“Simplified” IRC issuance for projects in industrial zones means the special investment procedure under Article 28 of the Investment Law 143/2025/QH15 (effective 01/03/2026) and Articles 46–47 of Decree 96/2026/ND-CP (effective 31/03/2026). Investors may opt in (not mandatory); upon opting in, the project is exempt from a series of preparatory procedures, replaced by a commitment letter. Investors submit one dossier to the zone management board and receive the IRC within 15 working days. Note: “simplified” does not mean no IRC is needed or compliance is waived — investors remain fully liable and subject to post-implementation inspections.
Who is eligible?
- Eligible zones (Art. 28, Investment Law 143/2025): industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech parks, concentrated digital technology zones, free trade zones, the international financial center, and functional areas within economic zones.
- Voluntary: investors choose whether to apply the special procedure — it is not compulsory.
- Exclusions (Art. 46, Decree 96/2026): projects covered by Clauses 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 of Article 24 (in economic zones/free trade zones) and Clause 14 of Article 24 (infrastructure development and operation projects in industrial/export processing/concentrated high-tech parks); projects in high-tech parks must satisfy the park principles and criteria.
What is simplified?
Under the special procedure, the project does not have to: obtain investment policy approval; undergo technology appraisal; prepare an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report; prepare a detailed construction plan; obtain a construction permit; or complete other approval/acceptance/licensing procedures in the construction and fire prevention sectors.
What replaces them?
- A commitment letter from the investor confirming compliance with applicable conditions, standards, and technical regulations (Clause 3, Art. 28 of Investment Law 143/2025).
- The project proposal must identify and forecast environmental impacts with mitigation measures — the commitment replaces the preliminary EIA only, not the full environmental obligations.
- Notice of commencement before breaking ground (Clause 3, Art. 28 of Investment Law 143/2025). The specific notice period should be verified against the original text before applying.
- Investors remain liable and are subject to full post-implementation inspections on construction, environment, and fire prevention.
Filing procedure
- Dossier: documents at Points a, b, c, d, dd, g, h of Clause 1, Article 32 of Decree 96/2026 + the commitment letter (Art. 47 of Decree 96/2026). Only one set is required.
- Where to file: the management board of the industrial/export processing/high-tech/economic zone — the authority competent to issue, amend, and revoke IRCs for projects within the zones (Clause 1, Art. 27 of Investment Law 143/2025). Projects outside the zones file with the Department of Finance.
- Timeline: the management board evaluates and issues the IRC within 15 working days.
Three IRC issuance tracks
- Special track: 15 working days (Art. 47 of Decree 96/2026) — for in-zone projects whose investors opt in.
- Standard track: 10 working days for projects not subject to investment policy approval (Clause 3, Art. 39 of Decree 96/2026).
- Online track: Article 43 of Decree 96/2026.
Fees: no instrument prescribes an IRC issuance fee in Decree 96/2026/ND-CP — investors should check the national public service portal before filing.
Transitional rules and reference instruments
- Projects under Article 28 of Investment Law 143/2025 that already received investment policy approval or an IRC before the Law took effect may opt into the special procedure; IRC re-grant applies (Clause 2, Art. 100 of Decree 96/2026).
- Decree 96/2026/ND-CP repeals Decrees 31/2021/ND-CP, 19/2025/ND-CP, and 239/2025/ND-CP (Art. 111) — the former special procedure under Decree 19/2025 expired on 01/03/2026.
- Law 24/2026/QH16 (amending the Investment Law, effective 01/03/2027) is not yet in force — it does not directly affect the special procedure.
FAQs
Is the special procedure mandatory in industrial zones?
No. Investors may choose to use the standard procedure instead.
Can industrial park infrastructure developers use it?
No. Infrastructure development and operation projects (Clause 14, Art. 24) are expressly excluded.
Does EIA exemption mean ignoring environmental compliance?
No. The commitment replaces only the preliminary EIA; investors must still comply with all environmental obligations and face post-implementation inspections.
Planning an investment project in an industrial zone and need to choose the right procedure? 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.