Starting January 1, 2026, domestic banks will no longer accept passports as valid identification for Vietnamese citizens in any transactions, including payments, cash withdrawals, or card services, according to circulars issued by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Cashless payments are developing rapidly in Vietnam, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, with transactions via banks averaging US$40 billion per day, according to Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s Payment Department.