The government has issued Decree 340 on administrative penalties in the monetary and banking sectors, which will take effect from 9/2/2026.

Under Decree 340, regulatory authorities will issue a warning for foreign currency transactions under 1,000 USD conducted by individuals among themselves or at unauthorized organizations, also known as the informal or black market.

For transactions ranging from 1,000 to under 10,000 USD, the fine is 10 to 20 million dong. Transactions from 10,000 to under 100,000 USD will incur a fine of 20 to 30 million dong. The highest penalties, 80 to 100 million dong, apply to transactions of 100,000 USD or more.

Decree 340 also addresses penalties for gold trading activities. Individuals who buy or sell gold bars with credit institutions or businesses without proper licenses will receive a warning. If this behavior is repeated, the fine ranges from 10 to 20 million dong. This fine also applies to gold transactions not conducted through regulated accounts.

Furthermore, individuals carrying gold when exiting or entering the country in violation of legal regulations (excluding customs administrative violations) will face fines from 80 to 100 million dong.

For business entities, the decree specifies fines from tens of millions to 400 million dong for various infractions, including failing to publicly list buying and selling prices for gold bars and jewelry, producing gold bars without declaring applicable standards, weight, purity, or labeling, and not complying with gold status regulations.

In addition, for deposit-taking activities, credit institutions will be fined 20 to 150 million dong if they receive and pay out deposits incorrectly. Unclear or misleading listings of deposit interest rates and service fees will result in a fine of 10 to 20 million dong. Similarly, institutions applying deposit interest rates and service fees that differ from those listed will be fined 20 to 40 million dong.

Quynh Trang