The Ministry of Construction announces new construction permit procedures based on decentralization.
The Ministry of Construction has just announced revised and supplemented administrative procedures in the field of construction activities, implemented in accordance with regulations on decentralization, delegation, and delineation of management authority within the Ministry's scope of management, effective from January 15, 2026.
Accordingly, there are 9 administrative procedures at the provincial level and 6 administrative procedures at the commune level. For provincial-level administrative procedures, depending on the content, the implementing agency will be: the Department of Construction; social and professional organizations; and the Management Boards of: industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, and economic zones (according to the decentralization and authorization of the Provincial People's Committee).
Notably, at the provincial level, the new construction permit issuance procedure applies to special, level I, and level II projects, including non-linear projects, linear projects in urban areas, religious buildings, monuments and murals, phased projects, and projects of diplomatic agencies and international organizations. The maximum processing time is 20 days.
Investors can submit applications directly, online, or via postal service at the provincial-level public administrative service center or the management board of industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, and economic zones, as delegated or authorized by the provincial People's Committee.
Within 7 working days of receiving the application, the licensing authority must review the application, conduct a site inspection, and notify the applicant in writing if any additional information or corrections are needed. If the supplementary documents are still unsatisfactory, the authorities will provide further guidance or inform the applicant of the reasons for not granting the license.
The processing time is 20 days from the date of receipt of complete and valid documents. In cases requiring further consideration, the time may be extended by a maximum of 10 days and a written notification must be provided to the investor.
The application dossier requires strict requirements and supplementary data from Building Information Modeling (BIM). According to the Ministry of Construction, the application dossier for a construction permit includes a standardized application form, legal land documents, the project approval decision, the approved construction design dossier, the results of procedures related to fire prevention and fighting, environmental protection, and two sets of construction design drawings.
Notably, according to the new regulations, the investor must provide Building Information Modeling (BIM) data in its original format and according to the IFC 4.0 standard or another open format. The BIM data must fully represent the location, three-dimensional shape, and dimensions of the main components of the building.
Construction permit requirements must ensure compliance with construction planning, land use purposes, safety requirements for the structure and adjacent structures, fire and explosion prevention, environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and national defense and security. Construction designs must be appraised and approved in accordance with legal regulations.
The competent authority for handling the procedure is the Department of Construction or the management board of functional areas as decentralized by the Provincial People's Committee. The licensing fee is determined according to the regulations of the Provincial People's Council.
