Spain Accepts Vietnam’s New Passports in a U-Turn Decision
The decision has been confirmed through a statement through which the Embassy stressed that from August 8, it would accept visa applications from all citizens of Vietnam who hold the country’s new passport, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
In addition, the Embassy has required all applicants to submit their valid ID cards together with their passports.
The new decision comes following the compulsory technical consultations, after which authorised agencies in Spain decided to accept the new-style passport or the dark blue cover passport after it includes all the needed information in line with international regulations.
However, the Embassy has clarified that taking into account that the place of birth is mandatory information for those who wish to apply for a Schengen visa, holders of the new passport are required to include valid ID cards in their applications in order to provide this information.
The Embassy also reminded all applicants who hold new passports to be aware that visas issued on passports will not be valid for entry into other Schengen Zone countries where the passport is not accepted, taking into account the Schengen visa regulations.
The announcement means that applicants who plan to travel to other Schengen countries are required to contact their embassies in those countries before departing, as reported by Vietnam News Agency.
In addition, the Embassy also clarified that the old Vietnamese passports that have green cover and also show place of birth information would continue to be accepted normally.
The Vietnamese new passport has sparked controversies among authorities in European countries. While some countries have decided to accept the new passports, some countries have different opinions.
The Czech Republic, Germany, and Spain are among the countries that announced that they would not recognize new Vietnamese passports; however, Spain has now reconsidered its position, accepting Vietnam’s new passport.
In this regard, authorities in the Czech Republic have announced that they would not recognise Vietnam’s new passport after, according to them, it does not meet the technical standards of the International Civil Aviation (ICAO).
The decision was confirmed through a statement published by the Embassy of Czechia in Vietnam.
“Vietnam’s new passport issued on July 1 does not meet the technical standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Therefore, the Czech Republic agrees with other member countries of the European Union (EU) to stop recognizing it,” the Czech Embassy noted in a statement.
In contrast, authorities in France and the United Kingdom announced that they would recognise the new Vietnamese passport.
