Electronic identity cards to be presented for contract authentication in Vietnam from January 9, 2025

Electronic identity cards to be presented for contract authentication in Vietnam from January 9, 2025

The procedures for contract and transaction authentication in Vietnam from January 9, 2025, are stipulated as follows:

(1) The person requesting authentication must present the original or a certified copy of the Identity Card/Citizen Identity Card/ID Card/Identity Certificate or Passport, immigration documents/documents valid for international travel still in use, or present the Electronic ID and submit 01 (one) set of authentication request documents, which includes the following papers:

- Draft contract, transaction;

- A copy accompanied by the original presented for comparison of the certificate of ownership, usage rights, or alternative documents as prescribed by law for assets that require registration of ownership and usage rights according to the law in cases where the contract or transaction relates to those assets; except in cases where the testator is under threat to life.

(2) The person performing the authentication shall check the documents in the authentication request dossier; if the dossier is complete, and at the time of authentication all parties involved in the contract or transaction are willing, lucid, and aware, and in control of their actions, authentication shall be carried out.

(3) The parties entering the contract or transaction must sign in the presence of the person performing the authentication. In cases where the authorized signatory of financial institutions or enterprises has registered a signature specimen with the authentication agency, they may pre-sign the contract; the person performing authentication must compare their signature in the contract with the sample signature before performing authentication, and if there is suspicion that the contract signature differs from the sample signature, they will request the person to sign in person.

In cases where the person requesting authentication cannot sign, they must fingerprint; if the person cannot read, hear, sign, or fingerprint, there must be 02 (two) witnesses. The witnesses must be legally competent and have no rights, benefits, or obligations related to the contract or transaction.

(4) The person performing the authentication must record the appropriate testimony for each type of contract or transaction according to the prescribed form; sign, clearly state their name, affix the seal of the authentication agency, and record it in the authentication book. For contracts or transactions with 02 (two) or more pages, each page must be numbered, signed by the person requesting authentication and the person performing authentication; the number of pages and the testimony are recorded on the last page of the contract or transaction.

In cases where the contract or transaction consists of 02 (two) or more sheets, all sheets must be stamped along the edges.

(5) In cases where translation is required, the translator is responsible for fully and accurately translating the content of the contract, transaction, and testimony content for the person requesting authentication and must sign each page of the contract as the translator.

Thus, from January 9, 2025, when performing procedures for contract authentication, in addition to presenting paper/card identity documents, an Electronic ID in VNeID can be presented to carry out this procedure.

More details can be found in Decree 07/2025/ND-CP effective from January 9, 2025.

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