From February 2026, many new laws and policies will come into effect.
These are new legal policies directly related to monetary transactions, online advertising, copyright, import and export procedures, and certain social policies and regulations. The new regulations both strengthen the protection of citizens' legitimate rights and interests and impose stricter obligations and compliance requirements, demanding that individuals, organizations, and businesses proactively update their knowledge to avoid legal risks.
Policies on administrative penalties for violations in the monetary and banking sector.
Government Decree No. 340/2025/ND-CP, effective from February 9, 2026, specifies violations, penalties, and remedial measures in the monetary and banking sector. Specifically, acts of buying and selling gold bars in violation of regulations; using gold as a means of payment; and illegally trading foreign currency will be severely punished, with fines based on the transaction value and nature of the violation, reaching tens of millions of dong in some cases.
Tighten control over online advertising activities.
From February 15, 2026, Decree No. 342/2025/ND-CP detailing the implementation of the Advertising Law officially comes into effect, adding many new requirements for online advertising. Advertisements not in a fixed location must have a clear, easily recognizable close icon and can be closed with a single action. For video advertisements or sequences of moving images, the maximum waiting time for viewers to close them is 5 seconds. These new regulations aim to limit intrusive advertising that infringes on the rights of internet users.
Penalties for violations of copyright and related rights.
Decree No. 341/2025/ND-CP, effective from February 15, 2026, stipulates administrative penalties for violations in the field of copyright and related rights. Accordingly, the maximum fine for individuals violating the law is up to VND 250 million, and for organizations it is VND 500 million. In addition to fines, violating organizations and individuals may also be subject to supplementary penalties such as confiscation of infringing materials, suspension of operations, or mandatory compensation as prescribed.
Regulations regarding members of sports teams participating in concentrated training and competitions.
According to Decree No. 349/2025/ND-CP, effective from February 15, 2026, members of sports teams participating in concentrated training and competitions are guaranteed benefits regarding salary, nutrition, insurance, healthcare, and bonuses. This regulation applies to both those receiving and not receiving salaries from the state budget, aiming to improve training and competition conditions and ensure the legitimate rights of athletes and coaches.
Customs procedures, import and export, utilize electronic identification accounts.
From February 1st, 2026, Circular No. 121/2025/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance officially comes into effect, regulating the use of electronic identification accounts (VNeID) in customs procedures. Accordingly, organizations and individuals participating in import and export activities will register, declare, and verify information entirely electronically. This regulation is expected to shorten customs clearance time, reduce administrative compliance costs, and increase transparency and accountability of businesses in import and export activities.
In addition, several new regulations related to the inspection, monitoring, and certification of food safety for exported goods, especially in the agricultural and aquatic product sectors, will also begin to be applied from February 2026. Exporting businesses are required to comply more strictly with documentation, procedures, and technical standards to meet domestic management requirements as well as those of importing markets.
The simultaneous implementation of numerous new policies from February 2026 necessitates stricter legal compliance from citizens and businesses. Proactively updating relevant regulations is a practical way to protect legitimate rights and interests and avoid unnecessary legal risks.
