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Vietnam is moving through one of its most sweeping legal update cycles in years. From land and housing reforms to personal data protection and digital transactions, the changes affect almost every business sector. Many provisions have been brought into force ahead of schedule, forcing companies to adjust compliance strategies sooner than expected. Below is a closer look at the key new regulations shaping the business landscape.
1. Land, Housing and Real Estate
From 1 August 2024, the Land Law 2024, Housing Law 2023, and Real Estate Business Law 2023 took effect earlier than planned, accompanied by new decrees on land prices (Decree 71/2024) and compensation and resettlement (Decree 88/2024). These reforms overhaul valuation methods toward market-based pricing, tighten rules for off-plan sales with a 5% cap on deposits, and restructure resettlement obligations. Developers and investors are already recalculating project feasibility under the new valuation regime.
2. Banking and Credit Institutions
The amended Law on Credit Institutions, effective 1 July 2024, imposes stricter cross-ownership caps and lowers single-borrower exposure limits. It also strengthens governance requirements and introduces clearer resolution frameworks for troubled banks. Financial institutions must reassess ownership structures and group lending arrangements, while related-party transaction monitoring is expected to intensify.
3. Non-Cash Payments
Decree 52/2024, in force from 1 July 2024, marks Vietnam’s first formal recognition of e-money and refines licensing and compliance requirements for payment intermediaries such as e-wallet providers and payment gateways. Enhanced KYC procedures, transaction limits, and consumer protection obligations now apply, compelling both banks and fintechs to revisit terms of service and operational controls.
4. Telecommunications, Data Centers and Cloud Services
The Telecommunications Law 2023, together with Decree 163/2024, extends regulation to data centers, cloud services, and over-the-top communications. While much of the decree took effect in December 2024, the new compliance framework for data center and cloud providers has applied since 1 January 2025. Licensing, notification obligations, service quality standards, and cybersecurity measures are now mandatory for service providers targeting the Vietnamese market.
5. Internet Services and Online Information
Decree 147/2024, effective late 2024, consolidates rules on the provision and use of internet services, including those delivered cross-border. The decree formalizes obligations for local contact points, content moderation, and notice-and-takedown procedures, extending compliance expectations to foreign-based platforms serving Vietnamese users.
6. E-Transactions and Digital Signatures
The Law on E-Transactions 2023 and its implementing Decree 137/2024 took effect on 1 July 2024, giving full legal equivalence to electronic transactions across all sectors. Trust services and digital signatures now enjoy formal recognition, including those from foreign providers under certain conditions. Businesses are updating contract execution workflows and retention systems to ensure audit-ready digital records.
7. Consumer Protection in the Digital Age
The new Law on Protection of Consumer Rights, effective 1 July 2024, significantly raises the bar for online traders and intermediary platforms. It introduces the concept of “vulnerable consumers,” mandates influencer disclosure standards, and strengthens recall and reporting obligations. E-commerce operators and brands engaging in digital marketing must overhaul disclosure practices and complaint-handling systems.
8. Personal Data Protection Law 2025
Passed in June 2025 and effective from 1 January 2026, the Personal Data Protection Law introduces comprehensive rules on data processing, cross-border transfers, and breach notification. Small enterprises and startups receive a five-year grace period for certain governance duties such as data protection impact assessments and the appointment of data protection officers, but must still comply with core processing rules from day one.
9. VAT Reform and Extended Rate Cut
An amended VAT Law will take effect on 1 July 2025, clarifying the 0% rate for on-spot exports and imposing VAT obligations on foreign e-commerce and digital service providers. Separately, the temporary 2% VAT rate cut has been extended through the end of 2025. Exporters, retailers, and online platforms are re-examining supply chains, tax registration, and ERP coding to adapt to the revised rules.
10. Stricter E-Invoice Controls
2025 brings new e-invoice requirements, with an emphasis on point-of-sale integration, real-time reporting, and sector-specific compliance pilots. The reforms aim to close gaps in tax reporting and standardize invoicing processes. Retailers, F&B operators, and exporters face new timelines for adjusting invoice templates and linking transaction systems to tax authority platforms.
11. Global Minimum Tax Implementation
Vietnam has joined the global minimum tax regime, applying a 15% top-up tax from 1 January 2024 to multinational enterprises with consolidated revenues of at least EUR 750 million. The Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax mechanism will operate alongside international rules under Pillar Two, requiring affected groups to run jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction effective tax rate calculations and adjust investment structures accordingly.
12. Minimum Wage Adjustment
From 1 July 2024, Decree 74/2024 increased region-based monthly and hourly minimum wages by roughly 6%, ranging from VND 4.96 million to VND 3.45 million per month. Employers are revising payroll floors, collective agreements, and overtime pay calculations to reflect the higher thresholds.
13. Foreign Employee Rules Overhauled
Decree 219/2025, in force from August 2025, replaces previous work-permit regulations and streamlines the process by merging labor-demand reports into permit filings. It also limits work-permit extensions to a single renewal of up to two years and adjusts exemption categories. Employers must review long-term staffing plans and ensure exemption claims align with the updated criteria.
14. Social Insurance Expansion
The amended Social Insurance Law 2024 takes effect on 1 July 2025, expanding mandatory coverage to more categories of workers, refining pension and lump-sum withdrawal rules, and introducing stricter penalties for late or evaded contributions. Employers need to update HR policies, revise contribution schedules, and communicate changes clearly to affected employees.
15. New Price Management Framework
The Price Law 2023 and its implementing decrees took effect on 1 July 2024, redefining the scope of state-priced goods, setting clearer valuation methods, and revising procedures for price registration and notification. Companies in regulated sectors and valuation service providers must align internal processes and reporting systems with the new legal forms and requirements.
