Tiếng Việt
中文Short answer: Establishing a Notary Office involves 02 steps: (1) obtaining an establishment approval decision from the provincial-level People’s Committee (20 days); (2) registering operations with the Department of Justice within 90 days from the date of the decision (10 working days to be issued the Operation Registration Certificate). A Notary Office operates under the partnership model and must have at least 02 partner notaries (Articles 22 and 23 of the Law on Notarization 2024).
Legal basis
- Law on Notarization 2024 (Articles 22, 23), effective from 1 July 2025.
Step 1: Apply for the establishment approval decision
Dossier (Clause 1, Article 23) submitted to the provincial-level People’s Committee:
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- An application for establishment of the Notary Office;
- An establishment proposal: stating the necessity of establishment; the proposed organization, name, personnel, head office location, physical conditions, and implementation plan;
- Copies of the appointment decisions of the notaries participating in the establishment.
Time limit: within 20 days from the date of receipt of a complete dossier, the provincial People’s Committee decides to permit establishment; in case of refusal, it must notify in writing and state the reasons.
Step 2: Register operations with the Department of Justice
Time limit: within 90 days from the date of receipt of the establishment approval decision, the Notary Office must register its operations with the Department of Justice of the locality that issued the decision.
Dossier (Clause 4, Article 23):
- An operation registration application;
- Documents proving a head office consistent with the establishment proposal;
- Practice registration dossiers of the partner notaries and contract-based notaries (if any).
Time limit: within 10 working days from the date of receipt of a complete dossier, the Department of Justice issues the Operation Registration Certificate; in case of refusal, it must notify in writing and state the reasons. A Notary Office may conduct notarization activities from the date it is issued the Operation Registration Certificate.
Conditions for organizing a Notary Office
- Partnership model; at least 02 partner notaries; no capital-contributing members;
- The Head of the Office is a partner notary who has practiced notarization for at least 02 years;
- The name includes the phrase “Notary Office” together with the surname and name of the Head of the Office (or another partner notary as agreed);
- Having a head office satisfying the conditions prescribed by the Government; the seal does not bear the national emblem.
Frequently asked questions
What if operations are not registered within 90 days?
The establishment approval decision may effectively expire; the founding notaries need to re-apply for permission. Operation registration should be completed within the statutory time limit.
To establish a Notary Office in the correct order, you should contact ANT Legal’s lawyers at 0966.475.966 for dossier review and advice before proceeding.
