NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PASSES LAW AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE NOTARY LAW: KEY PROVISIONS
1. General Information
On the afternoon of April 23, 2026, at the First Session of the 16th National Assembly, the National Assembly officially passed the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Notary Law with a high approval rate (489 out of 491 deputies, equivalent to 97.8%). The Law will take effect on January 1, 2027.
This amendment aims to improve the legal framework for notary services, meet the requirements of judicial reform, decentralize management, and promote digital transformation in the judicial support sector.
2. Expanding Notarial Authority – Benefiting Citizens and Businesses
One of the key new provisions is the expansion of notarial authority beyond jurisdictional boundaries for transactions not directly related to real estate.
Specifically, transactions such as:
- Power of attorney contracts
- Deposit Agreement
- Contract Assignment
can be notarized at any notary public office, without being limited by administrative boundaries. This regulation helps reduce costs, save time, and increase flexibility for parties involved in transactions.
3. Promoting decentralization and devolution of authority in notary management
The amended law moves toward significantly decentralizing authority to localities, specifically:
- The authority to appoint notaries is transferred from the Minister of Justice to the Chairperson of the Provincial People’s Committee.
This aligns with current administrative reform trends and helps enhance local authorities’ autonomy in managing the notary public workforce.
4. Promoting Digital Transformation and Building a Notary Public Database
The Law emphasizes the requirement to establish and improve the notary database in the following directions:
- Synchronization
- Connection and sharing with other databases
This is considered a crucial foundation for enhancing the effectiveness of public administration, while also supporting the development of electronic notarization and online public services in the future.
5. Other Important Amendments
In addition to the above provisions, the Law also:
- Clarifies the provisions regarding the form of notarization (to be performed in writing);
- Improve regulations on notary practice organizations and notary officer standards;
- Enhance transparency, accountability, and the quality of notary services.
6. Assessment and Impact
The adoption of the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Notary Law is expected to:
- Enhance the effectiveness of notarial activities, in line with the increasingly diverse nature of transactions;
- Facilitate matters for citizens and businesses, particularly in civil and commercial transactions;
- Accelerating digital transformation in the judicial sector, contributing to the modernization of the administrative system.
The 2026 Amendment to the Notary Law marks a significant step forward in perfecting the notary system in Vietnam, with a focus on decentralization – flexibility – digitization. This will serve as a crucial legal foundation for enhancing the quality of notary services and meeting the demands of economic and social development in the new phase.
