Vietnam Insights
FDI & Market Entry
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Vietnam M&A in Industrial Parks: Why Post-Acquisition IRC Compliance Is Not Optional — and the Tax Trap If You Skip It
Summary: Foreign investors who acquire a company located in a Vietnam industrial park must obtain IRC issuance or adjustment from the Industrial Park Management Board after closing — even when the target already holds an IRC. Operating without the adjusted IRC blocks fire safety certificates, environmental compliance, and customs clearance for imported machinery. Where the…
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Vietnam Foreign Contractor Tax for Tech Companies: The Hidden Bill on AWS, Google Cloud, Meta Ads and SaaS Subscriptions
Summary: Foreign-invested tech companies in Vietnam that pay AWS, Google Cloud, Meta Ads, Salesforce, and other foreign SaaS providers without declaring and withholding Foreign Contractor Tax (FCT) accumulate a growing undisclosed tax liability. When combined with Personal Income Tax errors on expat executive compensation, this exposure can result in a tax debt that triggers Vietnam’s…
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Building a Vietnam Logistics Joint Venture: How ECOVIS Australia and ECOVIS Vietnam Supported an Australian Investor
Executive Summary Vietnam’s logistics industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in Southeast Asia, driven by expanding manufacturing, international trade and supply chain diversification. For foreign logistics companies, partnering with an established Vietnamese operator is often an effective strategy for entering the market while leveraging local expertise and customer networks. In a recent cross-border…
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The 100-Day Post-Acquisition Compliance Plan for a Vietnam Factory
Summary: Signing a factory acquisition in Vietnam is not the end of the risk period — the first 100 days after closing are where diligence findings either get remediated in an orderly way or turn into operational and regulatory problems. This article sets out a structured post-closing compliance plan for the period immediately after acquiring…
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Vietnam Social Insurance for Foreign Directors: When the Non-Salaried Legal Representative Is Exempt — and What the Company Must Still Do
Summary: Foreign nationals serving as legal representatives or directors of Vietnam companies who draw no salary from the Vietnam entity are not subject to mandatory social insurance contributions under Vietnam’s social insurance framework. However, the company must still confirm the executive’s appointment, obtain the relevant work permit or formal work permit exemption letter, maintain documentary…
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Licence Transferability in Vietnamese Industrial M&A
Summary: One of the most common assumptions in a Vietnamese factory acquisition is that the target’s existing licences and approvals simply continue after closing. In practice, transferability varies by licence type, by deal structure, and by whether the change involves ownership, legal representative, or both — and getting this wrong can leave a newly acquired…
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Rules of Origin Risk Under the Vietnam–EFTA FTA: Electronics, Apparel, Footwear and Machinery
Rules of origin will decide who benefits from the Vietnam–EFTA FTA. Origin risk in electronics, apparel, footwear and machinery — and how to prepare.
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Ten Hidden Liabilities in Vietnamese Factory Acquisitions
Summary: A factory acquisition in Vietnam is rarely undone by the headline terms of the deal — it is undone, or made far more expensive, by liabilities that surface after closing because diligence did not look in the right places. This article sets out ten liability categories that recur in Vietnamese manufacturing acquisitions, so buyers…
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Apostille for Vietnamese Documents Used Abroad: What Outbound Businesses Gain from 2026
From 11 September 2026, Vietnamese public documents can carry a single MOFA apostille for use in other contracting states. What outbound businesses gain.
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Acquiring a Factory in Vietnam: Greenfield vs. Acquisition
Summary: Foreign manufacturers entering Vietnam face a genuine choice between building a new facility from scratch and acquiring an existing manufacturing business. Acquisition is often framed as the faster route — but speed and liability exposure move in opposite directions, and the two paths carry very different risk profiles depending on whether the transaction is…