Decree No. 320 on electronic identification and authentication

On 13 August 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 320/2026/NĐ-CP amending and supplementing a number of provisions of Decree No. 69/2024/NĐ-CP dated 25 June 2024 on electronic identification and authentication.

From the perspective of enterprises and foreign workforce management, the following changes are particularly noteworthy:

Under Decree No. 69/2024/NĐ-CP, the issuance of electronic identification accounts to foreigners was relatively limited and mainly tied to foreigners who had been issued permanent residence cards or temporary residence cards in Vietnam.

Decree No. 320/2026/NĐ-CP adopts a broader and more facilitative approach. Accordingly, foreigners who lawfully enter Vietnam or lawfully reside in Vietnam may be issued an electronic identification account, regardless of their level of residence, upon request. This is a positive change for enterprises employing foreign personnel in Vietnam, as it can facilitate a wider range of foreign nationals, including business travellers, secondees and short-term assignees, investors, dependants and foreign experts who do not yet qualify for permanent residence cards or temporary residence cards.

• Information and documents that have been integrated into the National Digital ID Application will not need to be submitted in original or copy form when handling administrative procedures, public services, civil transactions and other activities, such as passports, visas, visa exemption certificates, permanent and temporary residence cards for foreigners, work permits for foreign workers, driving licences, judicial record certificates, and tax registration certificates.
• Holders of electronic identification accounts may log in, carry out and receive the results of administrative procedures and public services in the electronic environment in accordance with regulations.
• Foreigners who have been issued a VNeID account may use this account to carry out exit and entry procedures via automatic immigration control gates, subject to applicable regulations.

Decree No. 320/2026/NĐ-CP represents a positive step towards improving the legal framework on electronic identification and authentication in Vietnam, while supporting administrative procedure reform and digital transformation. In particular, the expansion of eligibility for VNeID accounts for foreigners is expected to improve access to online public services and digital utilities in Vietnam.

Enterprises employing foreign workers, secondees, business travellers or dependants in Vietnam should consider reviewing the potential impact of the new regulations and proactively prepare for VNeID account registration where appropriate. This is especially important as Decree No. 320/2026/NĐ-CP requires national digital platforms to integrate the use of electronic identification accounts for authentication, logging in and conducting transactions between authorities, organisations and individuals no later than 31 December 2026. Early preparation may help mitigate the risk of disruption when carrying out relevant electronic transactions or administrative procedures.

Decree No. 320/2026/NĐ-CP takes effect from 28 September 2026.