Vietnam Cuts Conditional Business Lines: Implications for Investors

June 1, 2026 Posted by Vietnam Briefing Written by Vu Nguyen Hanh Reading Time: 6 minutes

Vietnam’s government has recently reduced the number of conditional business lines from 198 to 142 and expanded post-inspection supervision. Learn how the reform affects foreign investors and business licensing in 2026.

Facilitating seamless market entry and global expansion

Vietnam is moving forward with one of its most significant business environment reforms in recent years.

Following the adoption of the amended Law on Investment in late 2025, the government has issued Resolution No. 66.17/2026/NQ-CP, introducing a major reduction in conditional business lines and accelerating the shift from pre-licensing controls toward post-inspection supervision.

The resolution forms part of Vietnam’s broader effort to simplify market entry procedures, reduce administrative burdens, and improve the country’s competitiveness as a destination for foreign investment.

For businesses operating in Vietnam or considering market entry, the resolution provides important clarity on how the licensing reforms announced under the amended Investment Law will be implemented in practice.

Resolution 66.17 and Vietnam’s broader investment reform agenda

Vietnam’s amended Law on Investment, approved in December 2025, established the legal foundation for a comprehensive review of the country’s conditional business regime. One of its key objectives was to reassess whether existing licensing requirements remained necessary to achieve legitimate regulatory goals.

Resolution 66.17 operationalizes this agenda by approving a substantial reduction in sectors and trades subject to conditional business requirements. The reform reflects the government’s intention to move away from administrative controls that require businesses to obtain approval before commencing operations and toward a compliance-based framework supported by inspections and enforcement.

This approach aligns with Vietnam’s long-term objectives of improving the ease of doing business, facilitating investment, and encouraging innovation while maintaining regulatory oversight in areas involving public safety, national security, health, and environmental protection.

Establish Your Business in Vietnam with Confidence

Vietnam’s evolving investment and licensing framework creates new opportunities for foreign investors, but navigating incorporation procedures, licensing requirements, and post-establishment compliance remains critical to a successful market entry.

Dezan Shira & Associates’ Corporate Establishment & Governance Services help businesses determine the optimal investment structure, secure the necessary registrations and approvals, and ensure compliance throughout the setup process.

Conditional business lines reduced from 198 to 142

Under Resolution 66.17, Vietnam will reduce the number of conditional business lines from 198 to 142, eliminating or substantially simplifying requirements across numerous sectors.

The reform follows a government review of existing licensing conditions, many of which were considered overlapping, outdated, or unnecessarily burdensome for businesses.

The revised framework focuses conditional business requirements on sectors where regulatory intervention remains necessary, while allowing businesses operating in lower-risk activities to enter the market with fewer administrative procedures.

The reduction is expected to benefit both domestic and foreign-invested enterprises by lowering compliance costs, shortening market-entry timelines, and reducing regulatory uncertainty.

List of Conditional Business Lines in Vietnam
No.	Sector
1	Seal making
2	Trading in supporting tools (including repair services)
3	Trading in assorted fireworks (excluding firecrackers)
4	Trading in camouflage equipment, recording devices, positioning devices, information interference devices, and mobile communication jamming devices
5	Trading in military uniforms, equipment, weapons, materiel, vehicles, components, spare parts, and specialized technologies for military and public security forces
6	Pawnshop services
7	Massage services
8	Security services
9	Legal services
10	Notarial services
11	Judicial assessment services
12	Auditing services
13	Operation of bonded warehouses and container freight stations
14	Operation of customs clearance, goods gathering, inspection, and supervision facilities
15	Securities trading
16	Securities registration, depository, clearing, settlement, and carbon trading exchange support services
17	Insurance business activities (excluding auxiliary insurance services)
18	Price appraisal services
19	Lottery business
20	Prize-winning games, casinos, and betting businesses
21	Credit rating services
22	Voluntary pension fund management services
23	Petroleum trading
24	Industrial explosives business (including destruction services)
25	Explosive precursor trading
26	Activities involving industrial explosives and explosive precursors
27	Blasting services
28	Chemical trading, storage, and specialized consultancy services
29	Tobacco products, materials, and specialized tobacco industry equipment trading
30	Food business subject to specialized management
31	Commodity exchange operations
32	Electricity generation, transmission, distribution, wholesale, and retail
33	Rice export
34	Industrial precursor trading
35	Goods trading and related activities by foreign service providers
36	Multi-level marketing
37	E-commerce platform operations and electronic contract authentication
38	Petroleum activities
39	Vocational education
40	Occupational skills assessment services
41	Occupational safety inspection services
42	Overseas labor dispatch services
43	Voluntary drug rehabilitation services
44	Road transport business
45	Automobile manufacturing, assembly, and import
46	Motor vehicle inspection services
47	Driver training services
48	Driver testing services
49	Traffic safety inspection services
50	Inland waterway vessel crew training services
51	Maritime crew training, recruitment, and supply
52	Air transport business
53	Aircraft design, manufacture, maintenance, and testing services
54	Import/export of aircraft, UAVs, engines, and equipment
55	Research, manufacture, testing, repair, and maintenance of aircraft and UAVs
56	Airport operations
57	Aviation services at airports
58	Aviation personnel training
59	Railway transport business
60	Railway infrastructure operations
61	Hazardous cargo transport services
62	Real estate business
63	Construction project management and site chief commander practice
64	Construction survey services
65	Construction design and design verification services
66	Construction supervision consultancy services
67	Specialized construction testing services
68	Urban and rural planning consultancy
69	Postal services
70	Telecommunications services
71	Trust services
72	Publishing house operations
73	Printing services (excluding certain packaging printing)
74	Social networking services
75	Online gaming services
76	Pay television and radio services
77	Website development services
78	Processing and repair of certain used IT products for foreign traders
79	Electronic authentication services
80	Cybersecurity products and services
81	Imported press distribution services
82	Civil cryptography products and services
83	Preschool education
84	General education
85	Higher education
86	Foreign educational institutions and branches
87	Continuing education
88	Fishing
89	Aquatic products trading
90	Production of aquaculture and livestock feed and treatment products
91	Fishing vessel registration and inspection
92	Pesticide trading
93	Plant quarantine treatment services
94	Pesticide testing services
95	Veterinary drugs, vaccines, and animal health products trading
96	Animal testing and surgery services
97	Veterinary healthcare services
98	Veterinary drug testing and experimentation services
99	Farm-based livestock breeding business
100	Livestock and poultry slaughtering
101	Fertilizer production
102	Fertilizer testing services
103	Livestock breed and crop variety business
104	Aquatic breed production and breeding
105	Trading in genetically modified products
106	Medical examination and treatment services
107	Pharmaceutical business
108	Cosmetic production
109	Medical equipment trading
110	Radiation-related services
111	Atomic energy application support services
112	Conformity assessment services
113	Technology assessment and valuation services
114	Intellectual property representation services
115	Film dissemination services
116	Relic and antique appraisal services
117	Heritage preservation, restoration, and supervision services
118	Karaoke and discotheque services
119	Travel services
120	Sports business and professional sports club activities
121	Accommodation services
122	Trading, preservation, restoration, and digitization of relics and antiques
123	Import of cultural goods under specialized management
124	Surveying and mapping services
125	Hydrometeorological forecasting and warning services
126	Groundwater drilling and exploration services
127	Water resource exploitation services
128	Mineral exploration services
129	Mineral mining
130	Hazardous waste transportation and treatment services
131	Scrap import
132	Environmental monitoring services
133	Commercial banking operations
134	Non-bank credit institution operations
135	Cooperative banks, people’s credit funds, and microfinance institutions
136	Payment intermediary, non-account payment, and mobile money services
137	Credit information services
138	Gold trading (excluding jewelry and handicrafts)
139	Data intermediary, analysis, and aggregation services
140	Data exchange platform services
141	Crypto-asset related services
142	Personal data processing services
Source: Resolution No. 66.17/2026/NQ-CP

Transition from pre-licensing to post-inspection supervision

Boost Your Growth by Expanding into Asia’s Rapidly Growing Markets

One of the most important policy shifts introduced by the resolution is the continued transition from pre-operation licensing toward post-inspection compliance management.

Traditionally, businesses in conditional sectors were required to obtain licenses, certificates, approvals, or confirmations before commencing operations. Under the new approach, a growing number of activities will instead be governed by publicly disclosed operating conditions, with compliance monitored through inspections after operations begin.

Under the emerging framework, businesses will generally be permitted to operate if they satisfy prescribed conditions. Regulatory authorities will increasingly focus on monitoring compliance through audits, inspections, and enforcement actions rather than controlling market entry through extensive licensing procedures.

For investors, this may create greater operational flexibility but also places increased importance on maintaining robust compliance systems, documentation, and internal controls.

Relationship with the amended Law on Investment

Resolution 66.17 should be viewed alongside the amendments introduced under the 2025 Law on Investment.

Several reforms under the law are designed to complement the licensing reductions, including:

Narrowing the scope of projects requiring in-principle investment approval;
Streamlining approval authority among central and provincial agencies;
Reducing circumstances requiring adjustments to approved investment projects;
Expanding access to special investment procedures in designated economic areas; and
Allowing certain foreign investors to establish enterprises before obtaining an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC).

Together, these measures indicate a broader effort to simplify investment procedures while maintaining regulatory oversight through risk-based supervision mechanisms.

Sectors expected to see the greatest impact

While implementing regulations will provide detailed guidance on affected activities, the government’s review has targeted a wide range of service sectors where licensing requirements were deemed excessive relative to regulatory risks.

Previous announcements associated with the investment law reform identified sectors such as:

Tax procedure services;
Customs brokerage services;
Certain transportation activities;
Selected construction-related services; and
Various technical and professional service sectors.

Businesses operating in these areas should closely monitor implementing regulations to determine whether existing licenses remain necessary, are modified, or are replaced by compliance obligations subject to post-inspection review.

Setting up a business in Vietnam requires navigating company registration, local approvals, and work permit processes. We help FDI companies by preparing and submitting documentation, coordinating with authorities, and ensuring compliance, so they can start operations smoothly and focus on growth.

Tam Nguyen

Senior Manager

Talk to an expert at vietnam@dezshira.com

Or request a consultation at +84 28 3930 2828

About Us

Vietnam Briefing is one of five regional publications under the Asia Briefing brand. It is supported by Dezan Shira & Associates, a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm that assists foreign investors throughout Asia, including through offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang in Vietnam. Dezan Shira & Associates also maintains offices or has alliance partners assisting foreign investors in China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia, Dubai (UAE), Japan, South Korea, Nepal, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Bangladesh, Australia, United States, and United Kingdom and Ireland.

For a complimentary subscription to Vietnam Briefing’s content products, please click here. For support with establishing a business in Vietnam or for assistance in analyzing and entering markets, please contact the firm at vietnam@dezshira.com or visit us at www.dezshira.com