Vietnam’s National Assembly issued AI Law No. 134/2025/QH15 on 10 December 2025. The official government register gives 1 March 2026 as its effective date, followed by an implementing decree effective 1 May 2026.
Use the original instrument
The government record identifies the law, issuing authority and start date. A pre-December 2025 article describing only proposals is historically interesting but not an accurate summary of the operative framework in October 2026.
Track the implementing layer
Government Decree No. 142/2026/NĐ-CP was issued on April 30 and came into effect May 1, 2026. The law and decree should be read together; the register dates alone do not explain all provider duties, exceptions or transition provisions.
Determine whether a system is covered
Document product purpose, user role, affected persons, model behavior, local market activity and potential risk classification. Do not assume that every small chat feature is automatically a high-risk application without the statutory definitions.
Translate with qualified care
Legal obligations are enacted in Vietnamese. Retain article and clause references, preserve the official-language wording for review, and avoid treating an unofficial English translation as authoritative.
Controls worth preparing
Maintain system inventory, data provenance, training policies, security testing, oversight, incident reporting procedures and local partner responsibilities. Distinguish prudent governance from obligations actually imposed by named articles.
Publication boundary
The commencement dates are officially documented, but this draft does not claim to provide a complete clause-by-clause Vietnamese legal compliance checklist. Specialist review of law, decree, transitional rules and sector guidance remains necessary.
Publication limitation
Additional verification remains open: Full Vietnamese statutory/decree clause translation and transitional applicability require specialist review. Do not represent this jurisdictional draft as a complete statement of current legal obligations until that review is finished.
Sources & Further Reading
- Vietnam AI Law No. 134/2025/QH15 — Vietnam Government legal document register.
- Vietnam AI Law implementation Decree No. 142/2026 — Vietnam Government legal document register.
Jurisdiction/scope: Vietnam. This is educational information and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. No hands-on product test is claimed.