Vietnam is preparing a pilot that will link its VNeID digital identity app with Singapore’s Singpass system. The experiment, scheduled for mid‑November, offers a concrete example of how countries can try to make digital IDs work across borders.

The plan comes from a decision issued by Vietnam’s prime minister on Sept. 22, which orders the trial to begin by mid‑November. The link is intended to simplify administrative and immigration procedures and to promote digital cooperation within ASEAN.

Singapore has operated its Singpass digital identity system since 2003, while Vietnam is developing the national VNeID database. The two platforms will be connected in the upcoming trial.

Le Anh Duc, an artificial‑intelligence expert and Vice Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee of the Vietnamese Community in Singapore, says the trial must resolve differences in data structures and create standards for information mapping. He also stresses the need for stable connectivity, strong privacy protection and robust security to prevent identity fraud and cyber‑attacks.

At the ASEAN level, uneven technological development, different digital‑signature standards and varied personal‑data‑protection laws pose additional hurdles. Establishing compatible technical and legal standards will be essential if the pilot is to become a model for wider regional digital identity integration.