A series of new policies on education and living conditions will take effect from May 2026.
In May 2026, many new policies will come into effect, directly related to areas such as education, marriage and family, household electricity, insurance, etc., with several notable adjustments.
Additional regulations on retirement insurance (effective May 10th)
On March 25, 2026, the Government issued Decree 85/2026/ND-CP on supplementary retirement insurance, effective from May 10, 2026.
Accordingly, workers are entitled to supplementary retirement insurance in the following cases: death; serious illness such as cancer, polio, decompensated cirrhosis, severe tuberculosis, AIDS; reduction of working capacity of 81% or more or severe disability; foreign workers no longer residing in Vietnam or whose work permits have expired and have not been renewed.
Penalties for e-cigarettes, integration of electronic school records (from May 15th)
* According to Decree 90/2026/ND-CP, from May 15, 2026, the act of using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products will be fined from 3 to 5 million VND; in cases of harboring others who use them, the fine may be from 5 to 10 million VND. Violators are required to destroy the confiscated items.
* At the same time, Decree 88/2026/ND-CP stipulates that lifelong learning data will be integrated into the VNeID application. School records and diplomas, after being digitized, will have the same validity as paper copies, serving various transactions and administrative procedures.
Increased penalties in the field of marriage and family (effective May 18th)
* According to Decree 76/2026/ND-CP (amending Decree 125/2021/ND-CP), the act of hindering a family member from participating in labor and generating income due to gender (such as preventing a spouse from working) is punishable by a fine of 5-10 million VND, an increase from the previous 3-5 million VND.
* On the same day, Decree 109/2026/ND-CP came into effect, increasing the penalties for violating the monogamy principle to 5-10 million VND.
Penalties include: marrying or cohabiting with another person while already married; and cohabiting with someone they know is already married.
Compared to the previous regulations in Decree 82/2020/ND-CP (fines of 3-5 million VND), the new penalties have doubled. In addition, acts such as obstructing marriage, divorce, or demanding property within marriage are also subject to the same penalty range of 5-10 million VND.
Fines of up to 30 million VND will be imposed for collecting electricity fees illegally (effective from May 25th).
According to Decree 133/2026/ND-CP, from May 25, 2026, the act of charging tenants for electricity at a price higher than the regulated price may be subject to a fine of 20-30 million VND.
In addition, other violations in electricity usage are also subject to penalties, such as:
- 3 - 5 million VND: Failure to notify when reducing the number of households sharing a meter or incorrectly declaring the number of people;
- 5 - 8 million VND: Unauthorized tampering with the electrical system;
- 4 - 20 million VND: Electricity theft varies depending on the value;
- 60 - 80 million VND: Major violations in electricity usage, failure to comply with dispatching regulations.
Clarifying regulations on tutoring and supplementary classes (effective May 31st)
*Circular 19/2026/TT-BGDĐT clarifies which activities are not considered as supplementary teaching or learning.
Accordingly, content such as arts education, sports, foreign language enhancement, STEM, digital skills, artificial intelligence, career guidance, life skills, etc., if not included in the main curriculum, will not be within the scope of regulation.
* Circular 33/2026/TT-BGDĐT, effective from May 31, 2026, stipulates the foreign language proficiency framework for Vietnam based on the CEFR reference framework, combined with the actual teaching and learning conditions in the country.
The competency framework is divided into levels, serving as the basis for teaching, testing, and evaluating foreign language proficiency.
The policies effective in May 2026 mainly supplement and adjust existing regulations, while clarifying responsibilities in implementation. Many provisions are directly related to daily life, requiring citizens and businesses to proactively update themselves to comply with the regulations.
