Online services, e-signatures, and biometric IDs are transforming daily life—and tightening controls
Vietnam’s digital transformation is no longer just policy talk. It’s real, and it’s sweeping across banks, villages, and government offices at a speed that’s catching even some of its neighbors off guard. In just the last few months, biometric tech has started reshaping the way people bank, while nearly 40% of all government administrative work moved fully online by June.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
From Hanoi to hamlets, digital government is going full throttle
At the heart of this push is a huge effort to digitize Vietnam’s public services. During a recent top-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, officials revealed a striking update: almost 40% of admin tasks are now handled end-to-end online.
What used to require queues, stamps, and hours in sweaty government buildings can now—at least for many—be done in minutes on a screen.
Even more telling? Out of 84 national government entities, 73 have switched to data-driven management systems. That’s no small feat.
Biometrics clean up banking—and raise the bar for trust
Banks have jumped in, and not just with flashy apps. Biometric authentication is quickly becoming standard.
Fingerprint scans. Facial recognition. Voice matching. These tools are helping banks verify identities in real time and clean up legacy systems where fraud and duplicate accounts once thrived.
One banker in Ho Chi Minh City put it bluntly: “We used to spend weeks untangling identity messes. Now, a selfie and a scan can do it in minutes.”
Of course, the flip side of all this speed and efficiency is scrutiny. Digital IDs and biometric tools also tighten the net of surveillance—a concern civil rights advocates continue to raise. But in a country prioritizing stability and central control, that tradeoff seems widely accepted.
e-Signatures gain traction, especially among urban adults
Digital signatures—once a clunky novelty—are now mainstream. As of June, one in three adults in Vietnam has their own personal e-signature or digital identity credential.
That marks an 11-percentage-point jump since just December 2024. And the pace doesn’t seem to be slowing.
There’s a clear reason why: these signatures are becoming a requirement for things like:
-
Opening a new bank account
-
Registering property transactions
-
Applying for business licenses
-
Filing taxes
In a country where bureaucracy has long been a way of life, the ability to skip forms and stamps is proving too tempting to ignore.
Broadband reaches the last mile—and then some
Connectivity is another piece of the puzzle—and it’s getting solved quickly. As of July, mobile broadband reaches an astonishing 99.3% of Vietnam’s villages and hamlets.
Here’s how that compares on the global stage:
| Metric | Vietnam Ranking |
|---|---|
| Mobile broadband speed | 20th in the world |
| Fixed broadband access | 26th globally |
It’s not just access—it’s usable, fast access. And it’s making sure digital services aren’t just for the cities. Even remote farming communities now have the bandwidth to tap into e-government tools and mobile banking.
Just one year ago, that would’ve sounded like a pipe dream.
Project 06: The digital backbone nobody’s heard of (yet)
Much of Vietnam’s transformation stems from one initiative: Project 06.
Quietly launched but heavily funded, this program focuses on creating a unified resident data system, along with national e-identification and e-authentication platforms.
It’s not just about streamlining services. It’s about building a digital ecosystem where every citizen has a verified identity that links across:
-
Banking
-
Healthcare
-
Taxation
-
Education
-
Travel and immigration
For many users, it starts with registering an e-ID through their local police office or bank. Once approved, this ID unlocks multiple services—no paperwork needed.
A government advisor said during the July meeting, “We want to build trust in the system, and trust starts with knowing who is who.”
The money is following the ambition—big time
The government isn’t just cheering from the sidelines. It’s pouring serious cash into the digital revolution.
So far, VND25 trillion (around $954 million) has been earmarked for science, tech, innovation, and digital transformation efforts. That’s covering everything from broadband infrastructure to cybersecurity.
One standout project is a newly launched National Portal for Science and Technology. It features over 250 proposals from public and private sectors—ideas ranging from AI in traffic management to blockchain use in agriculture.
Whether all of them get traction remains to be seen, but the pipeline is clearly brimming.
Urban, rural, and in between: who benefits, who lags?
The rollout, while impressive, isn’t perfect. Urban centers like Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City are sprinting ahead. Smaller towns are catching up. But the true test lies in deep rural pockets where digital literacy is low and device access is spotty.
There’s also a generational gap. Younger Vietnamese adapt easily. Older citizens, especially outside metro zones, often rely on their children or neighbors to manage their digital identities.
But awareness is growing. At schools, temples, and farmers’ markets, posters and announcements nudge people to register for e-IDs. In some areas, even monks have helped older devotees enroll.
A digital nation with rising speed—and rising stakes
Vietnam now ranks in the global top 30 for broadband and digital reach, something unimaginable just five years ago.
What was once a paper-pushing state is now increasingly paperless.
And while privacy questions still linger, few doubt that the direction is set. Biometrics, e-signatures, and always-on connectivity are fast becoming part of Vietnamese daily life—from the rice fields to the boardrooms.
