Digital ID holders get fee waivers, discounts

Vietnamese citizens with Level-2 electronic identification accounts can now enjoy a range of fee waivers and reductions under a new policy promoting digital citizenship.

The Ministry of Finance has issued circular No. 117/2026/TT-BTC, effective from August 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027, offering incentives to citizens who meet the prescribed conditions.

Among the key benefits, registration fees for transferred houses and land will be cut by 10 per cent, while fees for passenger cars with up to nine seats from the second registration onward will fall by 50 per cent. Registration fees for motorcycles from the second registration onward will be fully waived.

Each registration-fee incentive applies once per asset, including house and land, car or motorcycle for each citizen within one year from the circular's effective date. The reduction is capped at five times the statutory base salary applicable at the time of declaration.

To access the benefits, citizens must use their Level-2 electronic identification accounts to submit registration-fee declarations online. Required property and vehicle documents must also be shared or integrated through the VNeID application.

The new policy also delivers a broader package of administrative fee waivers. Citizens will be exempt from fees for accessing civil status database information, residence registration, replacement or reissuance of identity cards, and criminal record information.

Certain fees for issuing or reissuing driving licences and international driving permits will also be waived, along with registration and licence-plate fees in specified vehicle registration cases.

For travel documents, the circular provides exemptions for certain domestic ordinary passport applications, Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-Cambodia border travel documents, Vietnam-China border-area travel documents, and the issuance or reissuance of ABTC cards.

Eligible citizens will further receive a 50-per cent reduction in fees for registering secured transactions and obtaining information on secured transactions involving certain assets.

Fees for appraisal and approval of fire prevention and fighting designs will likewise be cut by 50 per cent, ranging from VND 250,000 (USD 9.6 ) to VND 75 million (USD 2,900) per project.

Where citizens qualify for incentives under both the new circular and other legal provisions, the most favourable benefit will apply.

Circular No. 117/2026/TT-BTC will remain in force through February 28, 2027. From March 1, 2027, fees and charges will return to levels set under the relevant original, amended or replacement regulations.-

(VNA/VLLF)