Lost or damaged the original Investment Registration Certificate (IRC)? Reissuance is straightforward: the investor only needs to submit a reissuance request using Form I.1.17 (attached to Decree 96/2026/ND-CP) to the investment registration authority that issued the IRC, and the IRC will be reissued within 3 working days (Clause 1, Article 44 of Decree 96/2026/ND-CP). The procedure requires no newspaper loss announcement, no police confirmation, no explanation, and no re-preparation of the full project dossier.
Conditions and dossier for IRC reissuance
- When reissuance applies: the original IRC is lost or damaged.
- The sole dossier component: the request for IRC reissuance using Form I.1.17 (Appendix to Decree 96/2026/ND-CP) — this form is specifically for reissuance; not Forms I.2/I.3 (used for new issuance/adjustment).
- Where to file: the investment registration authority that issued the IRC — the zone management board (for projects within industrial/export processing/high-tech/economic zones) or the Department of Finance (for projects outside the zones), under Article 27 of Investment Law 143/2025/QH15. Do not file with the Ministry of Finance or the business registration authority.
Procedure and timeline
- The authority cross-checks against electronic data on the National Investment Information System — note: where electronic data differs from the paper copy, the version whose content matches the investment registration dossier has legal validity (Clause 2, Art. 44 of Decree 96/2026).
- Timeline: 3 working days from the date the authority receives the request (Clause 1, Art. 44) — working days, not calendar days; do not confuse with the 10/15-day timelines for new issuance or adjustment.
Two correction cases under the same Article 44 (not reissuance)
The same Article 44 of Decree 96/2026 also provides for correction of IRC information (distinct from reissuance): where the IRC information is inaccurate compared with the dossier used in the investment procedure, the authority makes the correction within 3 working days of receiving the request (Clause 3, Art. 44).
Quick comparison: reissuance vs adjustment vs re-grant
- Reissuance (Art. 44 of Decree 96/2026): the original IRC is lost/damaged and its content is unchanged; 3 working days.
- Adjustment (Art. 56 of Decree 96/2026): the project content changes (capital, objectives, scale, location, duration…) — requiring a corresponding adjustment dossier.
- Re-grant (Art. 109 of Decree 96/2026): documents issued before 01/03/2026 (when Investment Law 143/2025 took effect) are converted into an IRC under the 2025 Investment Law.
Special case: projects no longer subject to IRC issuance
A project that was issued an IRC but is no longer subject to IRC issuance may, if the investor wishes, return the IRC to the investment registration authority and continue implementing the project — no reissuance request is needed (Art. 45 of Decree 96/2026).
FAQs
Must a loss announcement be published before requesting reissuance?
No. Clause 1, Article 44 of Decree 96/2026 only requires the reissuance request — no loss announcement, police confirmation, or explanation.
Is there a penalty for losing an IRC?
Article 44 of Decree 96/2026 prescribes no penalty for losing or damaging the original IRC.
What is the IRC reissuance fee?
No fee regulation has been identified for this procedure; Article 44 of Decree 96/2026 prescribes no fee amount — investors should check with the receiving authority before filing.
Lost or damaged your original IRC and need help preparing the Form I.1.17 dossier? Contact FLAT Law Firm via our Contact page for support.
The above is for reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Regulations are cited from instruments in force at the time of writing; please verify against the original texts before applying.
Transparency note: This article was drafted by the AI content production system of FLAT Law Firm and will be reviewed by the internal review council (AI Legal Council) before publication; it has not been reviewed by a human lawyer.