Passport for international students: renewal, extension and notes when studying abroad

🔄 Cập nhật lần cuối: 08/10/26

Passport for international students is the first document to prepare, before admission letters or plane tickets. An expired, incorrect or damaged passport can slow down the visa application process and cause you to have to change your ticket. This article summarizes how to renew, renew and practical notes about passports when studying abroad.

Basic regulations on ordinary passports

According to the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens in 2019 (amended and supplemented in 2023), ordinary passports have the following main points:

• Citizens over 14 years old: passport valid for 10 years.
• Citizens under 14 years old: passport valid for 5 years.
• Ordinary passports cannot be renewed. When it expires or is about to expire, you apply for a new passport.
• Current passports are issued with or without an electronic chip, depending on the applicant's choice and regulations at the time of making.

For students studying abroad at the high school level from 14–15 years old, this is a point to pay attention to. If the passport is obtained when the child is young, the 5-year period may expire midway through the course. You should carefully check the expiration date before starting the application.

How to make a passport for the first time

Submit online or in person

You can submit your application through the Public Service Portal of the Ministry of Public Security or the National Public Service Portal, logging in with your VNeID electronic identification account. People under 14 years old have their father, mother or guardian carry out the procedure. You can also submit directly to the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police or the Immigration Department.

Records usually include:

• Passport application form (fill in online or by form).
• Standard portrait photos: white background, bare head, no glasses. To submit online, upload photos according to the portal's instructions.
• ID/citizen identification card for comparison. Children need documents proving the parent-child relationship, such as a copy of a birth certificate.
• Old passport, if ever issued.

Time and fees

The above time is according to regulations. During peak seasons like summer or before the start of school, you should do it at least 1 month earlier to avoid having to add photos or information.

Passport "renewal": essentially an exchange

Many people are still used to saying "passport renewal", but Vietnamese ordinary passports cannot be renewed. The correct procedure is to issue a new passport and surrender the old passport. Then it should be noted:

• Valid visa in old passport: most countries still recognize valid visas stuck in old passports, if you bring both when entering the country. When changing your passport, ask to return your old, invalidated passport. Specific regulations may vary from country to country, please check with the visa issuing authority.
• Electronic visa, associated with passport number (eg Australian student visa, Canadian eTA, British numbering system): when changing your passport, you often have to update the new passport number on that country's system before flying.
• Airline tickets: if you have declared your old passport number in the booking, you need to notify the airline or agent to update API information before flight time.

How long does a passport need to be valid when studying abroad?

Each country has its own requirements, but general principles can be grasped:

• Many countries and airlines require passports to be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry.
• The duration of a student visa usually does not exceed the validity of the passport. A short-term passport may cause the visa to be issued for a shorter period, and you will have to reapply sooner than expected.
• The Schengen area requires passports to be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended date of departure from the area and issued within 10 years.

Practical advice: if your passport is less than 2 years old and the course lasts 3–4 years, you should get a new passport before submit visa. This way avoids having to renew your visa abroad and update your visa. See also the list of documents in the article Complete study abroad application checklist and how to differentiate CoE, I-20, CAS.

The information on the passport must match absolutely

Full name, date of birth, passport number on the admission letter, visa application, insurance and airline ticket must match the passport. Getting one letter wrong in the name on your ticket can cause you to be denied boarding or incur a name correction fee. When booking, please send a photo of the passport information page for the person booking to enter correctly. See more instructions on Identification documents for air travel.

Note when abroad

Preservation and backup

• Scan passport, visa, and residence card information pages. Save to email or cloud service and send a copy to parents.
• You should use your residence card or student card every day to prove your identity, and keep your passport in a safe place.
• Do not let your passport get wet, torn, or make notes on the pages. Damaged passports may be refused entry.

Reissue or reissue at representative agencies

International students can apply for a new passport at the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate General in their host country. Processing time abroad is often longer than domestically because identity verification is required, sometimes up to several weeks. So don't wait until close to the expiration date to do it.

If you lose your passport, you need to report it to the local police to get a report. Then contact the Vietnamese representative agency to be issued a new passport or travel document to return home, then apply for a visa or residence card according to the regulations of the host country.

Preparing to fly back home for the summer or Tet? Please check your passport and re-entry visa before booking Tet tickets for international students or ticket back home.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for a student visa if my passport has 1 year remaining?

You can apply, but visas are usually only issued for a maximum of the passport validity period. If the course is longer, you should change to a new passport before submitting so that the visa will be issued for enough time.

If I change a new passport, will the visa in the old passport become invalid?

Normally, a valid visa is still valid if you bring your old passport. With an electronic visa, you need to update your new passport number according to the instructions of the visa-issuing country.

Should passports be made with chips?

Chip-based passports store biometric data and may be more convenient at automated checkpoints at some airports. Regarding the legal value when applying for a visa, the two types are equivalent.

Do children under 14 years old study abroad need their own passport?

Have. Each person needs their own passport. Passports for children under 14 years old are valid for 5 years, procedures are carried out by parents or guardians. See more Study abroad documents for students under 18 years old.

Although a passport is a simple document, it affects every subsequent step: visa, insurance, airline tickets. Check deadlines today. Once your application is ready, VeDuHoc can assist you Book flight tickets to study abroad with accurate information from the start.

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