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On 31 March 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 96/2026/ND-CP, detailing and providing guidance on the implementation of several provisions of the Law on Investment. The Decree identifies 23 business sectors with no market access for foreign investors, in which foreign investors are prohibited from making investments in Vietnam. The Decree took effect on the date of its issuance.
What Are Business Sectors with No Market Access for Foreign Investors?
Business sectors with no market access for foreign investors are business activities in which foreign investors are prohibited from investing in Vietnam under any form of investment. These restrictions are imposed under Vietnamese law as part of the country’s investment management framework to safeguard national interests, national defense and security, as well as socio-economic order.
List of Business Sectors with No Market Access for Foreign Investors
Currently, the list of business sectors with no market access for foreign investors comprises 23 sectors, as set out in Section A, Appendix I to Decree No. 96/2026/ND-CP, issued by the Government on 31 March 2026. These sectors are as follows:
1/ Trading in goods and services included in the list of goods and services subject to the State monopoly in the commercial sector.
2/ Press activities and news gathering in any form.
3/ Fishing and the exploitation of marine resources.
4/ Investigation and security services.
5/ Judicial administrative services, including judicial expertise services, bailiff services, property auction services, notarial services, and bankruptcy administration services.
6/ Services for sending Vietnamese employees to work overseas under employment contracts.
7/ Investment in the construction of cemetery infrastructure for the transfer of land use rights associated with such infrastructure.
8/ Household waste collection services.
9/ Public opinion polling services.
10/ Blasting services.
11/ Importation and dismantling of used seagoing vessels.
12/ Public postal services.
13/ Merchanting trade.
14/ Temporary import for re-export business.
15/ Exercising export rights, import rights, and distribution rights in respect of goods included in the list of goods for which foreign investors and foreign-invested economic organizations are not permitted to exercise such rights.
16/ Collection, purchase, and disposal of public assets belonging to units of the armed forces.
17/ Industrial property representation services and intellectual property assessment services.
18/ Services for establishing, operating, maintaining, and repairing maritime aids to navigation, navigable waters, public waterways, and shipping routes; hydrographic survey services for navigable waters, public waterways, and shipping routes serving the publication of Notices to Mariners; hydrographic surveying, preparation, and publication of nautical charts for waters, seaports, shipping channels, and shipping routes; and the preparation and publication of maritime safety documents and publications.
19/ Maritime traffic management services for ensuring navigation safety in navigable waters, public waterways, and shipping channels; maritime electronic information services.
20/ Inspection, testing, and certification services for transport vehicles (including their systems, assemblies, equipment, and components); inspection and certification services for technical safety and environmental protection of specialized vehicles, equipment, containers, and dangerous goods packaging used in transportation; inspection and certification services for offshore oil and gas exploration, production, and transportation facilities and equipment; occupational safety inspection services for machinery and equipment subject to stringent safety requirements installed on transport vehicles and offshore oil and gas facilities; and fishing vessel registration and inspection services.
21/ Services relating to the investigation, assessment, and exploitation of natural forests (including timber harvesting, hunting and trapping of rare and endangered wildlife, and the management of genetic resources of plants, livestock, and agricultural microorganisms).
22/ Research on and use of livestock genetic resources, or the production and trading of new livestock breeds or breeding lines before they have been appraised, evaluated, approved, or recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
23/ Travel services, except international travel services for inbound tourists visiting Vietnam.
If you are looking for a reliable legal advisor to assist with investment procedures in Khanh Hoa Province, please contact DCNH Law. Our experienced legal team is ready to provide timely and practical legal support, helping you save time and costs while minimizing legal risks throughout the investment process.
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DCNH LAW
Address: 5th Floor, Building 42 Le Thanh Phuong, Tay Nha Trang Ward, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
Phone: (+84) 974 278 893 | (+84) 343 320 223
Email: dcnh.law@gmail.com
