Certification of Signature and Certain Related Regulations

According to Decree 23/2015/ND-CP, authentication of signatures is the act of an authorized agency or organization authenticating the signature on a document as the signature of the person requesting authentication. When there is a request for signature authentication, the requester must be responsible for the contents of the documents they sign to request signature authentication. The person performing the authentication is responsible for the authenticity of the signature of the requester on the documents.

The signature authentication requester will not have their signature authenticated if they fall into one of the following cases:

- At the time of authentication, the requester cannot recognize and control their actions.- The identity card or passport presented by the requester is expired or falsified.- The documents signed by the requester contain content that is illegal, unethical; propagandistic, inciting war, against the socialist policies of Vietnam; distorting the history of the Vietnamese nation; violating the honor, dignity, and reputation of individuals, organizations, and violating citizen rights.- The documents have content that is a contract or transaction. Except in the case of gratuitous power of attorney, without compensation by the authorized person, and not related to the transfer of ownership rights of assets, land use rights, which will then have their signatures authenticated.

Decree 23 stipulates that signature authentication is carried out through the following 02 steps:

- Step 1: The requester must present: The original or certified copy of a valid identity card or passport; the document that they will sign.- Step 2: After receiving the documents presented by the requester, the person performing the authentication checks the documents. If the documents meet the requirements; the requester is lucid, recognizes, and controls their actions, and the authentication does not fall under the prohibited cases mentioned above, the requester is asked to sign in person and:- Full authentication statements shall be recorded according to the prescribed template;- Sign, clearly state the full name, and stamp the seal of the agency or organization performing the authentication and record it in the authentication log.- For documents with more than (02) two pages, the authentication statement is recorded on the last page. If the document comprises more than 02 (two) sheets, the sheets must be affixed with a page seal.

For cases where signature authentication is performed at the reception and result return sections according to the one-stop-shop mechanism, the official receiving the documents checks the documents. If they find that the requester meets the conditions, they shall ask the requester to sign the documents needing authentication and forward them to the authorized person for signature authentication.

In the case of fingerprint authentication when the requester cannot sign, and if the requester cannot both sign and fingerprint, each case's authentication statement shall be recorded according to the template prescribed in this Decree.

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