eSignature law in Vietnam
Electronic signatures are valid in Vietnam under the Law on Electronic Transactions 2023, which narrowed what counts as an electronic signature and pushed business towards certified digital signatures.
Drop your document here and sign it now. PDF, Word and Excel all work: a .docx or .xlsx is laid out in your browser exactly as it was written, so there is nothing to convert first. Add a signature, a date, a company stamp or a watermark, then download it sealed. Free to start, no account, and the file is never uploaded to open it.
Governing law: Law on Electronic Transactions No. 20/2023/QH15 (2023)
eSignature Vietnam: the short answer
Searched as eSignature Vietnam, electronic signature Vietnam, or "is an e-signature legal in Vietnam", the answer is the same: yes, for ordinary business documents, under Law on Electronic Transactions No. 20/2023/QH15. What varies is which documents are carved out and which tier of signature they need, and that is the part worth reading rather than the general rule.
Vietnam replaced its 2005 statute with the Law on Electronic Transactions 2023, in force from July 2024, and the change matters more than a version bump suggests. The new law recognises three categories: specialised electronic signatures used within an organisation, public digital signatures, and specialised digital signatures for public duties. Crucially it defines an electronic signature as one created using certificate-based means, which excludes a scanned image or a drawn mark from the statutory definition, though such marks can still evidence agreement between parties as a matter of contract. Public digital signatures, issued by licensed providers (VNPT-CA, Viettel-CA, FPT-CA and others), are the instrument Vietnamese counterparties, tax authorities and the social insurance system expect, and they are near-universal for invoicing. A foreign business contracting with a Vietnamese company should expect to be asked for a digital signature where the document is filed with any authority, and should not assume a drawn signature satisfies the statute.
What makes an eSignature valid in Vietnam
- A certificate-based signature from a licensed provider, for the statutory forms of electronic signature
- A valid, unexpired and unrevoked certificate at the moment of signing
- Signature creation data under the sole control of the signer
- Detectability of any change to the document after signing
- Retention of the record and the means to verify the signature
Where eSignatures are not valid
- Documents requiring notarisation or authentication (cong chung, chung thuc)
- Land use right certificates and property transfers
- Wills and certain family documents
- Documents an authority specifically requires in paper form
FAQ
Is a drawn or scanned signature valid in Vietnam?
It does not meet the statutory definition of an electronic signature under the 2023 law, which is certificate-based. It can still be evidence that the parties agreed, as a matter of contract law between them, but it will not satisfy a requirement that a document be signed electronically, and it will not be accepted where an authority is involved. This is a real change from the 2005 position and worth checking before relying on old advice.
Which digital signature providers are used in Vietnam?
Licensed public certification providers include VNPT-CA, Viettel-CA, FPT-CA, BKAV-CA and others on the ministry list. Vietnamese businesses generally already have one, because e-invoicing and social insurance filings require it.
Can a foreign company sign a Vietnamese contract electronically?
Between two private parties, yes, and a signature with a strong audit trail evidences the agreement. Where the contract has to be filed, notarised or presented to an authority, expect the Vietnamese digital signature requirement to apply, and take local advice on that specific filing.