To obtain an adhesive composition excellent in storage stability, having a uniform and a matte state of film after drying, excellent in water resistance and suitable as the adhesive for undercoating of wall paper by containing a vinyl acetate-based emulsion and hydrophobia silica at a specific ratio.

This adhesive for undercoating to form a surface layer of wall paper is obtained by containing 100 pts.wt. of a vinyl acetate-based emulsion such as a monomer emulsion of a vinyl acetate monomer or a copolymer emulsion of a vinyl acetate monomer and another polymerizable monomer, and 2-10 pts.wt. of hydrophobia silica having preferably 1.8-3.5μm, especially 2.0-3.0μm average particle diameter.