Article 24. Management of Diplomatic & Official Passports (Explained)

Article 24 clarifies who manages diplomatic (HC) and official (CC) passports in Vietnam and how those passports must be controlled throughout their lifecycle. This helps prevent misuse, loss, or non-compliance when officials travel on duty or are reassigned.

1) Who is responsible for management?

Under Article 11 (competent authorities) or their authorized designees must manage:

• Passport holders under their control: cadres, civil servants, public employees, officers and professional service members in the People’s Army and People’s Public Security, and personnel engaged in cryptography.

• Eligible relatives (per Clauses 13 & 14, Article 8 and Clause 5, Article 9) who accompany or visit the passport holder during the term of office and are under the same agency’s management.

2) Mandatory management procedures (must-do checklist)

Agencies/persons in charge must follow these steps to ensure lawful control:

1. Register & secure custody

   • Maintain a handover/receipt logbook; keep passports in a secure custody system when not in use.

2. Controlled release for duty travel

   • Only hand over a passport when there is a written assignment decision.

   • Both parties sign the handover/return log.

3. Transfer on personnel changes

   • When a holder is reassigned or transferred, forward the passport and full control records to the new managing unit.

4. Report non-return or misuse

   • If a holder fails to return the passport as required or uses it contrary to law, notify in writing the competent authority immediately.

5. Incident reporting (loss/damage)

   • Immediately inform the MOFA passport-issuing authority and the Immigration Department (MPS) in writing.

6. Invalidate when no longer eligible

   • Send the passport to the MOFA issuing authority for invalidation if the holder ceases to be eligible for a diplomatic/official passport.

7. Violation handling

   • Escalate to the competent body for disciplinary/legal handling of any improper use or mismanagement.

3) Good-practice controls for agencies (recommended)

• Use a centralized custody safe with access logs + dual control.

• Digitize the handover ledger (audit-ready, timestamped).

• Define return-by deadlines immediately after each trip.

• Run quarterly reconciliations of all HC/CC passports and related relatives’ travel.

• Keep standard incident templates (loss/damage/misuse) to speed up statutory notifications.

4) How Vietnam Entry Visa can help (compliance + travel enablement)

While diplomatic/official passports are issued and controlled by state authorities, many missions still need operational support for lawful travel execution:

• Itinerary & entry-point compliance check: Verify visa regime at ports of entry and align with assignment decisions.

• Accompanying relatives: Guidance on eligibility, and lawful visas for foreign spouses/children when applicable.

• Urgent e-Visa & facilitation for non-HC/CC travelers in the delegation (contractors, media, vendors).

• Document pack audit: Ensure tickets, assignment decisions, invitation notes, and residence declarations meet checkpoint expectations.

• Rapid issue navigation: If loss/damage occurs abroad, provide step-by-step coordination with missions per Article 18 procedures.

👉 Need compliant travel support for mixed delegations or accompanying relatives? Apply/consult now: https://new.vietnamentryvisa.com/apply-online/