Vietnam will establish international financial centres in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang from 1 September 2025, offering tax incentives, land benefits, and flexible dispute resolution to attract global investment.

Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a resolution no. 222/2025/QH15 on 27 June 2025 to establish international financial centres (IFCs) in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City.  The law will take effect on 1 September 2025.

The resolution passed with over 93.5% support in the National Assembly and lays the legal foundation for transforming the two cities into distinct but coordinated financial centres. Ho Chi Minh City will focus on capital markets, banking, and monetary markets, while Da Nang City will specialise in green finance, fintech, and digital services.

To support IFC development, the resolution introduces various special policies, including provisions on foreign exchange, banking, tax incentives, capital markets, land use, and labour. Key tax incentives include:

  • For priority projects: corporate income tax (CIT) rate of 10% for 30 years, with four years of exemption and a 50% reduction for the subsequent nine years.
  • For non-priority projects, the CIT rate is 15% for 15 years, with two years of exemption and a 50% reduction for four years.
  • Foreign professionals working in the IFC will be exempt from personal income tax until 2030.

Land within the International Financial Centre (IFC) can be allocated or leased for up to 70 years for investment projects in encouraged sectors, while projects in other sectors may be granted land use rights for up to 50 years.

The resolution also allows approved products and services such as commodity and derivative trading platforms, carbon credits, cultural and art assets, precious metals, and green financial instruments.

Dispute resolution mechanisms under the resolution permit investors to choose between Vietnamese law and international arbitration. Disputes may be heard in Vietnamese courts, foreign courts, or arbitration centres, including those within the IFCs. Initial operations for the IFC are targeted to begin in 2025.  The goal is to rank among the top 75 global financial centres by 2035 and the top 20 by 2045.