There is a document sending you on a business trip from a competent agency or person;
• There are good reasons to use diplomatic passports;
• Not subject to exit ban according to regulations;
• Have complete documents as required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

CSPL: Article 10 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019.

Procedures for applying for a diplomatic passport

To carry out the procedure for applying for a diplomatic passport, the person requesting it needs to follow these steps:

Step 1: Submit application at the Consular Department and Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City.

Documents to be submitted include:

• Application form for diplomatic passport form 01/2020/NG-XNC.
• 02 portrait photos.
• Decision to appoint or document allowing a person to go abroad, clearly stating the subject applying for the issue.
• Written consent of the competent authority to send people abroad according to the provisions of the Law.
• Most recently issued diplomatic or official passport; In case of loss, there must be a notification from the issuing agency.
• Photocopy of ID card, ID card or other identification document, present the original for comparison.
• Photocopy of ID card, ID card, birth certificate or related documents in case of under 18 years old, present the original for comparison.
• Letter of introduction from the agency or organization for the representative to submit on behalf; present identification documents.

Step 2: Processing documents

• Within 05 working days from the date of receipt, the Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue and renew passports, issue notes supporting visa applications and return the results.
• In case a passport has not been issued or renewed, the competent authority must respond in writing and clearly state the reason.

CSPL: Article 12 Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019; Article 2, 7 Circular 04/2020/TT-BNG.

Consulting services to support reputable diplomatic passport applications

Long Phan provides comprehensive support and consulting services on diplomatic passport application procedures in Vietnam in a comprehensive and professional manner. Our services include:

• Consulting on conditions and subjects to be granted diplomatic passports;
• Analyze the feasibility of the application;
• Consulting on application process and processing time;
• Answer questions about procedures;
• Consulting on benefits when using diplomatic passports;
• Draft and complete documents according to regulations;
• Check and compare necessary documents;
• Assist in preparing documents proving eligibility;
• Translation and consular legalization of documents;
• Monitor application processing progress.

The issuance of diplomatic passports and related procedures must be carried out in a clear and transparent manner to ensure that the authorities will process the application within the prescribed time and provide timely feedback when problems arise. For detailed advice on the procedures for issuing diplomatic passports, customers can contact Long Phan directly via hotline 0906735386 to meet our consultants.