Nguyen Danh Cong – Partner
Le Huu Tien – Junior Associate
Building upon the reform spirit and the principles for reducing investment and business conditions under Resolution No. 66.17/2026/NQ-CP dated 15 May 2026 of the Government (“Resolution 66.17”), on 24 August 2026, the National Assembly passed Law No. 24/2026/QH16 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Investment, which will take effect from 01 March 2027 (“Amended Law on Investment 2026”). Accordingly, this marks the next step in the process of removing market-entry barriers by further reducing the List of conditional investment and business sectors and trades from 142 to 137 sectors and trades.
Previously, Resolution 66.17 reduced and amended 56 conditional investment and business sectors and trades under Law on Investment No. 143/2025/QH15, thereby reducing the number from 198 to 142 sectors and trades. The Amended Law on Investment 2026 continues to institutionalize this policy direction by removing two additional sectors and trades, namely the purchase and sale of goods and activities directly related to the purchase and sale of goods by foreign service suppliers in Vietnam, and petroleum activities; consolidating activities of a similar nature in the fields of education and unmanned aircraft; adjusting the scope of certain sectors and trades relating to customs locations and pension fund management; and adding visa issuance support services provided by authorized business establishments to the list.
For the sectors and trades removed under the Amended Law on Investment 2026, organizations and individuals may conduct business activities in such removed sectors and trades without being required to satisfy the applicable investment and business conditions. If so desired, licenses, certificates or written approvals already issued may continue to be used until the expiry of their respective validity periods without having to undergo procedures for re-issuance, amendment or renewal. For applications that have been validly received but for which results have not yet been issued, the competent authorities will notify the applicants of the discontinuation of processing and return the applications.
This policy is being implemented in the context of continued positive growth in foreign investment inflows into Vietnam. During the first eight months of 2026, total registered FDI reached USD 40.63 billion, representing an increase of 55.4% year-on-year, while disbursed FDI reached USD 17.25 billion, the highest level recorded for the same period over the past five years. The reduction of the List of conditional investment and business sectors and trades is expected to shorten the time required for market entry, reduce compliance costs, and enhance the transparency and predictability of the legal environment. These are important factors in strengthening Vietnam’s competitiveness in attracting high-tech, innovation-driven and high-value-added projects.
The issuance of Resolution 66.17, followed by the Amended Law on Investment 2026, demonstrates Vietnam’s consistent policy direction toward removing business barriers and gradually shifting from ex ante control to ex post supervision. An open and transparent investment environment, while still ensuring effective State management, will contribute to strengthening investor confidence, enhancing competitiveness, and laying the foundation for attracting high-quality FDI inflows in the new stage of development.
For your further information, below is the List of 137 conditional investment and business sectors and trades under the Amended Law on Investment 2026.
