(updated Vietnam Investment Law 2025)
On July 1, 2026, the list of conditional business lines in Appendix IV of the Investment Law 2025 will officially take effect, significantly reducing the number of conditional business lines. This regulatory shift directly impacts businesses looking to establish a company in this sector, as it affects the study abroad consulting industry and the procedure to issue its operational permit. Through the article below, Viet An Law will analyze in detail the important legal aspects regarding abolishing the study abroad consulting license in Vietnam from July 1, 2026 according to the new regulations of Vietnam Investment Law 2025.
Abolishing the study abroad consulting license procedure from July 1, 2026 under the Vietnam Investment Law 2025
Appendix IV of the Investment Law 2025 on the list of conditional business lines has omitted the “study abroad consulting service business” compared to the Investment Law 2020. Thus, from July 1, 2026 (the time the list of conditional business lines in Appendix IV of the Investment Law 2025 takes effect), the “study abroad consulting service business” is no longer a conditional business line. To abolish study abroad consulting license requirements means the business conditions for the aforementioned industry officially expire, which includes procedures related to the issuance of the study abroad consulting permit.
In short, this study abroad consulting permit abolition allows enterprises to conduct study abroad consulting services without needing to apply for a study abroad consulting license starting from July 1, 2026.
Analyzing the differences in study abroad business conditions before and after the Vietnam Investment Law 2025
The omission of the “study abroad consulting service business” from the list of conditional business lines in the Investment Law 2025 and the subsequent abolition of study abroad consulting license procedures have a direct impact on the process to establish a company, register the business, and operate enterprises in this sector. Below are some comparisons before and after July 1, 2026, related to the “study abroad consulting service business”.
| Criteria | Before July 1, 2026 | From July 1, 2026 onwards |
| Legal nature | It is a conditional business investment line | It is a normal business line |
| Operating license | – Enterprise Registration Certificate
– Study abroad consulting license (Study abroad consulting business registration certificate) |
Enterprise Registration Certificate |
| Management agency for operations | – Business registration authority under the Department of Finance
– Department of Education and Training |
Business registration authority under the Department of Finance |
| Management mechanism | Must fully meet conditions and be appraised and licensed by state agencies before operating. | Enterprises self-declare and assume self-responsibility. State agencies conduct inspections and examinations during operation. |
| Procedure processing time | Includes the time to establish a company and the time to apply for the study abroad consulting license, approximately 25 to 30 days | Only takes the time to register the enterprise establishment, approximately 03 to 05 days. |
Pros and cons for investors upon the abolition of study abroad consulting license procedures in Vietnam
Advantages
The decision to remove study abroad consulting license requirement obligations brings clear positive impacts to the investment environment:
- Optimizing the time for business registration procedures: Enterprises are freed from the burden of carrying out administrative procedures to apply for a study abroad consulting license, which was a condition for implementation. This helps enterprises maximize time savings when performing business registration procedures.
- Flexibility in organizational structure and personnel: Removing rigid personnel conditions (such as requiring consulting staff to hold professional training certificates before operating) allows enterprises to be proactive in recruiting, training, and arranging personnel in accordance with actual business strategies, instead of solely focusing on preparing and building dossiers to apply for a license.
Disadvantages
The openness in market entry procedures is accompanied by potential risks for investors engaging in the study abroad consulting service business, including:
- Increased risk of unfair competition: Low market entry barriers will lead to a surge in the number of service providers. This can lead to unhealthy competition and the emergence of low-quality entities operating opportunistically, which affects the overall reputation of the education consulting industry.
- More difficulties in establishing credibility with clients: Previously, clients could search for study abroad consulting license credentials as a legal guarantee tool to distinguish between lawful and unlawful enterprises. When this license is eliminated, genuine enterprises will have to exert more effort and incur higher costs to build their brand and prove their capacity to foreign partners as well as international students.
Some notable contents for study abroad consulting enterprises in Vietnam
Although it is no longer a conditional business line, study abroad consulting activities are still subject to control by state management agencies. Therefore, enterprises need to pay special attention to the following issues to ensure legal safety as regulators abolish study abroad consulting license mandates:
Building strict contracts
The relationship between the consulting center and the client is generally a civil relationship. The enterprise needs to build a service provision contract that includes strict and transparent clauses regarding rights and obligations, service fees, and refund terms. This will be the most important legal basis for resolving disputes (if any) at a competent court.
Complying with laws on advertising and competition
As mentioned above, the study abroad consulting permit abolition can indirectly lead to the need for enterprises to promote advertising activities and build their image to enhance their reputation and compete in the market. In that case, the enterprise must absolutely avoid acts that violate the Law on Advertising and the Competition Law, such as: providing false information about schools, part-time jobs, and settlement prospects; or using deceptive advertising that causes confusion for consumers.
The above are some legal contents related to abolishing the study abroad consulting license in Vietnam from July 1, 2026 according to the Vietnam Investment Law 2025. If clients have any inquiries or need support with other legal issues when you remove study abroad consulting license requirement compliance steps, please contact Viet An Law for prompt assistance.
