The People's Committee at the commune level is authorized to certify documents issued by foreign countries.
The government issued Decree No. 07/2025/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of decrees in the fields of civil registration, nationality, and authentication.
Decree No. 07/2025/ND-CP amends and supplements point a, clause 2, Article 5 of Decree No. 23/2015/ND-CP on the authority and responsibility of the People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns for certification.
Accordingly, the People's Committee at the commune level has the authority and responsibility to certify copies from original documents issued or certified by competent agencies and organizations of Vietnam; competent agencies and organizations of foreign countries; and competent agencies and organizations of Vietnam in collaboration with competent agencies and organizations of foreign countries.
Thus, instead of only certifying documents issued by Vietnamese agencies, Decree No. 07/2025/ND-CP has added the authority and responsibility of commune-level People's Committees to certify copies from original documents issued or certified by competent foreign agencies or organizations.
Electronic ID cards can be presented to authenticate contracts and transactions.
Clause 1, Article 36 of Decree No. 23/2015/ND-CP stipulates that when carrying out procedures for notarizing contracts and transactions, the person requesting notarization must submit a copy of their valid National Identity Card or Passport.
The above regulations have been amended and supplemented by Decree No. 07/2025/ND-CP, allowing those requesting authentication to simply present their electronic identity card to authenticate contracts and transactions. Specifically, Decree No. 07/2025/ND-CP stipulates as follows:
The person requesting authentication must present the original or a certified copy of their Identity Card/Citizen ID Card/Citizen ID Card/Certificate of Identity or Passport, entry/exit documents/international travel documents that are still valid, or present an Electronic Identity Card and submit one set of authentication request documents, including the following documents:
a) Draft contracts and transactions;
b) A copy accompanied by the original for verification of the certificate of ownership, right of use, or other legally prescribed substitute documents for assets that are legally required to be registered for ownership or right of use, in cases where the contract or transaction relates to such assets; except in cases where the testator is facing a life-threatening situation.
