Vietnam to Replace Social Insurance Numbers with Personal IDs from September 2026

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has announced that starting September 1, 2026, the country will replace existing social insurance numbers (MSBHXH) with personal identification numbers (Số định danh cá nhân/Căn cước công dân) for all participants in social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance schemes. This initiative is in line with Plan No. 3115/KH-BHXH issued by VSS. The transition will be conducted centrally, automatically, and synchronously across the social security sector's operational software, with data synchronized with the national population database. This is expected to eliminate the need for separate administrative procedures for businesses and individuals, provided their personal information is accurate and up-to-date. The core principles of this transition emphasize operational continuity and safeguarding the rights of participants and beneficiaries. Historical records, supporting documents, and operational data will be preserved, and no additional procedures or data inconsistencies are anticipated. During the transition period, both old social insurance numbers and new personal identification numbers will be supported for inquiries, ensuring uninterrupted benefit payments and electronic transactions. Participants are urged to proactively check the accuracy of their personal information (full name, date of birth, gender, personal identification number) on their social insurance books, health insurance cards, and the VssID application. Any inaccuracies or instances where the personal identification number is not yet linked to the national population database must be reported to their employer or the local social security office for updates before September 1, 2026. Employers and organizations managing health insurance participants and collecting insurance premiums are also required to review and cross-reference the personal information of their employees and participants, as well as their own business information (tax code, business type, representative details), within the VSS software. They must collaborate with their respective social security offices to rectify any missing or incorrect data by the September 1, 2026 deadline. According to VSS, as of the end of August 2026, approximately 22.59 million people nationwide are participating in social insurance, including 19.86 million in mandatory schemes and 2.72 million in voluntary schemes. Unemployment insurance covers 17.91 million people, and health insurance covers 98.81 million people. Cumulative data up to the end of August shows that over 68,000 new monthly social insurance beneficiaries have been processed, along with approximately 5.8 million cases of sickness, maternity, and recovery benefits. Nearly 493,000 received lump-sum social insurance payments, nearly 550,000 received unemployment benefits, and 11,573 workers received vocational training support. In terms of healthcare services covered by health insurance, there have been 113.54 million visits. Total expenditure for social insurance is approximately VND 240,796 billion, for unemployment insurance VND 13,355 billion, and for health insurance VND 118,430 billion.