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Vietnam's new passport has already included necessary information in accordance with international regulations, the embassy said. However, it said those who wish to apply for visa need to bring both their new passports and valid identity cards to verify their places of birth. The embassy also warns that Spain's visa on Vietnam's new passport would not be valid for entry into countries which have not accepted the passports, even if those countries are part of the Schengen group. Previously on August 1, Spain denied visas for holders of Vietnam's new passports because they lack information regarding places of birth. Spain's rejection followed Germany's move on July 27 for the same reason. The Czech Republic on August 2 also said it does not recognize Vietnam's new passports due to the lack of birthplace information. The immigration department under the Ministry of Public Security said Vietnam's new passport model complies with international regulations and practices and … [Read more...] about Spain accepts Vietnam’s new passport

The new form of the Vietnamese passport. (Photo: SGGP) According to the decision, after completing compulsory technical consultations, Spanish authorized agencies decided to accept the new passport form of Vietnam because it meets the required information in accordance with international regulations. However, the “place of birth” is one essential piece of information on a passport for the identification of a person, and is mandatory to process Schengen visa applications. Vietnamese citizens possessing a passport in the new form have to submit their valid ID cards in their applications, the notice said. The embassy noted that holders of the new passports applying for visas to Spain or European countries, according to Schengen regulations, visas issued on the new passports will not be valid to travel to the territories of the Schengen member states where Vietnam’s new passports are not accepted. Visa applicants who travel to those nations have to contact their embassies before … [Read more...] about Spain recognizes Vietnam’s new passports

The Embassy of Spain in Vietnam has decided to recognize a new Vietnamese passport, reversing its suspension a week before, according to the diplomatic mission’s announcement on Monday morning. The Spanish Embassy said that it completed the mandatory technical consultations with the authorities in Spain and came to the conclusion that the new Vietnamese passport, in blue-violet color, includes the essential details required by international regulations. Therefore, the embassy has resumed the acceptance for processing visa applications with the blue-violet passport and a valid identity document starting Monday. The embassy explained that since the place of birth is mandatory information in Schengen visa applications, applicants holding the blue-violet passport must prove their birthplace by presenting a valid Vietnamese identity document, in which the said information is stated. The embassy, however, noted that Schengen member countries that do not recognize those new … [Read more...] about Spain backpedals on denial of Vietnam’s new passport

A group of Vietnamese tourists on a Europe tour. Three EU countries are refusing to issue visas to Vietnamese having the new passports that are being issued since July 1 since they lack information about place of birth. — Photo nld.com.vn The rejection of Viet Nam’s new passport by some EU member countries is affecting HCM City tourism companies since their customers are unable to travel to those countries. Issued since July 1, the new passports are not accepted for visas by Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic since they lack information about place of birth. Tran Thanh Vu, general director of Vinagroup International Travel JSC, said many customers who booked tours to Europe obtained the new passports and could cancel their tours. According to tourism companies, travel to Europe is picking up and they have booked hotels and flight tickets for tour groups. The countries refusing to accept the new passports are key tourist destinations in Europe. Lai Minh Duy, general … [Read more...] about Refusal to issue visas to new VN passport causes problems for travel firms

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Sunday reported an additional 1,381 Covid-19 infections, raising the country's total tally to over 11 million. Illustrative photo According to the ministry's report, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 11,347,518. On August 7, an additional 8,589 more patients recovered from the disease, raising the number of recoveries in the country to over 9.97 million. On Sunday evening, no deaths from Covid-19 were recorded. The country's total fatalities stood at 43,094, accounting for 0.4 per cent of total infections. By August 6, the country had injected more than 248 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Vietnam is targeting the completion of Covid-19 inoculation for children aged between 5 - 11 in August, as well as the administration of the third shot for those aged 12 - 17, as well as the third and fourth doses to people aged 18 and above as soon as possible. … [Read more...] about Vietnam confirms additional 1,381 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday

A cybersecurity team monitors real-time cyberattacks. (Photo: vneconomy.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Identity theft is not a new crime in the financial and banking scene, but insiders said a new twist on an old problem that banks and clients should worry about, exposes the need for heightened cybersecurity . Truong Duc Luong, Chairman of the Vietnam Network Security JSC, revealed that dangerous actors could use SEO (search engine optimisation) to improve their websites' ranking in search results when people look up information online. The better visibility the websites have in search engines, the more likely that they garner more clicks and attract more prospective victims. Once visitors click on the websites, they are vulnerable to malicious schemes resulting in financial loss and identity theft. Another tactic is using the online ads network to spread malicious links. Gullible users clicking on the links have their browsers hijacked by fake warnings. They fall victim to … [Read more...] about Identity theft rises as fraudsters find new ways to deceive clients