Sign up for our newsletters
The best of Business news, in your inbox.
Viet Nam
Industrial Park Status
Text by Saito Hiroshi
The 50th: Amendments to the Fire Prevention and Fighting Law in Vietnam
1. The new Law on Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue 2024 will be implemented (July 1, 2025).
This law (No. 55/2024/QH15) completely revised and replaced the previous Fire Prevention and Control Law (enacted in 2001 and revised in 2013, etc.) and was implemented as a new legal system.
- Main changes (differences from the old law)
① Expanding and clarifying the scope and responsibilities
- The responsibilities of individuals and corporations (building owners, managers, business operators, etc.) regarding fire prevention and firefighting have been more clearly defined.
- Not only fire prevention but also rescue operations have been given a comprehensive legal position.
② Simplifying and streamlining administrative procedures
- The number of administrative procedures related to firefighting has been reduced from 37 to approximately 9, simplifying applications and approvals (reducing procedural burden).
3) Promoting participation by the whole of society
- This system has been created to strongly promote participation in fire safety not only by national and local governments, but also by citizens, businesses, and communities.
2. Expansion of fire safety management scope (prescribed by Decree 105/2025, etc.)
📌 Expanded Target
New government regulations (e.g. Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP, etc.) have expanded the scope of facilities and businesses subject to fire safety management.
- government agency offices,
- Data centers, research facilities,
- Multi-purpose buildings (2 or more floors or 100 m² or more)
- Additional targets have been added, such as flammable material warehouses.
→ Previously, the scope of management was limited, but the new law and ordinance covers a wider range of buildings and facilities.
3. New obligations for fire prevention equipment/information and communication systems
🔔 Development of information and early warning systems
- The new law and ordinance require affected facilities to install fire alarm and communication systems and link them to a national database.
→ The old law did not provide clear legal provisions regarding data integration and information system development, leading to differences in practical implementation.
4. Strengthening penalties and administrative sanctions (Decree 106/2025/ND-CP)
The new ordinance significantly increases fines and administrative sanctions for violations of the Fire Service Act:
- No training or inadequate training for personnel: Previously in the millions of VND range, increased to 6-8 million VND (plus mandatory retraining).
- The maximum penalty for serious risk conduct has also been increased for other violations.
In addition, the punitive powers of specific administrative agencies (e.g., district people’s committees and district police chiefs) have been streamlined, and the division of powers has also been changed.
5. Changes in equipment and facility inspection requirements
- Previously, inspection certificates were required for structural components such as fire-resistant doors and partition walls, but the latest government ordinance has made some of these inspection requirements unnecessary or changed.
→ This is thought to be an attempt to rationalize the scope and scope of inspections and adjust them to more realistic operations.
6. New Safety Requirements for Apartment and Mixed-Use Buildings
- New requirements for more detailed fire safety conditions (signs, fire prevention measures, gas leak detection equipment, etc.) are now required for mixed residential and commercial buildings.
→ Previously, there was some ambiguity in the management of residential and commercial uses, but this has now been clarified and strengthened.
7. Summary (Key points of the revision)
project | Conventional | After the revision |
|---|---|---|
legal system | 2001 Act + Amendment | Completely revamped under the new law of 2024 (effective July 2025) |
Expanded scope | Mainly some facilities | Many new data centers added |
Procedure | Complicated procedures | Significant simplification (procedure reduction of over 75%) |
Penalties | Relatively light | Strengthening and Obligating Fines |
Technical requirements | Partially mandatory | Mandatory communication and early warning systems |
Assistance Regulations | Not specified | Rescue operations clearly defined in law |
齊藤公(Saito Hiroshi)
Business Advisor
G.A. Consultants Vietnam Co., Ltd
After graduating from university, he joined a PHP research institute and served as the head of the New York office. He then worked on the “Nagoya Port Redevelopment Project” at a subsidiary of the Chubu Nippon Broadcasting (CBC) company. He later shifted his base to Asia, where he was involved in the launch of “FM96.3” in Singapore, and the creation of “Hello Vietnam” and “Invest Asia” magazines in Vietnam. He then joined BW Industrial Development JSC, Vietnam’s largest rental factory development company, where he was responsible for attracting Japanese manufacturing companies. Currently, he is active as a consultant for the entry of Japanese companies at “G.A. Consultants”, one of the longest-standing Japanese HR consulting firms in Vietnam.
