Establishing two more central cities, paying pensions via VNeID, and identifying land plots by code are outstanding policies effective from September.
Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh are centrally run cities
According to resolutions of the National Assembly, on September 1, Quang Ninh officially became a city under the Central Government. Meanwhile, in Bac Ninh, the resolution takes effect from September 20.
Quang Ninh City has an area of 6,231 km2, population of 1.52 million, including 30 wards, 22 communes and 2 special zones. The city borders Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, China and the East Sea.
Quang Ninh is located in the Northern key economic region, has land and sea borders with China, and a road, air and sea transportation system. The locality is oriented to become a modern, green, smart, internationally competitive coastal city; center of marine economy, tourism and services.
Bac Ninh City has an area of 4,713 km2, population of 3.99 million, including 45 wards and 54 communes. The city borders Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Hung Yen, Lang Son and Thai Nguyen.
Bac Ninh is located at the northern gateway of Hanoi, connected to Noi Bai airport, Hai Phong seaport and Gia Binh international airport under construction. The locality is oriented to develop into a high-tech, innovative industrial city rich in Kinh Bac identity, participating more deeply in the global value chain.
People receive pensions through VNeID
The Government has just issued Decree 320, effective from September 28, amending and supplementing a number of regulations on electronic identification and authentication. New regulations add a welfare account on the VNeID application to receive payments.
According to the Decree, state agencies, political organizations, and socio-political organizations pay support, pensions and other legal funds from the state budget by transferring money to the social security account on VNeID.
People who have not created a social security account on VNeID and do not have a written authorization for another person to receive can still receive money in other forms according to regulations.
An welfare account is identification information on VNeID, allowing users to integrate one of three means including a payment account, e-wallet or mobile money account to receive pensions, support money and other legal funds.
The account, e-wallet or integrated mobile money account must be genuine and have information that matches the electronic identity of the welfare recipient. Each person can only integrate one of the three types of payment methods above.
Use identification numbers instead of social insurance numbers
From September 1, the Vietnam Social Insurance system focuses on converting social insurance codes to personal identification or citizen identification after cleaning and standardization.
The social insurance code is a series of 10 numbers attached to each individual throughout the participation process, issued by the Social Insurance agency. Users can look up the process of closing - enjoying the regime through this code on VssID.
The personal identification number is a 12-digit sequence issued by the Ministry of Public Security. For people with a 12-digit citizen identification number, the identification number is the personal identification number. For children, the identification number will be displayed immediately on the Birth Certificate.
By the end of March 2026, the whole country will have nearly 21.6 million people participating in social insurance, reaching more than 45% of the workforce in this age group. Of which, the compulsory sector has more than 19 million people and the voluntary sector has more than 2.5 million people.
Also related to identifiers, Decree 301/2026 regulates the electronic communication process. Accordingly, in addition to birth registration, permanent residence registration and issuance of health insurance cards for children under 6 years old, this document supplements procedures for issuing identification cards for children under 6 years old. Regarding the process, when submitting an online application, if the legal representative needs to issue an identification card for the child, he or she just needs to select it right on the declaration form.
Late salary payments and violations of working hours will be fined from September 10
Decree 283/2026 takes effect from September 10, regulating sanctions for administrative violations in the fields of labor, social insurance and sending Vietnamese people.
According to the new regulations, employers do not pay wages on time; failure to pay or underpayment of salary according to the contract; Underpayment of overtime, night work or stoppage wages will result in a fine of 5-50 million VND, depending on the number of employees violated.
This penalty framework also applies to acts of interfering with the employee's right to decide on salary spending; forcing them to use their salary to buy goods and services from the employer or the unit designated by this person.
If the salary is lower than the regional minimum wage, the employer will be fined 20-75 million VND, depending on the number of people underpaid. In addition to fines, employers must pay full wages and interest on late or underpayments.
Issue an identification code for each plot of land
The Government has just issued Decree No. 326/2026 regulating location identification, effective from September 1. Each location is only given a unique identification code, with a uniform structure nationwide, without duplication and ensuring long-term continuity and stability.
The issuance of identification codes is done based on data from national databases and specialized databases, ensuring inheritance, synchronization and consistency, and does not replace the state management functions of agencies according to the law.
A location identifier is a "unique code" consisting of a 12-digit natural number sequence, assigned to each different location in geographical space. In the identification code there will be related information such as address, access, postal code, coordinates information, information about land use rights certificates, current status, identification signs...
Location-identified cases will be collected based on background data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Information accompanying the identification code must be established on the basis of measurements, maps, cadastral records or specialized databases to ensure accuracy.
The principle of stability and inheritance of location identifiers is given top priority, "stable and long-lasting". Identification data is updated regularly, after changes in administrative boundaries, land use rights, ownership of assets attached to land or changes in technical infrastructure. Public location identification data is provided and displayed on the national identification application - VNeID, to serve individuals and organizations.
