Vietnam Expands VNeID Access for Foreigners Under Decree 320

Vietnam will broaden access to electronic identification accounts for foreign nationals from 28 September 2026. Decree No. 320/2026/ND-CP removes the former account-level distinction, introduces a unified in-person registration process and requires specified electronic transaction accounts to be linked to verified electronic identities. Foreign-invested companies should identify affected personnel and digital accounts before the new rules take effect.

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On 13 August 2026, the Vietnamese Government issued Decree No. 320/2026/ND-CP, amending Decree No. 69/2024/ND-CP on electronic identification and authentication. The decree takes effect on 28 September 2026.

The changes are relevant to foreign employees, executives, directors and legal representatives who use Vietnam’s National Identification Application, known as VNeID. They also affect organisations and users operating electronic transaction accounts in specified sectors, including banking, securities, telecommunications, e-commerce, electronic invoicing and social media.

What changes under Vietnam’s Decree 320/2026?

Decree 320 makes four principal changes affecting foreign nationals and businesses:

• It extends eligibility for a foreign electronic identification account to foreigners who lawfully enter or lawfully reside in Vietnam.
• It removes the former Level 1 and Level 2 classifications for foreign electronic identification accounts.
• It establishes one in-person registration procedure for foreign applicants.
• It requires electronic transaction accounts in specified sectors to be linked and authenticated with an electronic identification account.

Under the previous framework, foreign electronic identification accounts were generally available to holders of valid temporary or permanent residence cards and were divided into two levels. Decree 320 replaces this with a unified foreign account that is not classified by level.

Issue	Previous framework	Decree 320 framework
Eligibility	Foreign nationals holding a valid temporary or permanent residence card	Foreign nationals who lawfully enter or lawfully reside in Vietnam
Account structure	Level 1 and Level 2 accounts	One account without level classification
Registration	Online registration for Level 1; in-person registration for Level 2	One in-person registration procedure
Biometric information	Required for a Level 2 account	Facial image and fingerprints collected during registration
Processing period	One, three or seven working days, depending on the account and available data	Two or five working days, depending on whether biometric data are already available

Who can obtain a VNeID account as a foreigner in Vietnam?

From 28 September 2026, a foreign national who lawfully enters or lawfully resides in Vietnam may request an electronic identification account. A temporary or permanent residence card is no longer stated as the eligibility threshold.

This wider wording could bring foreign personnel without a residence card within the statutory framework. However, eligibility does not mean that an account will be issued automatically. An applicant must complete the prescribed procedure, and the authorities must verify the applicant’s identity against the National Database on Immigration.

Companies should therefore avoid interpreting the amendment as confirmation that every short-term visitor will immediately be able to obtain and use VNeID. The Ministry of Public Security may need to provide further operational guidance on applicants who have lawfully entered Vietnam, but whose information or biometric records are limited in the immigration database.

How can foreign nationals register for VNeID from 28 September 2026?

Foreign applicants must complete the registration procedure in person at the immigration authority under the provincial-level police.

The prescribed process is as follows:

1. Visit the immigration authority (under the provincial police): The applicant presents a passport or another international travel document of equivalent validity.
2. Complete Form TK01: The applicant provides complete and accurate information, including a registered mobile telephone number, an email address if available and any additional information requested for integration into VNeID.
3. Provide biometric information: The receiving officer captures the applicant’s facial image and fingerprints for verification against the National Database on Immigration.
4. Install and access VNeID: Officials guide the applicant through downloading the application and completing the required information.
5. Receive the result: The registration result is sent through VNeID, the registered mobile telephone number or the applicant’s registered email address.

Foreign nationals under 14, persons under guardianship and other legally represented persons must attend with their representative or guardian. The representative or guardian uses their registered mobile number to complete the application.

How long does VNeID registration take for foreign applicants?

The statutory processing period depends on whether the applicant’s biometric information is already available in the National Database on Immigration:

Applicant’s biometric information	Maximum processing period
Facial image and fingerprints already available	2 working days
Facial image and fingerprints not available	5 working days

These are statutory processing periods following submission to the electronic identification system. Foreign applicants should still allow additional time to obtain an appointment, correct inconsistent records or address any problems with their passport, telephone number or immigration data.

What can foreigners do with a unified VNeID account?

A foreign electronic identification account can be used to access electronic identity information and other information shared, integrated or updated from national and specialised databases.

Subject to the relevant systems being connected, account holders can use VNeID to:

• Log in and authenticate their identity;
• Integrate, store, manage and share electronic information and documents;
• Access connected applications, software and public services;
• Submit and receive the results of administrative procedures electronically; and
• Conduct supported electronic transactions.

Decree 320 also encourages the use of electronic identification accounts for transactions involving credit, telecommunications, transport, e-commerce, import and export activities, and other essential services.

The practical availability of each function will depend on whether the relevant authority, database or service platform has completed its connection to the electronic identification and authentication system.

Do users still need to submit documents already integrated into VNeID?

Decree 320 strengthens the legal use of information and documents integrated into VNeID.

When handling administrative procedures, public services, civil transactions or other activities, agencies, organisations and individuals must use electronic identity information and documents already integrated into the application. They must not ask an individual or organisation to resubmit or present the original or a copy of an integrated document.

This rule could reduce duplicate documentation, but only where the relevant information has been successfully integrated and remains current. Companies should verify the record displayed in VNeID instead of assuming that every eligible document has already been connected.

Decree 320 adds extensive lists of documents that may be integrated into the application. Immigration-related records include ordinary passports, visas, visa-exemption documents, temporary residence cards and permanent residence cards. The Government’s implementation summary states that the appendices cover 66 types of documents for individuals and 140 types for agencies and organisations.

Which digital accounts must be linked to electronic identification accounts?

Decree 320 requires electronic transaction accounts on digital platforms serving the following fields to be linked and authenticated with electronic identification accounts:

• Education;
• Digital literacy;
• Securities;
• Telecommunications;
• Banking;
• E-commerce;
• Electronic invoices;
• Transport businesses;
• Tourism businesses;
• Pharmaceuticals;
• Medical examination and treatment; and
• Social networks operating in Vietnam.

For e-commerce, the provision expressly covers sellers, livestream sellers and affiliate marketers under the Law on E-Commerce.

Accounts on digital platforms serving national defence, security and cross-border services must also be linked and authenticated before use once the platforms satisfy the required conditions and are connected to the national electronic identification and authentication system.

The wording is broader than a requirement imposed solely on platform operators. Businesses should assess both the platforms they operate and the electronic transaction accounts they maintain or assign to employees in the covered fields.

What are the VNeID account-linking deadlines?

The transitional deadlines apply to covered electronic transaction accounts created before Decree 320 takes effect:

Account or platform	Compliance deadline
Existing covered electronic transaction accounts outside banking	31 December 2026
Existing covered electronic transaction accounts in banking	30 June 2027
National digital platforms integrating electronic identification for authentication, login and transactions	31 December 2026

The decree establishes the underlying linkage obligation from 28 September 2026 and gives existing accounts the transitional deadlines above. Businesses should seek platform-specific instructions on the technical process, particularly for newly created accounts and services that have not yet completed their connection to the national system.

How does Decree 320 affect foreign-invested companies?

The decree has implications beyond individual immigration administration.

First, more foreign employees and executives may be able to obtain VNeID accounts. This could make it easier for eligible personnel to access electronic public services and complete supported administrative procedures.

Second, companies may need to review who controls electronic transaction accounts used for banking, securities, telecommunications, e-commerce, electronic invoicing, transport, tourism and other covered activities. Accounts assigned informally to a departing employee or an individual whose authorisation is no longer current may create compliance and operational risks.

Third, personal electronic identification accounts remain distinct from organisational electronic identification accounts. A company should determine whether a process requires the identity of the employee or representative, the organisation’s electronic identity, or both. Organisations established or registered to operate in Vietnam may request their own electronic identification accounts without a level classification.

Finally, the greater use of verified identity data raises data-governance considerations. Access to and use of information in the electronic identification system must comply with personal data protection, cybersecurity and confidentiality requirements. The decree also restricts the sharing of integrated information with third parties unless the data subject requests it or another law permits it.

What should employers do before the new VNeID rules take effect?

Foreign-invested companies should take the following actions:

1. Map affected personnel: Identify foreign employees, directors, executives and legal representatives who use or may need VNeID.
2. Update onboarding instructions: Remove outdated references to foreign Level 1 and Level 2 accounts and to residence cards as the sole eligibility criterion.
3. Check registration information: Confirm that each applicant has an appropriate registered mobile number and that their passport and immigration records are consistent.
4. Inventory digital accounts: List electronic transaction accounts used in the covered sectors and record the responsible user, account owner and internal authorisation.
5. Separate personal and organisational access: Determine which procedures use an individual’s VNeID account and which require the organisation’s electronic identification account.
6. Contact platform providers: Request their implementation timetable and instructions for account linkage and authentication.
7. Review data controls: Ensure that identity information is accessed, stored and shared in accordance with Vietnam’s personal data protection and cybersecurity requirements.

What implementation issues should foreign businesses monitor?

Decree 320 creates the legal framework, but its practical impact will depend on implementation by immigration authorities, database managers and digital platforms.

Businesses should monitor:

• How eligibility is applied to lawful entrants who do not hold residence cards;
• Appointment and registration arrangements at provincial immigration authorities;
• The availability of immigration and corporate documents in VNeID;
• Technical instructions issued by banks and other covered platforms;
• The treatment of newly created electronic transaction accounts after 28 September 2026; and
• Further guidance from the Ministry of Public Security on enforcement and system connectivity.

The immediate priority is to identify the people and accounts affected by the reform. Companies should then update internal procedures before the decree takes effect and complete the necessary account-linking work within the applicable transition period.