HCMC – A series of laws, decrees and circulars across planning, investment, technology, real estate and finance-banking will come into force from March 1, directly having an impact on the business landscape in general and enterprises in particular.
Modernizing planning and unblocking investment bottlenecks
Passed on December 10, 2025 by the National Assembly, Law No. 112/2025/QH15 on Planning overhauls the national, regional, provincial, and urban-rural planning systems by simplifying procedures, enhancing decentralization and eliminating regulatory overlaps.
Notably, the law introduces an adjustment process for special or urgent projects that may deviate from existing plans, allowing for immediate investment decisions followed by a streamlined review. Furthermore, the previous sequential planning process is replaced by a simultaneous approach, significantly reducing administrative lead times. To combat stalled projects, land-use plans that have remained idle for over five years must now be adjusted or revoked.
The 2025 Investment Law
The 2025 Investment Law shifts the regulatory focus from “pre-inspection to “post-inspection.”
Foreign investors can now establish enterprises before securing specific projects, provided they meet market access conditions. The list of conditional business sectors has been narrowed. Requirements for project adjustments are waived for changes in total capital under 20% or previously appraised technologies. The law expands “special investment procedures” and abolishes the requirement for investment policy approval for outward investments (investing abroad).
Establishing a legal framework for artificial intelligence (AI)
Law No. 134/2025/QH15 on Artificial Intelligence adopts a risk-based approach, categorizing AI systems into high, medium and low risks.
The legislation governs the entire AI lifecycle – from design and training to market distribution. It mandates a “human-centric” approach, ensuring AI does not replace human authority or responsibility. Operators must maintain control over all AI-generated decisions. The law strictly prohibits the use of AI to infringe upon legal rights, manipulate perception, or cause serious societal harm.
Digital identification for real estate
Decree No. 357/2025/ND-CP introduces a mandatory Electronic Identification Code (e-ID) for real estate products.
Each condo or individual house will be assigned a unique alphanumeric code (up to 40 characters) within the national database. Local departments of construction are responsible for issuing these codes simultaneously with the notification that a future-formed housing project is eligible for sale. This system also extends to real estate brokers and property management units to ensure market transparency.
Streamlined licensing for foreign representative offices
Decree No. 62/2026/ND-CP slashes the processing time for establishing representative offices of foreign cooperative and research organizations from 30 days to a maximum of 14 working days. Applications can now be submitted online via the National Public Service Portal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required to provide initial feedback on file validity within one working day.
Strict penalties in road and archiving
Decree No. 336/2025/ND-CP imposes fines up to VND150 million for organizations and VND75 million for individuals for violations related to road infrastructure and maintenance.
Effective from March 8, Decree No. 31/2026/ND-CP introduces fines up to VND30 million for the unauthorized access, sharing, or destruction of archival documents, particularly those used for defamation or infringing upon national security.
Business accounts and digital safety
Circular 25/2026/TT-NHNN by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) regulates that the names of payment accounts for household businesses must strictly match their business registration certificates, rather than using an individual’s name.
Circular 77 by the SBV mandates that banks upgrade their biometric authentication to ISO 30107 Level 2 standards to prevent deepfake and AI-driven fraud. Financial institutions are also required to implement stricter lifecycle management for mobile banking applications.
