Rules in force from 15 November 2026: security and order conditions for businesses, AI in banking and digital signatures

No new tax, invoice or accounting rules take effect this week (9–15 November 2026). Even so, four documents affect the day-to-day work of many businesses:

Two other decrees also take effect this week: Decree 363/2026 (penalties in the data field, 11 November) and Decree 371/2026 (hiring Vietnamese staff for foreign organisations, 15 November). We covered both in our November 2026 regulations roundup.

1. Decree 392/2026: security and order conditions for hotels, karaoke and pawnshops

Number and dates. Decree 392/2026/ND-CP was issued on 20 October 2026 and takes effect on 15 November 2026 (Article 48). It amends many articles of Decree 96/2016/ND-CP on security and order conditions for certain conditional business lines (VTV; LuatVietnam).

Key changes:

• 15 groups of business lines subject to security and order conditions are reorganised (amending Article 3 of Decree 96/2016). The list includes lines that many small businesses run: seal-making, pawnshops, massage, security services, accommodation, karaoke and nightclubs (LuatVietnam).
• 10 business lines must have a security and order plan, down from 13 (amending Article 8 of Decree 96/2016). For service businesses, the two lines to note are accommodation (where the operator is a company) and nightclubs. The others are support tools, fireworks (other than explosive fireworks), prize games, industrial explosives, explosive precursors, lines that use explosives, blasting services, and firearms and ammunition (VTV).
• Commune-level police now issue the security and order certificate for karaoke, pawnshops, massage, printing and accommodation with 29 rooms or fewer. This is clause 3, Article 24 of Decree 96/2016, as amended by Article 9 of Decree 392/2026. The Ministry of Public Security and provincial police keep their powers for other establishments (LuatVietnam).
• Processing time: up to 4 working days for a new certificate and 3 working days for a reissued one, counted from receipt of a complete, valid file (LuatVietnam).
• Guest ID at check-in: accommodation providers check one of five documents: the Citizen Identity card (Căn cước or Căn cước công dân), a passport, a foreigner's permanent or temporary residence card, or another photo ID issued by a Vietnamese authority. The old ID card (CMND) is no longer on the list. A guest without ID can still be given a room, but the provider must notify the commune-level police or local police station at once (LuatVietnam).
• Fire safety documents: the valid document is the fire-safety inspection record from the competent authority. A business without its own warehouse needs a lease for a warehouse that meets fire-safety rules (LuatVietnam).

What to do before 15 November:

1. Hotels, guesthouses and homestays run as companies: review the security and order plan against the new list.
2. Update check-in procedures: remove the old ID card from accepted documents and name who notifies the commune police when a guest has no ID.
3. When applying for a new or reissued certificate, file with the right authority (commune or provincial police), which depends on the business line and room count.
4. Keep the fire-safety inspection record and any warehouse lease on file.

2. Circular 53/2026/TT-NHNN: safety rules for AI in banks

Number and dates. The State Bank of Vietnam issued Circular 53/2026/TT-NHNN on 30 September 2026. It takes effect on 15 November 2026 (LuatVietnam). It applies to credit institutions, foreign bank branches, payment intermediaries, Mobile Money providers, credit information companies and some other entities (Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam).

The circular does not apply to businesses as bank customers. Still, businesses will see changes in how banks offer AI-based services, especially automated payments.

What businesses should know:

• High-risk AI payment systems (Article 4): AI that handles a corporate customer's payments above VND 50 million per transaction or above VND 100 million per day for one customer. For individuals, the thresholds are above VND 10 million per transaction or VND 20 million per day. AI that automatically decides on credit of VND 50 million or more is also high-risk (Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam; Thoi bao Ngan hang).
• Daily cap on AI-executed payments (Article 5): the daily total for one customer must stay within the bank's internal limit and must not exceed VND 500 million for corporate customers (VND 100 million for individuals) (Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam).
• Prior agreement required: before AI can pay automatically, the bank and the customer must agree on scope, per-transaction and daily limits, validity period, conditions, and the customer's right to end it at any time. Customers must have tools to pause or cancel the AI's payment authority (Thoi bao Ngan hang).
• You must know you are talking to AI: where AI replaces a person in direct communication, the bank must tell the customer from the start (Thoi bao Ngan hang).
• A person has the final say: complaints about automated decisions must be reviewed by a person, and that review is the final basis for resolving the complaint (Thoi bao Ngan hang).
• Transition: AI systems already running before 15 November 2026 must meet the safety and risk requirements from 1 March 2027 (Thoi bao Ngan hang).

What to do:

1. If you use or plan to use a bank's automated payment or AI assistant features, read the agreement and set limits that match your internal spending policy and approval authority.
2. Name one person to monitor these features and to pause the AI's payment authority when needed.
3. For accounting: AI-executed payments still need full supporting documents and bank reconciliation, like any other payment.

3. Circular 59/2026/TT-BKHCN: three old digital-signature circulars repealed

Number and dates. The Minister of Science and Technology signed Circular 59/2026/TT-BKHCN on 25 September 2026. It takes effect on 15 November 2026 (Article 2) and is based on Decree 23/2025/ND-CP on electronic signatures and trust services.

Three circulars are repealed in full (Article 1):

• Circular 37/2009/TT-BTTTT on files and procedures to license, register and recognise digital-signature certification providers;
• Circular 08/2011/TT-BTTTT amending Circular 37/2009;
• Circular 41/2017/TT-BTTTT on digital signatures for electronic documents in state agencies.

What to do: this circular mainly clears out old rules. Businesses do not need to file anything new. Digital signatures are now governed by Decree 23/2025/ND-CP. When you draft internal policies or contracts that mention digital signatures, refer to Decree 23/2025 rather than the repealed circulars.

4. Decree 374/2026: procurement under CPTPP, EVFTA and UKVFTA

Number and dates. Decree 374/2026/ND-CP was issued on 30 September 2026 and takes effect on 14 November 2026. It guides public procurement under the CPTPP, EVFTA and UKVFTA trade agreements (VietnamPlus).

Key points: the decree sets rules of origin, national treatment between domestic and foreign bidders, and a schedule to phase out domestic preferences by 2038 and 2044 (VietnamPlus).

Who should care? Businesses that bid to supply goods or services to state bodies. Preferences for domestic bidders will shrink over time, so bids should plan for competition from bidders in member countries.

How 3M can help

3M supports businesses with full-service accounting: bookkeeping, tax filings, financial statements and regular compliance reviews. If you are starting to use AI in payments or operations, we help design approval and reconciliation steps so every transaction has proper supporting documents (AI transformation for businesses).

Not sure your company files are up to date with the new rules? Book a 30-minute call with us for a free review.

Talk to us:

• Hotline / Zalo: +84 33 827 0386 · Message on Zalo
• Email: [email protected]

Sources:

• VTV – 10 business lines must have a security and order plan (21 Oct 2026, Vietnamese)
• LuatVietnam – 6 new points in Decree 392/2026/ND-CP on security and order business conditions (2 Nov 2026, Vietnamese)
• LuatVietnam – Decree 392/2026: commune police issue security and order certificates for karaoke and pawnshops (Vietnamese)
• Thoi bao Ngan hang – Rules on safety and risk management for AI in banking (7 Oct 2026, Vietnamese)
• Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam – New AI rules for banks: automated payments above VND 10 million are high-risk (8 Oct 2026, Vietnamese)
• Circular 59/2026/TT-BKHCN, original text published on the Government Portal (Vietnamese)
• VietnamPlus – Finance and banking policies in force from November (27 Oct 2026, Vietnamese)
• LuatVietnam – Decrees effective in November 2026 (Vietnamese)
• LuatVietnam – Circulars effective in November 2026 (Vietnamese)

This article is for general information only and is not advice for any specific case. Check the full text of each document before acting on it.