Noi Bai International Airport has placed new biometric enrollment kiosks into live use at Terminal 1 for eligible domestic passengers. The airport says the three step process takes about 10 seconds and lets a successfully enrolled traveler continue through compatible automated security and boarding gates without repeating the same identity check.
The option is useful, but it is not yet universal. As of July 14, 2026, the Terminal 1 kiosks are intended for eligible Vietnamese domestic passengers with a boarding pass and a chip enabled national identity card, while foreign travelers, children under 16 and anyone who cannot complete the digital process should continue using staffed counters.
- Location: Terminal 1 at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.
- Current use: enrollment for eligible passengers taking domestic flights.
- Required items: a valid boarding pass and a chip enabled Vietnamese national identity card.
- Process: scan the boarding pass, insert the identity card and look at the camera.
- Airport estimate: about 2000 to 3000 successful passenger uses each day.
- Fallback: staffed check in counters remain open for travelers who are not eligible or need help.
What changed at Terminal 1
The Vietnam Government News report says the kiosks have entered service in the domestic terminal rather than remaining a demonstration or future plan. Passengers can now enroll their identity at the airport and use the synchronized record at automated checkpoints that support the system.
Airport data reported with the launch puts successful daily use at roughly 2000 to 3000 passengers. That figure shows the system is handling real traffic, although it remains a small share of a large airport operation and does not mean every traveler, airline counter or gate has become biometric only.
The July launch extends a broader digital passenger program at Noi Bai. The airport previously described biometric identification, automated access gates and self service processing in its official digital passenger flow guidance, but the new Terminal 1 kiosks give domestic passengers a specific enrollment point inside the terminal.
The three steps passengers complete
The first step is scanning the boarding pass. This connects the trip record to the enrollment session, so travelers should complete airline check in and have a readable pass available before approaching a kiosk.
The second step is inserting a chip enabled Vietnamese national identity card into the reader. The airport describes a physical card scan, so a traveler should not assume that a picture of the card or a basic VNeID account will satisfy the kiosk requirement.
The third step is looking directly at the camera for facial comparison. Once the verification succeeds, the record is synchronized with the airport system and can be recognized at participating automated security access points and boarding gates.
Independent English language coverage from Vietnam News confirms the same three steps and the continued operation of traditional processing. That fallback matters because enrollment speed is only one part of the journey, and an unsuccessful scan should not be treated as permission to bypass normal document checks.
Who can use the kiosks now
The current service is aimed at domestic passengers in Terminal 1 who can present the required Vietnamese identity credential. It does not apply to international departures from Terminal 2, and the launch notice says foreign nationals and children under 16 are not included during the initial stage.
The airport also distinguishes the kiosk route from travelers relying only on a VNeID account at the airport. Some eligible passengers may be able to complete biometric steps through VNeID or a participating airline app, but the physical kiosk process described for Terminal 1 requires the chip enabled identity card and boarding pass.
Travelers should therefore separate three questions before joining the kiosk line: whether the flight is domestic, whether the traveler holds the required identity card, and whether the boarding pass is ready to scan. If any answer is no, the staffed airline or airport process is the safer route.
What the 10 second claim does and does not mean
The airport’s 10 second estimate refers to biometric verification at the kiosk. It does not cover baggage drop, airline document review, security screening, walking time, a queue at the kiosk or any manual check required because an image or card cannot be read.
A passenger checking a bag may still need an airline counter or bag drop after enrollment. A traveler can review the relevant carrier through the Deep Arrival airline directory, but the airline and Noi Bai remain the authorities for live check in rules, accepted documents and gate procedures.
The system is most likely to save time when the traveler already has a boarding pass, the identity card reads correctly and every later checkpoint on the route supports the synchronized record. It offers less value when a passenger needs staff help for baggage, seating, a document issue or a traveler who falls outside the current eligibility group.
Manual counters remain part of the plan
Noi Bai says traditional counters continue to operate normally. Airport youth volunteers have also been assigned near the kiosks during the summer peak to guide first time users, older passengers and people who need help completing the sequence.
That support makes the rollout an optional faster path rather than a sudden removal of staffed service. A failed facial comparison, unreadable card or uncertain eligibility should lead back to an airport representative, not repeated attempts that risk consuming the time saved by the automated process.
Passengers should still arrive according to the airline’s normal deadline. The kiosk does not change boarding cutoffs, baggage acceptance times or the need to carry an accepted identity document through the rest of the trip.
How the kiosks fit Noi Bai’s larger digital plan
Noi Bai has been expanding self service and biometric tools across its terminals, including automated access gates and digital processing at the expanded international terminal. The Terminal 1 addition is distinct because it creates a visible enrollment point for domestic travelers who may not have completed the biometric step through an app.
The airport says the system will be optimized and widened over time, but it has not published a date when foreign passengers, children under 16 or every domestic traveler will become eligible. Until a later official notice changes those limits, the current group and the manual fallback should control planning.
The measured daily use is encouraging because it shows an operating service rather than a concept. It is still too early to treat the kiosks as a universal shortcut across Hanoi travel, since eligibility, airline participation and the availability of compatible automated gates can shape the result for each passenger.
| Passenger situation | Best current route | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible Vietnamese adult on a domestic flight | Try the Terminal 1 biometric kiosk | Boarding pass and chip enabled national identity card |
| Foreign passenger | Use the staffed process | Passport and airline required travel documents |
| Child under 16 | Use the staffed process | Documents required by the airline and airport |
| Checked baggage or document issue | Follow the airline counter or bag drop route | Allow time beyond biometric enrollment |
| Kiosk cannot verify the card or face | Ask airport staff for help | Do not rely on repeated attempts near cutoff |
Eligible domestic passengers can treat the kiosks as an optional enrollment shortcut, not a replacement for normal arrival time or airline rules. Complete airline check in first, keep the physical chip enabled identity card ready, and move to a staffed counter promptly if the kiosk does not accept the traveler or document.
Where are the new Noi Bai biometric kiosks?
The launch applies to Terminal 1, which handles domestic flights at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.
What does a passenger need to use a kiosk?
The airport describes a boarding pass and a chip enabled Vietnamese national identity card, followed by a facial comparison at the camera.
Can foreign passengers use the kiosks?
Not during the initial stage described by the airport. Foreign passengers should use the normal staffed process unless Noi Bai publishes a later eligibility change.
Do the kiosks replace airline check in and baggage drop?
No. The 10 second estimate covers biometric verification, while airline check in, baggage acceptance, security and boarding requirements still apply.
