Decree 320/2026 Sets VNeID Linkage Deadlines for Online Accounts

Decree 320/2026 on VNeID linkage is the rule that turned Vietnam’s national digital identity app from a convenience into a requirement for millions of online accounts. Signed on 13 August 2026 and in force from 28 September 2026, Decree 320/2026/ND-CP amends Decree 69/2024/ND-CP on electronic identification and authentication. Its central demand is simple to state and large in scope: electronic transaction accounts on digital platforms in eleven listed fields must be linked to and authenticated with an electronic identification account — the account people use in the VNeID app — by 31 December 2026, with banking accounts given until 30 June 2027. This article explains who is covered, what the deadlines are, and what businesses should do now. Please note: this is an unofficial English summary for general information. The Vietnamese text of the decree is authoritative, and this article is not legal advice.

Which accounts must be linked

Article 19 of the decree adds Clauses 9 and 10 to Article 40 of Decree 69/2024, and Clause 9 lists the fields where linkage is mandatory. The eleven fields are education, digital literacy, securities, telecommunications, banking, e-commerce, e-invoicing, transport business, tourism business, pharmaceutical business and medical examination and treatment, and social networks operating in Vietnam. In e-commerce, the rule names sellers, livestream sellers, and affiliate marketers — not buyers. A securities trading account, a telecom account, a seller account on a marketplace, and a social media account used in Vietnam all fall within scope.

Two further categories sit alongside the eleven. Electronic transaction accounts on digital platforms serving defence, security, and cross-border services must be linked before use, where the platform meets the requirements and is connected to the e-identification system. For other fields, ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies will issue specific lists of online transactions that require linkage before use. The direction is clear: verified identity is becoming the default condition for doing business online in Vietnam, not an optional extra.

The three deadlines to know

Article 20 of the decree sets out the timetable, and there are three dates that matter. First, national digital platforms must integrate the use of electronic identification accounts for authentication, login, and transactions between agencies, organisations, and individuals no later than 31 December 2026. Second, electronic transaction accounts in the eleven fields — except banking — that were created before the decree took effect must be linked and authenticated no later than 31 December 2026. Third, banking accounts created before the effective date have a longer window: they must be linked no later than 30 June 2027.

One detail deserves attention: accounts created on or after 28 September 2026, the date the decree took effect, get no grace period. A new account in a listed field falls under the linkage requirement from the moment it is created. For platforms, that means the VNeID link needs to be part of the signup flow, not a reminder sent months later. For users, it means keeping the VNeID app working: since 28 September 2026, an electronic identification account can be automatically locked if the phone number registered to it has changed and is no longer registered under the account holder’s name, or if the underlying identity card is blocked.

Who can hold an electronic identification account

Decree 320 also widens who can get an account. Vietnamese citizens aged six or older who hold a valid citizen identity card or identity card may request a level-1 or level-2 electronic identification account. Citizens under six who hold an identity card may request a level-1 account. Foreigners who lawfully enter or reside in Vietnam may request an account without the old distinction between levels, and organisations established or registered in Vietnam may also be issued an account upon request, without classification by level.

The decree adds practical features as well. Documents and information already integrated into VNeID — such as birth certificates, passports, visas, vehicle registrations, and driving licences — must be used by agencies and organisations handling administrative procedures, rather than requiring the holder to present the same original or copy again. A new social security benefit account inside the app lets holders link a payment account, e-wallet, or mobile money account to receive pensions, support payments, and other lawful disbursements. Private platforms reach the e-identification system through a licensed e-authentication service provider, under a plan approved by the system operator.

What businesses should do before the deadlines

For a business with accounts in the listed fields, the work breaks into four steps. First, make an inventory: list every platform account the business holds — marketplace seller accounts, livestream accounts, affiliate accounts, securities and telecom accounts, social media pages — and mark which ones fall in the eleven fields. Second, check that the people behind those accounts have working VNeID accounts at the right level, and that the registered phone numbers are current and in their names. Third, follow the linking instructions each platform publishes; the link is made between the platform account and the electronic identification account, so the process differs from one service to another. Fourth, build the link into onboarding for new accounts, since accounts created after 28 September 2026 must be linked from the start.

Two cautions are worth stating plainly. The decree itself does not set out penalties or restrictions for accounts that miss the deadline, and no separate penalty schedule had been published at the time of writing — but platforms may still restrict unlinked accounts, and further guidance is expected. Also, the linkage requirement does not change the identity checks that already exist: commercial livestreaming still requires verification with a personal identification number under Decree 147/2024 on online platforms, and the handling of the personal data involved is governed by the data protection rules explained in our guide to Decree 13/2023. For the broader story of how Vietnam’s digital identity system works, see VNeID, the one app for identity and public services, and for a comparison with another country’s approach, Estonia’s once-only principle and X-Road.

What this means

Decree 320/2026 makes VNeID linkage a deadline-driven obligation, not a future ambition: 31 December 2026 for most accounts in the eleven listed fields and for national digital platforms, 30 June 2027 for banking, and immediate linkage for accounts created after 28 September 2026. The practical work is unglamorous — inventory, check phone numbers, follow each platform’s linking steps, fix onboarding — but it is the work that keeps seller accounts, trading accounts, and business pages running into 2027. Start with the accounts that earn money, and do not leave the check until December.