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:
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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.
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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:
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Register & secure custody
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Maintain a handover/receipt logbook; keep passports in a secure custody system when not in use.
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Controlled release for duty travel
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Only hand over a passport when there is a written assignment decision.
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Both parties sign the handover/return log.
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Transfer on personnel changes
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When a holder is reassigned or transferred, forward the passport and full control records to the new managing unit.
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Report non-return or misuse
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If a holder fails to return the passport as required or uses it contrary to law, notify in writing the competent authority immediately.
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Incident reporting (loss/damage)
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Immediately inform the MOFA passport-issuing authority and the Immigration Department (MPS) in writing.
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Invalidate when no longer eligible
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Send the passport to the MOFA issuing authority for invalidation if the holder ceases to be eligible for a diplomatic/official passport.
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Violation handling
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Escalate to the competent body for disciplinary/legal handling of any improper use or mismanagement.
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3) Good-practice controls for agencies (recommended)
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Use a centralized custody safe with access logs + dual control.
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Digitize the handover ledger (audit-ready, timestamped).
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Define return-by deadlines immediately after each trip.
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Run quarterly reconciliations of all HC/CC passports and related relatives’ travel.
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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:
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Itinerary & entry-point compliance check: Verify visa regime at ports of entry and align with assignment decisions.
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Accompanying relatives: Guidance on eligibility, and lawful visas for foreign spouses/children when applicable.
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Urgent e-Visa & facilitation for non-HC/CC travelers in the delegation (contractors, media, vendors).
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Document pack audit: Ensure tickets, assignment decisions, invitation notes, and residence declarations meet checkpoint expectations.
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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://vietnamentryvisa.com/apply-online/