Navigating Vietnam’s e-ID requirements for business administration

3 July 2025

Vietnam’s transition to the use of electronic identification (“e‑ID”) accounts became mandatory as of 1 July 2025. This initiative is set out under Decree No. 69/2024/ND‑CP (“Decree 69”), issued on 25 June 2024, which introduces a comprehensive framework for digital identity management via the Vietnam Electronic Identification (“VNeID”) platform, administered by the Ministry of Public Security’s National Population Data Center.=

This development forms part of Vietnam’s broader digital transformation agenda, a national strategy aimed at building a digital government, digital economy, and digital society by 2030, with a strong focus on improving administrative efficiency, service delivery, and national competitiveness.

While Decree 69 does not explicitly require companies to obtain a corporate e‑ID account, the practical effect of the legislation is that, from 1 July 2025, most administrative procedures - including business registration and corporate changes, licensing and approvals, and taxation and invoicing - will only be accessible through e‑ID authenticated channels. In this context, the e‑ID account is effectively essential for businesses to continue engaging with public authorities and utilising e-government services.

Decree 69 also provides that all accounts previously created via the National Public Service Portal or other legacy platforms will cease to be valid after 30 June 2025.

Registration process

To obtain a corporate e‑ID account, a company’s legal representative or an authorised individual must hold a Level‑2 personal e‑ID. A Level‑2 personal e‑ID can be issued to both Vietnamese citizens and eligible foreigners lawfully residing in Vietnam.

An eligible representative may either:

• register the company’s e‑ID account directly through the VNeID platform; or
• submit a completed Form TK02 in person at the local ward‑level police station.

In practice, however, it appears that only VNeID-based submissions have been consistently accepted.

The corporate e‑ID account will record key information such as the entity’s business registration number, tax identification number, and the representative’s details. This data will be used to authenticate digital transactions with government platforms.

Practical considerations

Before 1 July 2025, foreign legal representatives of foreign-invested companies in Vietnam may not have been able to obtain a Level‑2 personal e‑ID due to a lack of clarity at the local authority level, thereby hindering the registration of a corporate e‑ID account. To address this issue, the Ministry of Public Security has launched an intensive 50-day program, spanning from 1 July 2025 to 19 August 2025, to register VNeIDs for foreigners.

The following practical considerations may assist foreign nationals in registering for a corporate e-ID account and a Level 2 personal e-ID:

• Foreigners registering for a Level‑2 personal e‑ID should bring key supporting documents, including their passport, a valid and effective temporary residence card, a SIM card registered in their name. In Ho Chi Minh City, we understand that the temporary residence card is mandatory - without it, the foreign legal representative cannot complete the Level‑2 personal e‑ID registration.
• The information provided in the application to register a corporate e‑ID account must match the details recorded on the National Business Registration Portal. Any inconsistencies may result in the application being rejected.
• While no penalties are currently imposed, the absence of a corporate e‑ID account will prevent the company from accessing essential government services, potentially disrupting business operations.