56 Business Sectors Removed from the List of Conditional Business Lines – A New Step Forward in Vietnam’s Business Regulatory Reform
In light of recent regulatory reforms relating to conditional business lines in Vietnam, the comparison table below provides an overview of the changes introduced under the 2025 Law on Investment and Resolution No. 66.17/2026/NQ-CP. By highlighting business lines that have been retained, amended, supplemented or removed, the comparison assists enterprises, investors and other stakeholders in assessing potential regulatory impacts, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and adapting their business and investment strategies to the evolving legal and regulatory environment.
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| Law on Investment 2025 | Resolution No. 66.17/2026/NQ-CP |
| Seal manufacturing | Seal manufacturing |
| Trading in support tools (including repair services) | Trading in support tools (including repair services) |
| Trading in fireworks, excluding explosive fireworks | Trading in fireworks, excluding explosive fireworks |
| Trading in concealed audio recording, video recording, and positioning devices and software | Trading in concealed audio recording, video recording, and positioning devices and software; mobile communication jamming and signal-blocking device |
| Trading in paintball guns | Removed |
| Trading in military equipment for armed forces, military weapons, equipment and devices, techniques, ammunition and vehicles exclusively used for military and public security forces; components; spare parts, accessories, supplies and special-type equipment, and specialized technologies for manufacture thereof | Trading in military equipment for armed forces, military weapons, equipment and devices, techniques, ammunition and vehicles exclusively used for military and public security forces; components; spare parts, accessories, supplies and special-type equipment, and specialized technologies for manufacture thereof |
| Provision of pawn services | Provision of pawn services |
| Provision of massage service | Provision of massage service |
| Trading in signaling devices of priority vehicles | Removed |
| Provision of security services | Provision of security services |
| Law practice | Law practice |
| Notarial practice | Notarial practice |
| Judicial expertise practice | Judicial expertise practice |
| Property auction practice | Removed |
| Bailiff practice | Removed |
| Practice of management and liquidation of assets of enterprises and cooperatives during the process of bankruptcy settlement | Removed |
| Provision of accounting services | Removed |
| Provision of auditing services | Provision of auditing services |
| Trading in duty-free goods | Removed |
| Commercial operation of bonded warehouses and container freight stations | Commercial operation of bonded warehouses and container freight stations |
| Commercial operation of places for customs clearance, goods gathering and customs inspection and supervision | Commercial operation of places for customs clearance, goods gathering and customs inspection and supervision |
| Securities trading | Securities trading |
| Provision of securities registration, depository, clearing and payment services; or support services for transactions on the domestic carbon trading exchange | Provision of securities registration, depository, clearing and payment services; or support services for transactions on the domestic carbon trading exchange |
| Insurance business | Insurance business activities (excluding insurance auxiliary services) |
| Reinsurance business | Removed |
| Insurance brokerage | Removed |
| Insurance agency | Removed |
| Provision of Valuation services | Provision of Valuation services |
| Lottery business | Lottery business |
| Business of prize-winning electronic games for foreigners | Prize-winning gaming services (including prize-winning electronic games for foreigners, casinos and betting) |
| Provision of credit rating services | Provision of credit rating services |
| Casino business | Removed |
| Betting | Removed |
| Provision of voluntary pension fund management services | Provision of voluntary pension fund management services |
| Petroleum trading | Petroleum trading |
| Gas trading | Removed |
| Trading in industrial explosives (including also destruction thereof) | Trading in industrial explosives (including also destruction thereof) |
| Trading in explosive precursors | Trading in explosive precursors |
| Dealing in sectors and trades involving the use of industrial explosives and explosive precursors | Dealing in sectors and trades involving the use of industrial explosives and explosive precursors |
| Provision of blasting services | Provision of blasting services |
| Trading in chemicals, except those in the List of banned chemicals and minerals prescribed in Appendix II to this Law; chemical storage services; specialized chemical consultancy activities | Manufacture and trading of chemicals, excluding chemicals and minerals included in the List of Prohibited Chemicals and Minerals specified in Appendix II to the Law on Investment No. 143/2025/QH15; chemical storage services; and specialized chemical consultancy services |
| Trading in alcoholic beverages | Removed |
| Trading in tobacco products, tobacco materials or machinery and equipment of the tobacco industry, excluding electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products | Trading in tobacco products, tobacco materials or machinery and equipment of the tobacco industry, excluding electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products |
| Trading in food subject to specialized management by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the Ministry of Health | Trading in food subject to specialized management by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the Ministry of Health |
| Commodity Exchange operations | Commodity Exchange operations |
| Electricity generation, transmission, distribution, wholesale and retail activities | Electricity generation, transmission, distribution, wholesale and retail activities |
| Rice export | Rice export |
| Trading in minerals | Removed |
| Trading in industrial precursors | Trading in industrial precursors |
| Goods purchase and sale activities and related activities of foreign service providers in Vietnam | Goods purchase and sale activities and related activities of foreign service providers in Vietnam |
| Multi-level marketing | Multi-level marketing |
| E-commerce activities: management and operation of intermediary e-commerce platforms, social media platforms engaged in e-commerce, integrated digital platforms; authentication of electronic contracts in commerce | E-commerce activities: management and operation of intermediary e-commerce platforms, social media platforms engaged in e-commerce, integrated digital platforms; authentication of electronic contracts in commerce |
| Petroleum activities | Petroleum activities |
| Vocational education activities | Vocational education activities |
| Accreditation of vocational education quality | Removed |
| Provision of occupational skill assessment services | Provision of occupational skill assessment services |
| Provision of occupational safety-related technical inspection services | Provision of occupational safety-related technical inspection services |
| Provision of occupational safety and health-related training services | Removed |
| Overseas employment placement services | Overseas employment placement services |
| Provision of services related to voluntary drug rehabilitation, smoking cessation, HIV/AIDS treatment, and care of the elderly, people with disabilities and children | Voluntary drug rehabilitation services |
| Road transport business | Road transport business |
| Car manufacture, assembly and import | Car manufacture, assembly and import |
| Provision of motor vehicle inspection services | Provision of motor vehicle inspection services |
| Provision of car driver training services | Provision of car driver training services |
| Provision of traffic safety inspector training services | Removed |
| Provision of driver testing services | Provision of driver testing services |
| Provision of traffic safety inspection services | Provision of traffic safety inspection services |
| Waterway transport business | Removed |
| Provision of inland waterway craft crewmember and operator training services | Provision of inland waterway craft crewmember and operator training services |
| Maritime crewmember training, recruitment and supply | Maritime crewmember training, recruitment and supply |
| Ocean shipping business | Removed |
| Import and demolition of used ships | Removed |
| Commercial operation of seaports | Removed |
| Air transport business | Air transport business |
| Provision of services of designing, manufacturing, maintaining and testing aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers and aircraft equipment in Vietnam | Provision of services of designing, manufacturing, maintaining and testing aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers and aircraft equipment in Vietnam |
| Import, temporary import for re-export, temporary export for re-import of unmanned aerial vehicles, other aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and devices of unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft | Import, temporary import for re-export, temporary export for re-import of unmanned aerial vehicles, other aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and devices of unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft |
| Trading in unmanned aerial vehicles, other aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and devices of unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft | Removed |
| Research, manufacture, testing, repair, and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles, other aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and devices of unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft | Research, manufacture, testing, repair, and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles, other aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and devices of unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft |
| Airport operation business | Airport operation business |
| Provision of aviation services at airports | Provision of aviation services at airports |
| Provision of aviation staff training services | Provision of aviation staff training services |
| Railway transport business | Railway transport business |
| Commercial operation of railway infrastructure facilities | Commercial operation of railway infrastructure facilities |
| Provision of hazardous cargo transport services | Provision of hazardous cargo transport services |
| Pipeline transport business | Removed |
| Real estate business. | Real estate business. |
| Clean water (domestic water) trading | Removed |
| Construction project management practice | Construction project management practice and site chief supervision practice |
| Practice of construction survey | Practice of construction survey |
| Practice of construction designing and construction design verification | Practice of construction designing and construction design verification |
| Practice of work construction supervision consultancy | Practice of work construction supervision consultancy |
| Practice of construction site chief commander | Removed |
| Practice of construction inspection | Removed |
| Provision of specialized construction testing services | Provision of specialized construction testing services |
| Practice of consultancy for formulation of urban and rural planning | Practice of consultancy for formulation of urban and rural planning |
| Trading in white asbestos products of the Serpentine sub-group | Removed |
| Provision of postal services | Provision of postal services |
| Provision of telecommunications services | Provision of telecommunications services |
| Trusted service business | Trusted service business |
| Operation of publishing houses | Operation of publishing houses |
| Provision of printing services, except printing of packings without commodity labels | Provision of printing services, except printing of packings without commodity labels |
| Provision of publication distribution services | Removed |
| Provision of social networking services | Provision of social networking services |
| Gaming services in telecommunications networks and the Internet | Gaming services in telecommunications networks and the Internet |
| Provision of pay radio and television services | Provision of pay radio and television services |
| Provision of website development services | Provision of website development services |
| Provision of processing and repair services for goods falling under the List of used information technology products banned from import, provided to foreign traders for consumption abroad | Provision of processing and repair services for goods falling under the List of used information technology products banned from import, provided to foreign traders for consumption abroad |
| Provision of information content services in mobile telecommunications networks and the Internet | Removed |
| Provision of domain name registration and maintenance services | Removed |
| Provision of electronic authentication services | Provision of electronic authentication services |
| Trade in cyber security products and services (excluding trade in civil cryptography products and services) | Trade in cyber security products and services (excluding trade in civil cryptography products and services) |
| Provision of imported newspaper distribution services | Provision of imported newspaper distribution services |
| Trading in or provision of civil cryptography products and services | Trading in or provision of civil cryptography products and services |
| Trading in mobile phone jammers | Removed |
| Operation of early childhood education institutions | Early childhood education activities |
| Operation of general education institutions | General education activities |
| Operation of higher education institutions | Higher education activities |
| Operation of foreign-invested educational institutions, representative offices of foreign educational institutions in Vietnam, and branches of foreign-invested educational institutions | Activities of foreign educational institutions and branches of foreign educational institutions |
| Operation of continuing education institutions | Continuing education activities |
| Operation of specialized schools | Removed |
| Joint training with foreign partners | Removed |
| Educational quality inspection | Removed |
| Fishing | Fishing |
| Trading in aquatic products | Trading in aquatic products |
| Trading in aquatic feeds and animal feeds, and products for environmental treatment in aquaculture | Manufacture of aquaculture feeds and aquaculture environmental treatment products; manufacture of animal feeds and livestock waste treatment products |
| Provision of testing services for aquatic feeds and animal feeds, and products for environmental treatment in aquaculture | Removed |
| Trading in bio-preparations, microorganisms, chemicals and environmental treatment substances in animal husbandry | Removed |
| Fishing ship building and conversion business | Removed |
| Fishing ship registration and inspection | Fishing ship registration and inspection |
| Training and further training of fishing ships’ crewmembers | Removed |
| Trading in plant protection products | Trading in plant protection products |
| Provision of the service of treatment of objects subject to plant quarantine | Provision of the service of treatment of objects subject to plant quarantine |
| Provision of pesticide testing services | Provision of pesticide testing services |
| Provision of plant protection services | Removed |
| Trading in veterinary drugs, vaccines, bio-preparations, microorganisms and chemicals for use in animal health | Trading in veterinary drugs, vaccines, bio-preparations, microorganisms and chemicals for use in animal health |
| Provision of animal health-related technical services | Removed |
| Provision of animal testing and surgery services | Provision of animal testing and surgery services |
| Provision of vaccination, diagnosis, prescription, cure and heathcare services for animals | Provision of vaccination, diagnosis, prescription, cure and heathcare services for animals |
| Provision of experiment and testing services for veterinary drugs (including veterinary drugs, veterinary drugs for aquatic animals, vaccines, bio-preparations, microorganisms and chemicals for use in animal health and aquatic animal health) | Provision of experiment and testing services for veterinary drugs (including veterinary drugs, veterinary drugs for aquatic animals, vaccines, bio-preparations, microorganisms and chemicals for use in animal health and aquatic animal health) |
| Trading in farm-based animal husbandry | Trading in farm-based animal husbandry |
| Trading in cattle and poultry slaughtering | Trading in cattle and poultry slaughtering |
| Trading in fertilizers | Manufacture of fertilizers |
| Provision of fertilizer testing services | Provision of fertilizer testing services |
| Trading in plant varieties and animal breeds | Trading in animal breeds and production of plant varieties |
| Production and rearing of aquatic breeds | Production and rearing of aquatic breeds |
| Provision of plant variety and animal breed testing services | Removed |
| Provision of aquatic breed testing services | Removed |
| Provision of experiment and testing services for bio-preparations, microorganisms, chemicals and environmental treatment substances in aquaculture and animal husbandry | Removed |
| Trading in genetically modified products | Trading in genetically modified products |
| Provision of medical examination and treatment services | Provision of medical examination and treatment services |
| Pharmacy business | Pharmacy business |
| Cosmetics production | Cosmetics production |
| Trading in insecticidal and germicidal chemicals and preparations for household and medical use | Removed |
| Trading in medical equipment | Trading in medical equipment |
| Provision of intellectual property-related assessment services (including assessment of copyright and related rights, industrial property assessment and assessment of rights to plant varieties) | Removed |
| Provision of the service of performance of radiation jobs | Provision of the service of performance of radiation jobs |
| Provision of atomic energy application support services | Provision of atomic energy application support services |
| Provision of conformity assessment services | Provision of conformity assessment services |
| Provision of technology assessment, price appraisal and assessment services | Provision of technology assessment, price appraisal and assessment services |
| Provision of intellectual property rights representation services (including representation services for copyright and related rights, industrial property representation services and representation services of rights to plant varieties) | Provision of intellectual property rights representation services (including representation services for copyright and related rights, industrial property representation services and representation services of rights to plant varieties) |
| Provision of film dissemination services | Provision of film dissemination services |
| Provision of relic and antique assessment services | Provision of relic and antique assessment services |
| Provision of services of formulation of master plans, projects, design and construction organization and supervision for, projects on preservation, embellishment and restoration of relics | Provision of services of formulation of master plans, projects, design and construction organization and supervision for, projects on preservation, embellishment and restoration of relics |
| Provision of karaoke or discotheque services | Provision of karaoke or discotheque services |
| Provision of travel services | Provision of travel services |
| Dealing in sports activities of sports enterprises and professional sports clubs | Dealing in sports activities of sports enterprises and professional sports clubs |
| Dealing in phonograms or video recordings of songs, dances and dramas | Removed |
| Provision of accommodation services | Provision of accommodation services |
| Trading in relics and antiques, excluding trading in export of relics and antiques; provision of services for preservation, restoration, digitization, and database development of relics and antiques | Trading in relics and antiques, excluding trading in export of relics and antiques; provision of services for preservation, restoration, digitization, and database development of relics and antiques |
| Import of cultural goods subject to specialized management by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Import of cultural goods subject to specialized management by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| Provision of museum services | Removed |
| Dealing in electronic games (except prize-winning electronic games for foreigners and online prize-winning electronic games) | Removed |
| Provision of land survey and valuation consultancy services | Removed |
| Provision of land use master plan and plan formulation services | Removed |
| Provision of land valuation services | Removed |
| Provision of survey and mapping services | Provision of survey and mapping services |
| Provision of hydrometeorological forecasting and warning services | Provision of hydrometeorological forecasting and warning services |
| Provision of groundwater drilling and exploration services | Provision of groundwater drilling and exploration services |
| Provision of services of exploiting water resources | Provision of services of exploiting water resources |
| Provision of services supporting decision-making on regulation and allocation of water resources; services supporting decision-making on operation of reservoirs and inter-reservoir systems | Removed |
| Provision of mineral exploration services | Provision of mineral exploration services |
| Mineral mining | Mineral mining |
| Provision of hazardous waste transport and treatment services | Provision of hazardous waste transport and treatment services |
| Scrap import | Scrap import |
| Provision of environmental monitoring services | Provision of environmental monitoring services |
| Business operations of commercial banks | Business operations of commercial banks |
| Business operations of non-bank credit institutions | Business operations of non-bank credit institutions |
| Business operations of cooperative banks, people’s credit funds and microfinance institutions | Business operations of cooperative banks, people’s credit funds and microfinance institutions |
| Provision of intermediary payment services and payment services without using customers’ payment accounts; provision of mobile money services | Provision of intermediary payment services and payment services without using customers’ payment accounts; provision of mobile money services |
| Provision of credit information services | Provision of credit information services |
| Business operations of, and provision of foreign exchange services by, non-credit institutions | Removed |
| Gold trading, excluding gold jewelry and art crafts | Gold trading, excluding gold jewelry and art crafts |
| Training and certification of radio operators | Removed |
| Provision of data intermediation products and services | Provision of data intermediation, data analytics, and data aggregation products and services |
| Provision of data analytics and data aggregation products and services | Removed |
| Provision of data exchange platform services | Provision of data exchange platform services |
| Activities of providing services related to crypto assets | Activities of providing services related to crypto assets |
| Personal data processing services | Personal data processing services |
The comparison demonstrates the Government’s policy direction of reducing the scope of administrative intervention in investment and business activities through the review and removal of business conditions that are no longer necessary or proportionate to the level of regulatory risk involved. At the same time, business conditions continue to be maintained for sectors that directly affect national defence, security, public order, public health and other public interests. This approach reflects broader institutional reform efforts aimed at safeguarding the constitutional freedom of enterprise while shifting the regulatory focus from market-entry controls to a risk-based regulatory framework and strengthening the effectiveness of post-licensing supervision. Ultimately, it represents a consistent effort to strike an appropriate balance between facilitating investment and business activities and protecting essential public interests.
