The original Investment Registration Certificate usually exists as a single red-stamped copy, so when it is lost during file circulation, destroyed by fire, or worn out after years of storage, an FDI enterprise is immediately stuck: the bank demands the original for capital account transactions, partners ask to inspect it before signing, and State agencies do not accept plain photocopies. The good news is that investment law provides a reissuance mechanism for lost or damaged IRCs — and it is far simpler than a fresh issuance if the enterprise prepares properly.
Legal basis for IRC reissuance
The issuance, amendment and reissuance of investment registration certificates are now governed by the Law on Investment No. 143/2025/QH15 (effective from 1 March 2026) and Decree No. 96/2026/ND-CP dated 31 March 2026. The key point: reissuance is not a new issuance — the project content, project code and investor information remain unchanged, and the investment registration authority simply reprints the certificate from the project data stored on the National Investment Information System. Reissuance competence belongs to the authority that issued the original IRC: the provincial Department of Finance or the management board of the industrial park or economic zone where the project is located. If the IRC was issued by a former authority under earlier law, the dossier is filed with the investment registration authority currently managing the project.
Dossier and reissuance steps
Core dossier components
- A written request for reissuance of the Investment Registration Certificate, stating the reason for the loss or damage and a commitment to the truthfulness of the statement.
- A written account of the loss (when it was discovered, in what circumstances) or the damaged original itself, returned for verification in case of damage.
- A certified copy of the Enterprise Registration Certificate of the project-implementing economic organization, if anything has changed since the archived dossier.
- A power of attorney and identification of the filer, if the filer is not the legal representative.
Upon receipt, the authority cross-checks the archived project dossier and the national database, then reissues the certificate. Because the project content is not re-appraised, actual processing is typically much faster than a new issuance or an amendment; even so, enterprises should ask the receiving authority directly for the result appointment rather than assuming a fixed number of days. The reissued certificate carries the same project code and full legal validity as the lost original.
While waiting: which documents support transactions?
The waiting gap is when transactions jam most easily. Three practical solutions are commonly accepted: first, a certified copy of the IRC made before the loss — many banks and partners accept it together with a written explanation that reissuance is pending; second, public project information looked up on the National Investment Information System at fdi.gov.vn, proving the project remains in force; third, a written confirmation of project information issued by the investment registration authority during the wait, particularly useful for opening or maintaining an investment capital account at a bank. If the lost original is later found, the enterprise must return it to the issuing authority so that two originals do not circulate in parallel.
Prevention: never lose it twice
File-management experience shows most IRC losses begin with lending the original without a handover minute. Enterprises should: digitize the original into an access-controlled archive as soon as it is received; hand out only certified copies for everyday transactions; keep a logbook of every occasion the original leaves the file cabinet; and assign a single custodian for the project file set covering the IRC, the ERC, the charter and land documents. Whenever the legal representative changes or the office moves, legal files must be handed over under a separate minute.
In short, a lost or damaged original IRC is not a legal disaster: file the reissuance request with a statement of reasons at the very authority that issued it, keep transactions moving with certified copies and national-system lookup data, and tighten your archiving process as soon as the reissued certificate is in hand.
How banks and partners actually treat a pending reissuance
In practice, the friction caused by a lost IRC concentrates at the bank counter and in contract due diligence, and both can be managed if the enterprise communicates before the counterparty discovers the gap. Banks operating investment capital accounts work from the certificate on file; when the original cannot be produced for a periodic review, a certified copy together with the receipt slip of the reissuance request normally keeps the account operating while the replacement is processed, provided the enterprise informs the bank in writing rather than waiting to be asked. Contract partners apply a similar logic: what they need is an unbroken chain of proof that the project exists and remains valid, which the national investment database lookup plus the reissuance receipt supplies. The enterprises that suffer real damage are those that stay silent, let a transaction deadline arrive, and only then reveal that the original is missing. One more operational habit is worth adopting: after receiving the reissued certificate, circulate a fresh certified copy set to the bank, the tax authority file and every counterparty holding the old copy set, and mark the internal register so that staff stop searching for the lost document. A reissuance handled this way typically costs a few days of administrative effort and leaves no trace in the project’s commercial relationships.
One final detail deserves attention: keep the reissuance receipt and the authority’s file-receipt stamp together with the new certificate in the project archive. Years later, during an audit or a transaction, that small slip is what explains why the certificate in the file bears a later print date than the project’s original approval, and it closes a question that would otherwise consume needless explanation letters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I apply for reissuance of a lost original IRC?
At the very investment registration authority that issued the original IRC — the provincial Department of Finance or the management board of the industrial park or economic zone managing the project — under Law on Investment 143/2025/QH15 and Decree 96/2026/ND-CP. The issuing authority is the reissuing authority.
What does the reissuance dossier contain, and how long does it take?
The dossier contains a written reissuance request stating the reason, an account of the loss or the damaged original returned for verification, a certified copy of the enterprise registration, and a power of attorney if applicable. As project content is not re-appraised, actual processing is usually faster than a new issuance; confirm the specific appointment with the receiving authority.
Does the reissued certificate have the same validity as the original?
Yes. The reissue keeps the same project code and all registered content, with full legal validity replacing the lost original. If the old original is later found, the enterprise must return it to the issuing authority.