The Ministry of Construction recently submitted to the Government a draft decree detailing several articles of the Construction Law on managing construction activities.

According to the draft, individual houses under seven stories with a total construction floor area of under 500 square meters would be exempt from construction permits.

However, individual residential projects still require construction permits if located in areas with specific planning or architectural management requirements. These include: functional zones, urban development areas identified in a city's general master plan, rural residential areas, economic zones, national tourist areas, or areas with established architectural management regulations.

The Ministry of Construction also proposed expanding the list of large projects exempt from construction permits. This includes: specialized construction projects, projects on national defense and security land, power sector projects regulated by the Electricity Law, airports and flight safety support facilities. Additionally, projects whose feasibility study reports have been appraised by specialized construction agencies would also be exempt.

Conversely, some projects not appraised by specialized construction agencies still require permits. These include level three and level four projects, which are small in scale, technically uncomplicated, and do not have a large number of actual occurrences.

Townhouses in Xuan Phuong urban area (Hanoi). *Photo: The Bang*.

The agency further clarified the scope of permit exemptions for projects in rural areas and functional zones. This involves specifically defining the types of projects and applicable areas to ensure consistent implementation across localities.

The Ministry of Construction also proposed significantly shortening permit processing times. Individual house projects would see a reduction to seven working days, while other projects would be processed within 10 working days. This represents a 50% reduction compared to current regulations.

The advisory body further suggested a substantial simplification of the permit issuance process by fully implementing it digitally. Citizens would be able to complete procedures online, eliminating the need for a combined online and direct submission process. Application dossiers would also be streamlined, requiring only one electronic file instead of the current two paper copies.

In the past, the Ministry of Construction reviewed and simplified numerous permit-related regulations, following the Prime Minister's Directive 78 issued in 5/2025. The ministry stated that it would shift its management focus from pre-inspection to overseeing construction order during the execution phase.

Under the Construction Law 2025, individual houses are only considered for construction permit exemption if they meet three groups of conditions: they are level four projects or individual houses under seven stories with a total construction floor area of under 500 square meters, and they are not located in areas with specific construction management requirements according to the general master plan of a city or locality. The Construction Law took effect on 1/7.

Doan Loan