In order to facilitate the granting of general passports and laissez passers for Vietnamese nationals living abroard, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued circular on Oct. 6, guiding a decree on entry and exit of Vietnamese citizens.

The circular, which takes affect 45 days after its publication in the Official in the Official Gazette, replaces joint a circular issued on January 29, 2002.

Under the new joint circular, Vietnamese nationals in foreign countries in need of a general passport or laissez-passer shall file dossiers including papers evidencing Vietnamese nationality, or valid identification papers granted by a competent Vietnamese agency to a Vietnamese citizen, plus a photograph, to a Vietnamese embassy or consulate abroard.

Within five working days of receiving the full and valid dossier, the embassy or consulate will decide to grant or modify the passport or laissez-passer./.