Electronic Enterprise Registration Certificate in Hanoi: New Regulations from 2025

When carrying out the procedure for enterprise establishment registration, the competent authority of business registration will issue an Enterprise Registration Certificate. Currently, alongside the paper version, many localities have implemented the issuance of electronic Enterprise Registration Certificates, including Hanoi, which will apply this from April 15, 2025. In the article below, Viet An Law Firm will provide clients with information about the electronic Enterprise Registration Certificate in Hanoi: New Regulations from 2025.

Current form of Enterprise Registration Certificate

According to Clause 15, Article 3 of the Law on Enterprises 2020:

“Enterprise Registration Certificate means a physical or electronic document bearing enterprise registration information provided for the enterprise by a business registration authority.”

Thus, the Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) is a document issued either in paper form or electronic form, which records the enterprise registration information granted by the business registration authority to an enterprise.

According to Article 28 of the Enterprise Law 2020, the Enterprise Registration Certificate includes the following main contents:

• The enterprise’s name and EID number;
• The enterprise’s headquarters address;
• Full name, signature, mailing address, nationality, and legal document number of the legal representative (for limited liability companies and joint stock companies), each partner (for partnerships), and the owner (for sole proprietorships).
• Full name, mailing address, nationality, and legal document number of each member that is an individual; name, EID number, and headquarters address of each member that is an organization (for limited liability companies);
• The charter capital (or investment capital if the enterprise is a sole proprietorship).

Electronic Enterprise Registration Certificate in Hanoi: New Regulations from 2025

By Official Letter 16/ĐKKD-TTHT dated January 16, 2024, from the Business Registration Management Agency (Ministry of Planning and Investment) regarding the implementation of digital signatures on the Enterprise Registration Certificate, many localities have now started issuing electronic Enterprise Registration Certificates. For example, in Binh Duong, from February 11, 2025, the Department of Planning and Investment of Binh Duong will officially implement digital signing on the ERC.

This initiative aims to further promote administrative reform and improve the efficiency of public service delivery for citizens and enterprises.

For Hanoi City:

• In compliance with the request from the Department of Finance, the Business and Corporate Finance Registration Office will implement digital signing of ERCs starting April 15, 2025, as committed to the Department’s leadership.
• Relevant agencies are also instructed not to require businesses to submit printed copies of the ERC but to verify information through the National Enterprise Registration Database.

Note on the new name of the Business Registration Authority in Hanoi

Previously, the Business Registration Office under the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment was the authority responsible for receiving and issuing ERCs.

However, under the consolidation resolution of Hanoi City, the Department of Planning and Investment has been merged with the Department of Finance to become the Department of Finance. Accordingly, the Business Registration Office has been merged into the Business and Corporate Finance Registration Office.

Therefore, currently, the competent authority to issue business registration certificates in Hanoi is the Business and Corporate Finance Registration Office under the Hanoi Department of Finance.

Legal validity of electronic Enterprise Registration Certificates

According to Article 5 of Decree 30/2020/ND-CP, the legal validity of electronic documents is as follows: An electronic document carrying the legally required digital signature affixed by a competent person or an entity shall have legal value the same as an original paper document. Therefore, the electronic administrative procedure resolution results issued by competent authorities carry the same legal validity as those in paper form.

The electronic resolution of administrative procedures must ensure:

• Full reflection of the contents as prescribed;
• Digital signature of the authority resolving the administrative procedure;
• Integrity of data, authenticity, non-repudiation, and compliance with the Law on Electronic Transactions;
• Synchronization into the electronic data management repository of organizations and individuals on the National Public Service Portal, following a unified structure, including: Administrative procedure dossier code – KQ(n), where n is the ordinal number of the result for administrative procedures with multiple results.

Time limit for issuing electronic Enterprise Registration Certificates

According to Article 33 of Decree 01/2021/ND-CP:

“Article 33. Time limit for issuing the enterprise registration certificate and the certificate of changes to the enterprise registration information

1. The Business Registration Office shall issue the enterprise registration certificate and certificate of changes to enterprise registration information, and update enterprise registration information on the National Enterprise Registration Database within 03 working days from the receipt of a satisfactory application.”

Thus, whether the ERC is issued in paper form or electronically, the issuance time is still 3 working days from the date of receipt of a valid application.

Guidelines for digitally signing the Enterprise Registration Certificate

According to the guidelines from the Business Registration Administration, the enterprise registration system allows the Head of the Office to choose the method of digital signature for the ERC on the screen:

Option 1: Manual signing on the paper ERC. The Head of the Business Registration Office creates a printed version of the ERC (without a digital signature) for manual signing and stamping outside the system, similar to the current process.

Option 2: Digital signing on the electronic ERC.

• The Head of the Office clicks the “Digital Sign” button. The system displays the [Digital Signature Checkbox for ERC].
• The Head digitally signs using their digital signature: They select the display position of the signature, enter the digital signature password, and complete the signing process (Session 1).

Then, the Office’s organizational digital signature is applied: The authorized person selects the display position of the signature, enters the digital signature password, and completes the organizational signing process (Session 2).

Notes:

• The digital signature process must be completed on the same day.
• Both digital signatures must be applied on the same day to complete the ERC signing process.
• If the Office Head clicks the approval button but does not complete the signing on the same day, the paper issuance process must be followed the next day, and digital signing will not be possible.
• If the Business Registration Office wants to check the digital signature status of an ERC, staff can go to the “Enterprise List” and filter by the “Digital Signature Status” criterion.

Results:

• The system saves the digitally signed ERC, allows downloading of the digitally signed version, and hides the print button for unsigned ERCs when digital signing is completed.
• If the Office downloads the enterprise’s document history for digitally signed applications, for signed applications, the signed version is downloaded; for unsigned applications, the version is as currently issued.

Above is the advice of Viet An Law on the issue of the electronic Enterprise Registration Certificate in Hanoi: New Regulations from 2025. Clients who have related questions or need legal support, please contact Viet An Law Firm for the best support!