Decree 337/2025: Electronic Employment Contracts Are as Valid as Paper - What Employers in Vietnam Must Do from 1 July 2026

• 24 Dec 2025 – Decree 337/2025 issued
• 1 Jan 2026 – Decree in force
• 1 Jul 2026 – National platform live
• 24 hours – Deadline to send to platform

📋 What is Decree 337/2025 and what is an electronic employment contract?

On 24 December 2025, Vietnam's Government issued Decree 337/2025/ND-CP on electronic employment contracts, effective 1 January 2026. It is the first regulation that fully sets out how employers and employees in Vietnam can conclude employment contracts entirely online.

💡 Definition (Article 3.1): an electronic employment contract is an employment contract concluded as a data message and has the same legal value as a paper employment contract.

In practice: instead of printing, hand-signing, stamping and filing, the employer and employee sign digitally on a computer or phone. The contract is certified, assigned an ID on the national platform and carries the same legal weight as paper.

4 key dates

1. 24 Dec 2025 – Decree 337/2025/ND-CP issued: Sets the legal value, signing conditions and national platform for electronic employment contracts.
2. 1 Jan 2026 – Decree takes effect: Electronic employment contracts are fully recognized under the new framework.
3. 15 May 2026 – Ministry of Home Affairs issues Circular 08/2026/TT-BNV: Detailed guidance on contract IDs, platform accounts, eContract connections and data retention.
4. 1 Jul 2026 – National e-employment contract platform goes live: The platform had to be operational by this date (Article 28 of the Decree) and Circular 08/2026 took effect. From now on, every electronic employment contract must be sent to the platform to receive an ID.

📄 Decree 337/2025/ND-CP (Vietnamese original) – Full text of the decree on electronic employment contracts - Word file (.docx). Tải về

⚖️ Are electronic employment contracts mandatory from 1 July 2026?

Several Vietnamese news headlines said "mandatory from 1 July 2026", which worried many employers. Two points need to be read correctly:

✅ Switching is not mandatory

Article 4 of the Decree encourages electronic contracts in place of paper ones - it does not require them. Existing paper contracts remain valid and do not need to be re-signed.

⚠️ But electronic contracts must follow the rules

From 1 July 2026, an electronic employment contract must be signed through a qualified eContract provider and sent to the national platform for an ID. Contracts signed by email, chat apps or software not connected to the platform do not qualify under Decree 337.

🌏 For foreign-invested companies: the Decree applies to employers and employees concluding contracts under Vietnam's 2019 Labor Code, including FDI companies and representative offices hiring in Vietnam. HR teams should check that their regional HR or e-signature tools are actually connected to Vietnam's national platform - global e-signature services alone are not enough.

⚙️ How does an electronic employment contract work?

The system has three parts:

• 🏛️ The national e-employment contract platform (run by the Ministry of Home Affairs): stores contract data nationwide, issues a unique ID for each contract and supports lookups and state management.
• 📱 eContract providers: software for drafting, digitally signing, timestamping, certifying and storing contracts. Employers work with the eContract provider and do not need to use the national platform directly.
• 👥 The contracting parties: the employer (company or household business) and the employee - both sign digitally and verify their electronic identity.

Signing process from 1 July 2026

• 1 – Who: Employer; What happens: Drafts the contract on the eContract system with all content required by Article 21 of the 2019 Labor Code
• 2 – Who: Employer; What happens: Signs digitally (digital signature with timestamp)
• 3 – Who: Employee; What happens: Receives a notice, reviews the content, verifies identity and signs digitally
• 4 – Who: eContract; What happens: Certifies the contract and sends it to the national platform within 24 hours of the last signature (Article 6.4)
• 5 – Who: Platform; What happens: Issues a unique contract ID; both parties receive the contract with its ID

How to read the contract ID

Under Circular 08/2026/TT-BNV, each contract sent to the platform receives one unique ID made of 1 letter + 12 digits. The ID never changes when the contract is amended, suspended or terminated; appendices and related notices share the contract's ID.

A · 26 · 0000000000

• A: contracts concluded electronically from 1 July 2026
• B: paper contracts converted to electronic form
• C: electronic contracts concluded before 1 July 2026
• The next 2 digits are the last two digits of the year the ID is issued; the remaining 10 digits are system-generated.

✅ Conditions for a valid electronic employment contract

Under Articles 6 and 7 of Decree 337/2025, a valid electronic employment contract needs all four elements:

1. Electronic identity verification of both parties: Individuals use a level-2 VNeID account; companies use an organizational electronic identity account. Nobody may sign on another person's behalf.
2. Digital signatures of both parties: Signatures must meet Vietnam's e-transaction rules. For employees without a USB token, remote signing lets them sign directly on their phone.
3. A timestamp attached to each signature: Each signature carries a timestamp from a Timestamping Authority (TSA), preventing disputes about when the contract was signed.
4. Data message certification by the eContract provider: The provider certifies the integrity of the contract, then sends it to the platform for an ID.

📌 When does the contract take effect? Under Article 7, from the moment the last party signs digitally (with timestamp and eContract certification), unless the parties agree otherwise. Receiving an ID does not change the signing time or effective date.

📊 Paper vs electronic employment contracts

📄 Paper contract

• ❌ Print, hand-sign, stamp and file hard copies
• ❌ Easily lost or damaged over time
• ❌ Hard to retrieve during inspections or disputes
• ❌ Employee must be present to sign
• ✅ No devices or electronic accounts needed

💻 Electronic contract (Decree 337/2025)

• ✅ Signed on a computer or phone, no printing
• ✅ Data kept on the platform for 10 years after the last contract ends (Circular 08/2026)
• ✅ Looked up and verified by ID
• ✅ Remote signing for branches and distant staff
• ✅ Same legal value as paper
• ❌ Requires e-identity, digital signatures and an eContract provider

🔄 Converting paper contracts to electronic

Article 8 of the Decree allows conversion between paper and electronic contracts. To convert a paper contract:

1. Digitize the exact original content: The electronic version must fully match the signed paper contract, including appendices.
2. An authorized signatory of the employer signs digitally: The legal representative or an authorized person signs and takes responsibility for the accuracy of the conversion.
3. Send to the platform for a type-B ID: Converted contracts receive an ID starting with B and have the same value as the original when e-transaction rules are met.

⚠️ Electronic contracts signed before 1 July 2026: under Circular 08/2026/TT-BNV, eContract providers help the parties review the contract, add any missing digital signatures and timestamps, and send it to the platform; these contracts receive an ID starting with C. If you signed electronically before, ask your provider for guidance.

🏢 What should employers do now?

The platform has been live since 1 July 2026. If you want to sign employment contracts electronically, take these 5 steps in order:

1. Complete electronic identity: The legal representative and employees activate level-2 VNeID; the company registers an organizational electronic identity account. This is required to log in and verify identity when signing.
2. Choose an eContract provider connected to the platform: Ask the provider to confirm it has completed the connection procedure with the Ministry of Home Affairs platform and holds a data message certification license.
3. Set up digital signatures and timestamps: The company uses an organizational digital signature; employees can use remote signing on their phones. Make sure the eContract system integrates a timestamping (TSA) service.
4. Standardize your contract template under the Labor Code: Include all mandatory content in Article 21 of the 2019 Labor Code: job, workplace, term, salary, working hours, social, health and unemployment insurance, etc. The salary stated must match actual payments.
5. Link it to HR and social insurance processes: After signing, register employees for compulsory social insurance on time. Keep the contract ID in the HR file for inspections.

🔗 Electronic contracts and compulsory social insurance

Since 1 July 2025, the Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15 requires compulsory social insurance (BHXH) for employees on contracts of 1 month or longer. An electronic contract with a national ID provides clear evidence for this obligation:

• Law on Social Insurance 41/2024/QH15 – Requirement: Contracts of 1 month or more require compulsory social insurance; Benefit of an electronic contract: Signing date and salary are clearly recorded and searchable by ID
• Labor Code 2019 – Requirement: Contracts must include the content in Article 21; Benefit of an electronic contract: Standard eContract templates prevent missing clauses
• Decree 337/2025 + Circular 08/2026 – Requirement: Electronic contracts must be sent to the platform for an ID; Benefit of an electronic contract: Data kept for 10 years, fewer lost documents and disputes

💡 During an inspection: a contract with a national ID proves exactly when the employment relationship began, which determines from which month social insurance is due - avoiding disputes over earlier months.

❓ FAQ on Decree 337/2025

Do electronic employment contracts have the same legal value as paper contracts in Vietnam?

Yes. Under Article 3.1 of Decree 337/2025/ND-CP, an electronic employment contract concluded in line with the Decree has the same legal value as a paper employment contract.

Are employers required to use electronic contracts from 1 July 2026?

No. Article 4 of the Decree only encourages electronic contracts; paper contracts remain valid. However, if you sign electronically, you must use a qualified eContract provider and send the contract to the national platform for an ID.

What is needed to sign an electronic employment contract?

(1) Electronic identity (level-2 VNeID for individuals, an organizational e-identity account for companies); (2) digital signatures with timestamps from both parties; (3) an eContract provider connected to the platform; (4) contract content that meets Article 21 of the 2019 Labor Code.

How can employees sign without a USB token?

With remote signing: the signing key is held in the provider's HSM, and the employee verifies their identity and signs directly on a phone - no device plugged into a computer.

Do existing paper contracts have to be converted?

No. Existing paper contracts continue as normal. If you choose to convert (Article 8), the electronic version must match the original, be digitally signed by an authorized person and be sent to the platform for a type-B ID.

What does the contract ID mean?

Under Circular 08/2026/TT-BNV, each contract has one ID of 1 letter (A, B or C) plus 12 digits that never changes during the contract's life. It is used for lookup, verification and management, and does not change the contract's effective date.

📰 Legal basis and sources

• Decree 337/2025/ND-CP (24 Dec 2025) on electronic employment contracts - thuvienphapluat.vn
• Circular 08/2026/TT-BNV (15 May 2026) guiding Decree 337/2025 - thuvienphapluat.vn
• National e-employment contract platform officially live from 1 July 2026 - luatvietnam.vn
• Guidance on electronic employment contracts from 1 July 2026 - nhandan.vn
• Labor Code 2019 (Articles 14, 21) · Law on E-Transactions 2023 · Law on Social Insurance 41/2024/QH15 - thuvienphapluat.vn

ℹ️ For reference only, based on regulations in force as of October 2026 (sources in Vietnamese). Before rollout, confirm details with your eContract provider and local labor authority.