Electronic labour contracts in Vietnam

Are electronic labour contracts legal in Vietnam?

Yes. The Labour Code recognises three forms of labour contract — written, electronic and (only for a term under one month) oral — and an electronic contract concluded as a data message carries the same legal validity as a written one.1 The lawfulness of an e-contract was never in doubt; the 2026 development is procedural. Decree 337/2025/ND-CP sets up a national Electronic Labour Contract Platform and, from 1 July 2026, requires any electronic labour contract to be concluded through it.2

The nuance most summaries get wrong is worth stating plainly: using an electronic contract is optional — paper contracts remain valid — but if you do use one, the platform is compulsory. For the wider contract rules (term types, probation, notice) see Vietnam labour law and employment contracts.

The three forms a Vietnamese labour contract can take

Article 14 of the Labour Code 2019 sets out the permitted forms. The choice of form (written, electronic or oral) is separate from the choice of term, indefinite or fixed — a fixed-term contract can be concluded in either the written or electronic form.

What is Decree 337/2025 and the national platform?

Decree 337/2025/ND-CP was issued on 24 December 2025 and came into force on 1 January 2026.2 It prescribes how electronic labour contracts are concluded and managed, and it establishes a national Electronic Labour Contract Platform developed and operated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA).23 The platform is to be operational no later than 1 July 2026, and the electronic-contract-conclusion provisions apply from that date.2

From 1 July 2026 an e-contract is no longer a PDF signed privately; it passes through a certified provider and is registered centrally — one of several 2026 employer updates, summarised in what changed for employers in Vietnam in 2026.

Optional to use, but compulsory on-platform if used

Two separate questions sit behind this, and they have different answers:

• Must you use an electronic contract at all? No. Choosing the electronic form is optional. A written paper contract remains fully valid, and there is no mandatory conversion.2
• If you use an electronic contract, must it be on the platform? Yes. From 1 July 2026, any electronic labour contract used must be concluded and performed under Decree 337 — created and signed via a certified e-contract service provider connected to the national platform.24

So the accurate framing is not “the platform is encouraged, not compulsory”: the choice to go electronic is optional, but once you do, an off-platform e-contract from 1 July 2026 would not meet the decree.

How does an on-platform e-contract work? The 24-hour upload

Decree 337/2025 routes e-contracts through certified providers connected to the MoHA platform. The core obligation is a short upload window and a central identifier — once signed, the contract must reach the platform within 24 hours to be assigned a contract ID:24

1. Choose a certified provider

   Use an electronic-contract service provider that is certified and connected to the national Electronic Labour Contract Platform.

2. Conclude and sign electronically

   Employer and employee create and sign the contract as a data message through that provider — the same content as a paper one.

3. Upload within 24 hours

   Within 24 hours of the final signature, the provider transmits the signed contract to the national platform.

4. Receive the contract ID

   The platform records the contract and assigns it a contract ID — a central reference for verification.

Because the contract becomes a central record, e-signing and the HR data captured fall under Vietnam's data-protection regime — see the PDPL and HR data in Vietnam for consent, notice and transfer rules.

Do paper employment contracts still work in Vietnam?

Yes. Decree 337/2025 does not abolish the paper contract or force anyone onto the platform. A labour contract signed on paper in two copies — one per party — remains a fully valid form under Article 14, and there is no mandatory conversion of paper contracts to electronic ones.12

For many employers the paper form stays the simplest option; the choice is practical, not legal. Whichever form you use, the content must satisfy the Labour Code, and larger employers must keep registered internal labour regulations consistent with it.

How EOR Vietnam handles contracting

As an employer of record in Vietnam, EOR Vietnam signs the labour contract through a Vietnam-registered employing entity, so the choice of form is one we manage for you. We conclude it as a paper contract in two copies or, where you prefer, as a compliant on-platform electronic contract via a certified provider — either route is equally valid.

Contracting is covered by our flat service fee: US$149 per employee per month for Vietnamese nationals, the same fee regardless of salary, role, location or headcount, as of October 2026. There are no setup, onboarding, offboarding, contract or payslip fees, and no hidden fees — drafting and signing the contract, in whichever form, is part of the service. Foreign nationals who need a Vietnamese work permit are quoted separately, because the work-permit and residence-card handling differs by case.

A refundable security deposit equal to two months of the employee's employment cost (gross salary plus statutory employer contributions) is held for the engagement and returned at the end, less any unpaid amounts. Gross salary, the roughly 23.5% statutory employer contributions and any statutory or agreed payments are passed through at cost. Every quote names the employing entity and is priced in Vietnamese dong; request a costed EOR Vietnam quote and we will set up a compliant contract, through to lawful notice and severance on termination.

For how contracting fits the wider service, see the EOR Vietnam overview, or browse the full set of Vietnam employer guides.