VCI Legal – January 5, 2026

The Government of Vietnam has just issued Decree No. 326/2025/ND-CP, regulations on land and environment that apply exclusively to the International Financial Center in Vietnam, creating an important legal foundation to attract foreign businesses and investors.

Decree 326/2025/ND-CP has a narrow but specialized scope of application, only regulating land and environmental issues arising in the International Financial Center in Vietnam, including the Centers located in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City.

Subjects of application are not only members of the International Financial Center (financial enterprises, related service organizations), but also domestic and foreign investors, competent state agencies, organizations and individuals participating in or related to investment activities,  land use and environmental compliance within the Center.

Legally, the Decree plays the role of a specialized and specific regulation, promulgated on the basis of the National Assembly’s Resolution on the construction of the International Financial Center, and is prioritized to apply to land and environmental contents in the Center compared to the general mechanism currently applied nationwide.

Regarding the separate land management mechanism applicable to the International Financial Center, accordingly, the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City is empowered to decide on the allocation and lease of land, permission to change the land use purpose, extension of the land use term and the issuance of land use right certificates.  ownership of land-attached assets for investment projects in the Center. The centralization of authority and permission to carry out procedures through the Executive Authority of the International Financial Center contributes to simplifying the process, increasing the stability and legal predictability of the land use rights of investors, especially foreign investors implementing large-scale projects.

Regarding the environment, Article 4 of Decree 326/2025/ND-CP stipulates the obligation to register the environment for investment projects in the International Financial Center before carrying out waste discharge activities, except for cases exempted under the law on environmental protection. Investors can choose to register through many forms, including in person, through the National Public Service Portal or through the International Financial Center Operator, with a specified deadline for dossier transfer and processing, thereby contributing to standardizing environmental compliance and minimizing legal risks in the operation process project.

From the perspective of investment law, Decree 326/2025/ND-CP can be seen as a foundational regulation, which does not expand financial incentives but directly addresses the core legal risks that foreign investors are particularly interested in, including the right to access land,  stability of land use rights and environmental compliance obligations.

The centralization of land decision-making authority at the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City, along with the mechanism for carrying out procedures through the Executive Agency of the International Financial Center, shows the Government’s clear orientation in reducing management fragmentation, increasing predictability and procedural transparency for large-scale investment projects.  long-term.

In addition, regulations on environmental registration before discharge, with specific deadlines and treatment points, contribute to standardizing compliance obligations right from the investment stage, thereby limiting legal risks during operation – a factor that is often scrutinized by credit institutions and international investors.

Overall, Decree 326/2025/ND-CP is not only a technical guidance document on land and the environment, but also demonstrates Vietnam’s institutional commitment to building a stable, predictable and consistent legal space in line with international practices for the International Financial Center.  thereby creating an important foundation to attract high-quality foreign investment inflows.

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