Vietnam integrating biometrics into daily life in digital transformation drive

Vietnam is rapidly integrating biometrics and digital identity into everyday life, rolling out identity‑based systems across public transport, air travel and banking as part of an ambitious national digital transformation drive. 

 New deployments in Hanoi’s metro, airports nationwide and the financial sector show how VNeID and biometric verification increasingly constitute Vietnam’s infrastructure.

Hanoi launches Vietnam’s first metro system with biometrics, digital ID, EMV payments

Hanoi has become the first city in Vietnam to deploy a metro system that integrates biometric identity verification with digital ID credentials and open‑loop payments (interoperable payment acceptance).

The upgrade brings digital identity infrastructure to all 12 stations on Hanoi’s Metro Line 2A. Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and the implementation showcases the nationwide digital transformation push, which includes having all citizens on digital ID and digitalized public service access by 2026.

The Metro line now features multi‑format readers capable of accepting chip‑based citizen ID cards (CCCD), NFC cards, QR codes and EMV‑compliant bank cards. AI‑enabled cameras at fare gates perform biometric matching against digital ID data, allowing passengers to pass through without presenting physical documents.

The system is also integrated with the Ministry of Public Security’s RAR Center, enabling future ticket purchases via VNeID, Vietnam’s national digital ID platform, and the national transportation hub.

Hanoi Vice Chairman Truong Viet Dung said the open‑loop EMV system allows passengers to tap in using QR codes, bank cards, Apple Pay or e‑wallets, as reported by Vietnam Net. Priority groups can authenticate with their chip‑based ID cards or VNeID through the Hanoi Metro app.

Officials argue the initiative strengthens Hanoi’s ambitions as a smart city and improves interoperability across transport modes. It also introduces a unified digital identity layer for public transit, which no other Vietnamese city can yet boast.

Passenger data, operations and transactions are now centralized on a single platform, enabling targeted subsidies based on usage patterns rather than flat‑rate models. The Hanoi Metro app, available on major app stores, supports tap‑and‑go access and discounted fares for verified digital identities.

During a two‑month trial, the system served more than one million passengers and issued nearly 400,000 tickets, with strong uptake among younger riders. The next phase begins on December 16, when 30 percent of fare gates on Line 3.1 will be upgraded, with operations starting January 1, 2026.

By February, Lines 2A and 3 will share a unified automated fare collection system, enabling real‑time, city‑wide data management on ridership and revenue. Officials say the rollout lays the foundation for a fully integrated digital transportation ecosystem.

Air travel in Vietnam shifts to biometric verification and VNeID

Vietnam has begun requiring most air travellers to complete ticketing, check‑in, security screening and boarding through biometric verification linked to VNeID.

Under a regulation in Prime Ministerial Directive No. 24 (issued September 13) passengers must log into the VNeID app with a level‑2 verified account before initiating online check-in, reports Tuoi Tre.

After that, consent to data sharing is needed before redirection to the Vietnam Airlines app to complete eKYC. At the airport, biometric checks are carried out at security and boarding gates, with travellers who skipped eKYC prompted to complete it on the spot.

Vietnam Airlines and other carriers say the digital ID–based process speeds up passenger flow, reduces errors and eliminates the need to carry physical ID documents, which frequently causes missed flights. However, the airline warns that users unfamiliar with VNeID should prepare by verifying their accounts and testing online check‑in.

During the transition period, passengers are encouraged to carry a citizen ID card or passport in case additional verification is required. Support staff will be deployed at airports as the system rolls out nationwide.

Vietnam to require biometric verification for bank account openings from 2026

Vietnam will make biometric verification mandatory for opening bank accounts and issuing payment cards from January 5, 2026, under a new regulation issued by the State Bank of Vietnam aimed at tightening security in electronic transactions.

The requirement is part of Circular 45/2025/TT-NHNN, which amends existing rules on bank card activities and introduces some of the most sweeping identity verification measures the country has implemented in its financial sector.

The new rules require banks to conduct face‑to‑face identity checks and verify biometric data, such as facial information, before issuing cards to individual customers. The same requirement applies to the legal representatives of corporate clients, with limited exceptions, reports Vietnam Plus.

Cards will only be activated for electronic transactions once biometric authentication has been completed. Banks may verify customers using biometric data stored in the chip‑based Citizen Identity Card, authentication via VNeID, or previously collected biometric data that matches official records.

Foreigners without electronic identity credentials, as well as Vietnamese nationals with undetermined citizenship status, will undergo in‑person biometric collection using data from the National Population Database. Holders of older, non‑chip ID cards will also require in‑person verification.

The circular also introduces new limits on credit card cash withdrawals, capping monthly withdrawals at 100 million Vietnamese dong ($3,793) per cardholder per BIN number.

For foreign individuals, the State Bank has removed the previous requirement of at least 12 months of residency to obtain a card. Instead, card validity may not exceed the remaining duration of the individual’s permitted stay in Vietnam.

Corporate card rules have also been updated. Organizations must now provide written authorization for any individual designated as an additional cardholder.

In another change, card acceptance devices may now be installed at bank branches, transaction offices and payment agent locations to allow cardholders to withdraw cash directly. The State Bank says the new framework is intended to strengthen identity assurance, reduce fraud risks and modernize Vietnam’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem.

By Lu-Hai Liang – Biometricupdate.com – December 8, 2025