The new policy takes effect in August 2026

New Regulations on Administrative Penalties for Violations in Animal Husbandry

On June 16, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 211/2026/NĐ-CP regulating administrative penalties in the livestock sector. The decree takes effect on August 5, 2026.

The new decree establishes strict financial penalties to tighten market discipline, with maximum fines of up to VND 100 million for individuals and VND 200 million for organizations.

Notably, violations related to the business operations, production, and import/export of livestock breeding stock, animal feed, and waste treatment products will be subject to a two-year statute of limitations for penalties.

In addition, violating businesses must also face supplementary sanctions such as revocation of licenses, suspension of business operations, and mandatory recall, recycling, or destruction of non-compliant products, while also having all illegal profits derived from the violations confiscated.

Incentives and Bidding Costs for Investor Selection

The Government has issued Decree No. 274/2026/NĐ-CP, which provides detailed regulations on certain provisions and enforcement measures under the Bidding Law regarding the selection of investors for business investment projects. The Decree takes effect on August 21, 2026.

The Decree clearly stipulates financial incentives for investors applying high-tech or green technology (eligible for a 5% incentive) or committing to technology transfer (eligible for a 2% incentive) when evaluating bid proposals.

In addition, the Decree standardizes the cost limits for investor selection: the cost of preparing the bidding documents is capped at VND 200 million (equal to 0.05 % of the total investment capital); the cost of evaluating bids is capped at VND 200 million (equal to 0.03 %); and the cost of resolving objections shall not exceed VND 200 million. The maximum price for the electronic version of an international bidding document is capped at VND 30 million.

New Regulations on Duty-Free Goods Business

The Government issued Decree No. 273/2026/NĐ-CP on July 7, 2026, regarding the operation of duty-free goods. One of the notable new provisions of Decree No. 273/2026/ND-CP is the regulation facilitating the purchase of duty-free goods through the use of electronic data from national and specialized databases.

According to Clause 6 of Article 5 of Decree No. 273/2026/ND-CP, when purchasing duty-free goods, if the buyer’s information has been linked and shared from the National Population Database or specialized databases, the buyer is not required to present paper copies of documents containing such information.

This provision applies to cases eligible for duty-free purchases under Decree No. 273/2026/ND-CP, including: outbound and transit passengers; inbound passengers; passengers on international flights; persons entitled to preferential treatment or exemptions; and crew members working on ships operating on international routes.

Under the previous regulation in Article 3 of Decree 100/2020/ND-CP, when purchasing duty-free goods, each category of eligible individuals was required to present documents to prove their eligibility.

This Decree shall take effect on August 21, 2026.

"Tightening" management and accurately calculating illegal profits from land violations

The Government has issued Decree No. 281/2026/ND-CP, amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No. 123/2024/ND-CP dated October 4, 2024, which regulates administrative penalties for violations in the land sector.

The Decree clearly stipulates that all illegal profits derived from the unauthorized use of land must be fully remitted to the state budget. In cases where multiple parties jointly violate regulations on a single parcel of land, the financial liability shall be divided equally among them; it also allows for the deduction of any amounts previously paid by the violators into the state budget.

In addition, the Decree raises the maximum fine imposed by the Chairperson of a commune-level People’s Committee to VND 250 million and by department-level or inspection team officials to VND 400 million. The provision imposing fines ranging from 2 to VND 3 million for late registration of land-use changes remains in effect, except in cases where land use rights are acquired through an agreement to implement an investment project.

The Decree takes effect on August 31, 2026.

Starting August 15, warning fines will be imposed on vehicles transporting children without appropriate safety equipment

The Government issued Decree No. 238/2026/ND-CP on June 26, 2026, amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No. 168/2024/ND-CP dated December 26, 2024, which stipulates administrative penalties for violations of traffic order and safety in the field of road transportation; as well as the deduction and reinstatement of driver’s license points.

One of the notable provisions of Decree No. 238/2026/ND-CP is the addition of Clause 1a before Clause 1 of Article 6 of Decree No. 168/2024/ND-CP regarding penalties for transporting children in a vehicle without using safety equipment. Accordingly, a warning penalty shall be imposed on drivers of motor vehicles who transport children under 10 years of age and less than 1.35 meters in height without using appropriate safety equipment for children as prescribed (excluding commercial passenger transport vehicles).

This Decree takes effect on August 15, 2026.

Effective January 1, 2028, contract vehicles must share transportation contract data with the Ministry of Public Security

The Government issued Decree No. 218/2026/ND-CP on June 19, 2026, amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No. 158/2024/ND-CP dated December 18, 2024, regulating road transport activities.

In particular, Decree No. 218/2026/ND-CP adds Clauses 11 and 12 to Article 7 of Decree No. 158/2024/ND-CP, which pertain to the connection and sharing of data regarding the contents of passenger transportation contracts. Accordingly, effective January 1, 2028, passenger transport businesses operating under contract must connect to and share data regarding the contents of passenger transport contracts with the Ministry of Public Security (Traffic Police Department) prior to commencing a trip. Data from the Ministry of Public Security’s (Traffic Police Department) system is utilized to support patrol, inspection, and other related operations; data is also shared with the Ministry of Construction (Vietnam Road Administration), the Ministry of Finance (Tax Department, Customs Department), and provincial People’s Committees (Department of Construction) to support state management functions in accordance with their respective roles and responsibilities.

This Decree takes effect on August 10, 2026.

Starting August 1, bringing laptops, cell phones, or smartwatches into court sessions without authorization is prohibited

This is a notable provision in Circular No. 12/2026/TT-TANDTC on courtroom and meeting regulations, as well as the recording of statements and the videotaping of proceedings during court sessions and meetings.

Article 4 of Circular No. 12/2026/TT-TANDTC states that devices capable of transmitting, collecting, processing, storing, or exchanging information or digital data—such as phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, and other devices with video recording capabilities into the courtroom or meeting room, unless expressly authorized by the presiding judge or the chairperson of the meeting.

The use of electronic devices to access case files, documents, or evidence; conduct online proceedings; or record audio or video of court proceedings or meetings involving litigation participants must be carried out under the supervision of the judge.

Audio recordings are made during court sessions and hearings. Video recordings at court sessions and hearings may only be made during the opening of the session or hearing and during the pronouncement of the verdict or the announcement of a decision.

Audio recording during court sessions or meetings, as well as video recording of the bench and judges during the opening of court sessions or meetings and the pronouncement of verdicts or the announcement of decisions, must be approved by the presiding judge of the court session or the chairperson of the meeting.

The circular officially takes effect on August 1.

Expanding the Legal Framework for Financial Leasing and Digitizing Credit Transactions

The State Bank of Vietnam has issued Circular No. 31/2026/TT-State Bank of Vietnam, which details the financial leasing activities of comprehensive financial companies and financial leasing companies. The circular takes effect on August 15, 2026.

The new legal framework represents a breakthrough by officially including “property rights” such as software, data, exploitation rights, and intellectual property in the list of assets eligible for financial leasing. At the same time, the document defines the mechanism for electronic financial leasing and establishes a simplified approval process for small-value leases under VND 400 million, enabling businesses to more easily access medium- and long-term capital for technological and machinery upgrades.

This policy promises to drive the growth of the financial leasing market and support the optimization of working capital and fixed assets for businesses in the digital economy.

PL