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August 2026

Aug 21, 2026121/2026/TT-BTCOverdue

Circular 121/2026/TT-BTC: Updated Forms for Business and Household Business Registration

Vietnam's Ministry of Finance has issued Circular No. 121/2026/TT-BTC dated August 21, 2026, amending several forms in Appendix I of Circular No. 68/2025/TT-BTC, which sets out the forms used for business and household business registration. The Circular replaces nine forms: the business registration application forms for private enterprises, single-member limited liability companies, multi-member limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and partnerships (Forms 1 through 5); the list of beneficial owners of an enterprise (Form 10); the application to register changes to enterprise registration content (Form 12); the notice of temporary suspension or early resumption of business (Form 27); and the notice of enterprise dissolution (Form 30). It also repeals Form 11. This is a technical, form-only update. The revised templates add or adjust data fields, such as personal identification numbers, beneficial ownership details, and social insurance payment method options, to align with the updated business registration rules under Decree No. 168/2025/ND-CP as amended by Decree No. 296/2026/ND-CP. Businesses, household businesses, and business registration service providers must use the new forms when filing applications from the effective date onward. A transitional clause allows applications already submitted but not yet approved by the provincial business registration authority before the effective date to continue being processed under the prior forms and rules, provided they meet the conditions set out in those earlier documents. The Circular takes effect on August 21, 2026.

July 2026

Jul 21, 2026288/2026/ND-CPOverdue

Decree 288/2026/ND-CP Amends Administrative Penalties for Business Registration and Investment Violations

Decree 288/2026/ND-CP, issued on 21 July 2026 and effective immediately from its signing date, amends Decree 122/2021/ND-CP on administrative penalties for violations in the planning and investment sector, covering business and cooperative registration. The most significant change introduces new penalties tied to «beneficial owner» disclosure requirements. Enterprises established before 1 July 2025 that fail to supplement beneficial-owner information the next time they update their business registration face fines of up to VND 100 million. Failing to register or notify changes to beneficial-owner information carries fines of VND 30-70 million, while incomplete beneficial-owner disclosure upon a request from authorities triggers fines of VND 20-30 million. The decree also raises and tiers penalties for late registration of changes to the Enterprise Registration Certificate (from a warning for 1-10 days late up to VND 50-60 million for delays over 91 days), adds violations for failing to properly maintain member/shareholder registers, for failing to retain corporate records including the beneficial-owner list, and for cooperatives failing to maintain member registers. It also repeals Article 49 and certain points of Article 50 of the original decree. Businesses, cooperatives, and anyone involved in beneficial-ownership reporting chains should review their registration files now, particularly beneficial-owner data, to avoid exposure under these new and increased penalty levels.

April 2026

Apr 10, 202623/VBHN-BCTOverdue

Consolidated Document No. 23/VBHN-BCT: Form Templates for Representative Offices and Branches of Foreign Traders in Vietnam

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has issued Consolidated Document No. 23/VBHN-BCT (certified March 30, 2026), merging Circular No. 11/2016/TT-BCT with three rounds of amendments (Circular 03/2024/TT-BCT, 38/2025/TT-BCT, and 15/2026/TT-BCT) that set out the form templates used for licensing procedures for Representative Offices and Branches of foreign traders in Vietnam. The document does not introduce new substantive licensing conditions; it consolidates the 14 currently valid forms (applications, licenses, activity reports, and termination notices). The most significant practical change is a shift in licensing authority. Since July 1, 2025, the power to receive and process applications for issuing, re-issuing, adjusting, and extending Branch establishment licenses, as well as handling Branch termination, has been decentralized from MOIT down to the provincial People's Committee where the Branch is headquartered (previously handled directly by MOIT). Branch license applications (Forms MD-5, MD-6, MD-7) must now be submitted to the provincial People's Committee rather than to MOIT. Provincial People's Committees must also report annually to MOIT before February 28 using the newly added Form BC-4. Foreign traders that already operate, or plan to establish, a Representative Office or Branch in Vietnam should use this consolidated form set for any new filing, submit Branch-related applications to the provincial People's Committee rather than MOIT, and ensure that license information is updated on the MOIT web portal (www.moit.gov.vn) within 15 days of any issuance, re-issuance, adjustment, extension, or revocation.

March 2026

Mar 1, 20261233/VBHN-BNGOverdue

Consolidated Decree on Establishment and Operation of Representative Offices of Foreign Cooperation and Research Organizations in Vietnam (VBHN-BNG)

This is Consolidated Document No. 1233/VBHN-BNG, certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 27 February 2026, merging Decree No. 06/2005/ND-CP (effective 10 February 2005) with the amending Decree No. 62/2026/ND-CP (effective 1 March 2026). It governs the conditions, dossiers, and procedures for issuing, amending, extending, and revoking Licenses for Representative Offices of foreign non-profit cooperation and research organizations in Vietnam - meaning units under a foreign ministry, agency, or local government that carry out non-profit programs in science, technology, natural resources and environment, health, or social fields. It does not cover commercial trade representative offices or foreign cultural and educational organizations. Notable changes introduced by Decree 62/2026/ND-CP include: allowing dossiers to be filed online through the National Public Service Portal; shortening and clarifying processing timelines (one working day to check dossier validity, and a maximum of 14 working days to grant or refuse a License); and adding an entirely new chapter (Chapter IIIa, Articles 14a-14d) that introduces a mandatory annual periodic reporting regime for the Representative Office, its Vietnamese managing agency (a ministry, sector, or provincial People's Committee), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with specific data cut-off dates and submission deadlines. Regarding business impact, this decree primarily concerns foreign non-profit cooperation and research bodies (not ordinary foreign-invested enterprises) and the Vietnamese state agencies that partner with them, so it has limited direct relevance to typical SME tax, accounting, or customs practice. The existing tax and customs incentives are unchanged: import duty exemption for equipment and vehicles needed for the office's operations, and personal tax preferences for the head and foreign staff of the Representative Office. Accountants or advisers serving such foreign cooperation or research organizations in Vietnam should note the new reporting deadlines.

July 2023

Jul 1, 202313/2026/VBHN-QĐ-BKHCNOverdue

Consolidated Text 13/2026/VBHN-BKHCN on Certificates for Encouraged Technology Transfer

The Ministry of Science and Technology has published Consolidated Text 13/2026/VBHN-BKHCN, merging the original Prime Minister's Decision 12/2023/QD-TTg (effective 1 July 2023) with amending Decision 02/2026/QD-TTg (effective 8 January 2026, part of the Ministry's administrative-simplification program). It governs the authority, application dossier, and procedure for issuing, reissuing, and amending the Certificate of Encouraged Technology Transfer - a document required for investment projects that receive technology under the government's List of Encouraged Technologies, particularly projects seeking special investment incentives under Article 20 of the Investment Law. The Ministry of Science and Technology issues the certificate for projects whose investment policy falls under the authority of the National Assembly or the Prime Minister, or projects eligible for special investment incentives; provincial science and technology departments handle all other local projects. Applicants (the technology transferor or transferee) submit a dossier - application form, the technology transfer agreement, a technical explanation, an implementation report, and corporate legal documents - only after the technology has actually been deployed and has produced output. The 2026 amendment significantly shortened processing: 2 working days to check dossier completeness, 3 days to form the advisory evaluation council, 5 days for the council to meet, and 2 days for the final decision. It also removed one dossier item and replaced three application forms (Forms 01, 08, 09), letting receiving agencies pull data from existing government databases instead of requiring businesses to resubmit documents already on file. For SMEs and foreign investors receiving or planning to receive advanced technology transfers, this certificate is the mandatory legal basis for qualifying for special investment incentives. The streamlined procedure cuts waiting time and compliance cost, but businesses must use the updated application forms introduced by Decision 02/2026/QD-TTg when filing for a new, amended, or reissued certificate.