A number of important laws, decrees, and circulars effective from March 2026
WVR - Starting March 2026, a number of important laws, decrees, and circulars related to the economic sector will take effect, impacting areas such as planning, investment, technology, real estate, finance – banking, directly influencing the business environment and corporate activities.
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| Starting March 2026, several important laws, decrees, and circulars related to the economic sector will take effect. |
Improving planning institutions, addressing investment "bottlenecks"
Approved by the National Assembly on December 10, 2025, Law No. 112/2025/QH15 – the Planning Law, effective from March 1, 2026, regulates the national, regional, provincial, urban, and rural planning systems. It aims to simplify procedures, enhance decentralization, and address overlapping planning issues.
The law allows investment decisions for special, urgent projects that differ from current plans, followed by a streamlined review and adjustment process to resolve investment activity obstacles.
The planning process is revamped to allow simultaneous implementation of various types of planning, rather than sequentially as before, while also reducing administrative procedures in planning adjustments.
Additionally, the law strengthens decentralization in approving, organizing, and managing planning; it addresses "suspended planning" situations by requiring adjustments or cancellations if land use plans are not implemented within five years, in accordance with land law regulations.
The 2025 Investment Law introduces more liberal changes
Approved by the National Assembly on December 11, 2025, the 2025 Investment Law, effective from March 1, 2026, introduces numerous changes towards a more liberal and transparent investment business environment.
Accordingly, the law significantly reduces the number of conditional business sectors, narrows pre-approval requirements, and shifts many fields to post-approval checks. Foreign investors can establish businesses before having a project, provided they meet market access conditions.
The law also specifically lists projects requiring investment policy approval; simplifies project adjustment procedures, and removes the requirement for adjustments when total capital changes by 20% or more or when pre-assessed technology changes.
Moreover, the law expands special investment procedures; allows for adjusting project operation timelines during implementation; abolishes the requirement for overseas investment policy approval and broadens the scope for project transfers.
Establishing a legal framework for artificial intelligence
Approved by the National Assembly on December 10, 2025, Law No. 134/2025/QH15 – the Artificial Intelligence Law, effective from March 1, 2026, will classify AI systems into three risk levels: high, medium, and low, serving as a basis for applying corresponding management mechanisms.
The law regulates the entire AI lifecycle, from design, training, testing to market deployment and application in professional, commercial, and service activities. AI must be human-centered, ensuring human rights, privacy, national security, and legal compliance.
The law emphasizes that AI does not replace human authority and responsibility. Operators must maintain control and the ability to intervene in all AI-generated decisions, ensuring system safety and data security. It also strictly prohibits exploiting AI to infringe on rights, deceive, manipulate perceptions, or cause significant societal harm.
Managing real estate with electronic identification codes
On December 31, 2025, the government issued Decree No. 357/2025/NĐ-CP on building and managing information systems and databases on housing and the real estate market, effective from March 1, 2026.
According to Clause 5, Article 3 of the decree, electronic identification codes for real estate products apply to housing and floor areas in construction projects. This code is a string of numbers and letters, up to 40 characters, assigned to each apartment (condominium, individual house) or real estate in a project and managed within the national data system.
The Department of Construction is responsible for assigning electronic identification codes to housing in development projects in the area at the same time as issuing documents confirming eligibility for selling future-formed housing.
The decree also stipulates electronic identification codes for condominium management units, real estate brokerage practice certificates, and individuals benefiting from housing support policies.
Streamlining procedures for establishing foreign representative offices
On February 13, 2026, the government issued Decree 62/2026/NĐ-CP amending and supplementing several articles of Decree 06/2005/NĐ-CP on the establishment and operation of representative offices of foreign cooperation and research organizations in Vietnam. The decree takes effect from March 1, 2026.
The decree adds an online application submission method for establishing representative offices through the National Public Service Portal, alongside direct or postal submissions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within one working day of receipt, the competent authority must check the completeness and validity of the application and request supplements if needed; simultaneously issuing a receipt and scheduling result delivery when the application is valid.
The processing time for procedures is shortened to a maximum of 14 working days, instead of 30 days as before. In case of refusal to grant a license, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must respond in writing, stating the reasons.
Administrative violations in road activities fined up to 150 million VND
Government Decree No. 336/2025/NĐ-CP issued on December 22, 2025, on administrative penalties in road activities, effective from March 1, 2026, stipulates administrative penalties in road activities, with a maximum fine of up to 150 million VND.
The decree clearly defines violations, forms of penalties, remedial measures; authority to make records, impose penalties, and organize enforcement in the road traffic sector. The maximum fine for individuals is 75 million VND, and for organizations, it is 150 million VND.
Specifically, violations regarding the use of land for road infrastructure are fined from 500,000 VND to 20 million VND; violations in managing, operating, and maintaining shared facilities are fined 6-15 million VND; construction within the infrastructure protection scope is fined 1-20 million VND; violations in managing and protecting infrastructure are fined 100,000 VND to 5 million VND.
Fines up to 30 Million VND for violations in the archival sector
Government Decree No. 31/2026/NĐ-CP issued on January 21, 2026, on administrative penalties in the archival sector, effective from March 8, 2026, with a maximum fine of up to 30 million VND.
Acts such as unauthorized access, copying, sharing of archival documents; providing, transferring, destroying, selling, or appropriating documents; damaging, losing documents; using documents to fabricate, defame, insult dignity, honor… without reaching the level of criminal liability will be fined from 20 to 30 million VND.
New regulations on bank account names for business households
According to Circular 25/2026/TT-NHNN of the State Bank, from March 1, 2026, for payment accounts of organizations – including business households, the account name must reflect the organization's name as per the establishment license, establishment decision, business registration certificate, or other legal documents proving the organization's establishment and operation.
Accordingly, for business households opening and using payment accounts for business activities, the account name must be consistent with the business household name on the Business Registration Certificate or corresponding legal documents as per legal regulations. For individual payment accounts, the account name must be established according to the individual's full name as shown on the legal identification documents used when opening the account.
Tightening digital banking security to reduce fraud fisks
The State Bank has added stricter technical requirements for Online Banking and Mobile Banking services, in line with international safety standards. This is a new regulation under Circular 77 issued by the State Bank, effective from March 1, 2026.
The new circular sets forth a series of more stringent technical requirements, focusing on protecting customer assets and preventing fraud in the digital environment. One notable aspect is raising the standard for biometric spoofing detection. Accordingly, banks' biometric authentication solutions must meet international standard ISO 30107 level 2, to counter increasingly sophisticated spoofing methods, including the use of artificial intelligence. Additionally, credit institutions are required to strictly manage the lifecycle of Mobile Banking applications.
