7 notable new policies effective in August 2025

1. Decree 188/2025/ND-CP provides detailed regulations and guidance on the implementation of several articles of the Law on Health Insurance, effective from August 15, 2025.

Accordingly, the validity period for children's health insurance cards is stipulated as follows:

• Children born on or before September 30th: From the date of birth until September 30th of the year the child reaches 72 months of age.
• Children born after September 30th: From the date of birth until the end of the month, the child is considered to be 72 months old.

For students who pay annual health insurance premiums, the validity of their health insurance card is as follows:

• First grade students: From October 1st of the first year of primary school; from the last day of the month in which the child reaches 72 months of age if the child was born after September 30th;
• Grade 12 students: From January 1st to September 30th of that year. Grade 12 students are encouraged to pay for health insurance and receive support until December 31st of their final year of study to ensure continuous health insurance benefits and avoid having to repay the support funds in case of a change in eligibility.

2. Supplementing regulations on capital and assets for public investment from August 1, 2025.

The National Assembly passed Law No. 68/2025/QH15 on the Management and Investment of State Capital in Enterprises, effective from August 1, 2025, which added many new regulations on capital sources and assets for investment.

Specifically, Article 11 of the Law on Management and Investment of State Capital in Enterprises 2025 has added regulations on sources of capital and assets for investment, including:

• State budget.
• Public assets.
• Development Investment Fund; Capital Reserve Fund; retained after-tax profit for increasing charter capital; dividends distributed in shares; share capital surplus.
• Other legitimate sources of funding.

This is a new regulation that is not stipulated in the Law on Management and Use of State Capital Invested in Production and Business at Enterprises, No. 69/2014/QH13.

3. Supplementing regulations prioritizing businesses in customs from August 15, 2025.

This is stipulated by the Government in Clause 4, Article 1 of Decree 167/2025/ND-CP, effective from August 15, 2025.

Accordingly, businesses are exempt from post-clearance inspection at the customs office except in cases where there are signs of violations of customs laws and other regulations related to export and import management.

In addition, other preferential treatment is implemented according to Article 43 of the Customs Law, and customs authorities and port and warehouse operators prioritize the processing and inspection of goods before the goods are received.

In cases where goods require specialized inspection, businesses are allowed to bring imported goods to their warehouses for storage while awaiting the results of the specialized inspection, except where the law on specialized inspection stipulates that the goods must be inspected at the border gate.

If goods are subject to specialized inspection at the border, they will be given priority for inspection.

4. Documents exempt from consular legalization from August 3, 2025.

This content was amended and supplemented in Clause 7, Article 1 of Decree 196/2025/ND-CP amending and supplementing on consular certification and consular legalization, effective from August 3, 2025.

Accordingly, the following documents are exempt from consular legalization:

- Documents and papers are exempt from consular legalization according to international treaties to which Vietnam and the relevant foreign country are both signatories, or according to the principle of reciprocity.

- Documents and papers transferred directly or through diplomatic channels between competent authorities of Vietnam and competent authorities of foreign countries.

- Documents and papers that are exempt from consular legalization according to Vietnamese law.

- Foreign documents and papers that the competent State agency of Vietnam does not require consular legalization on the basis that the agency itself can determine the authenticity of those documents and papers.

Under the old regulations, documents and papers that the receiving agency in Vietnam or abroad did not require consular legalization or certification in accordance with the relevant laws of Vietnam or the foreign country were considered to be eligible for consular legalization or certification.

5. How to pay taxes electronically for imported, exported, and transit goods from August 7, 2025.

Procedures for electronic transactions in the tax field for exported, imported, and transit goods, as well as outgoing, incoming, and transit transport vehicles, effective from August 7, 2025, are stipulated by the Ministry of Finance in Circular 51/2025/TT-BTC.

According to Articles 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Circular 51/2025/TT-BTC, taxpayers can use the following methods to pay taxes electronically:

• Through the Customs Electronic Payment Gateway.
• Through banks, payment service providers coordinate the collection of payments.
• The collection is carried out through a joint bank arrangement with the State Treasury, which also has a collection authorization.
• Through banks or intermediary payment service providers that have not coordinated with customs authorities to collect payments.

6. Issuance of a series of forms for adoption registers and documents starting August 4, 2025.

The Ministry of Justice issued Circular 10/2025/TT-BTP amending and supplementing regulations on the recording, use, management, and storage of adoption registers, forms, and records, effective from August 4, 2025.

Accordingly, the new forms for registers and documents to be applied from August 4, 2025 include:

• 2 notebook templates.
• 6 types of documents used for domestic adoption registration.
• 19 sample documents used for registering international adoptions.
• 7 common forms for registering domestic and international adoptions.
• Electronic version of the Domestic Adoption Certificate.

In this process, information from application forms and declarations is simultaneously used to create interactive electronic forms when state administrative agencies provide online public services. Individuals performing administrative procedures digitally sign the electronic application forms and declarations.

7. Salaries for personnel mobilized for civil defense training from August 23, 2025.

Decree 200/2025/ND-CPRegulations on salaries, wages, meal allowances, and special allowances for individuals mobilized for training, drills, and civil defense duties, effective from August 23, 2025. Specifically:

People who do not receive salaries from the state budget.When mobilized by decision of the competent authority, they will receive: daily labor allowance; meal allowance; and special allowance.

People who receive salaries from the state budget.When mobilized for civil defense duties, the agency or organization where they are employed will fully pay them: Salary; Benefits; Travel allowance; Transportation costs; Regional allowance or allowance for working in a hazardous environment, if applicable.

For contract workersDuring this period, the following benefits will apply: Temporary suspension of the employment contract; entitlement to salary and allowances as prescribed. The costs of these items will be included in the regular operating budget of the agency or unit.

People working in non-budgetary businesses and organizations.When mobilized for civil defense duties, the mobilizing agency will pay: daily wage; food allowance; special allowance; and other benefits for those not receiving salaries from the State budget when mobilized according to a decision of the competent authority.