Vietnam to raise administrative fines and add travel bans

Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has issued a draft amendment to the Administrative Violation Law, opening a public consultation that runs until 9 July. The proposal adds four coercive enforcement measures: (1) a travel ban for individuals or heads of organisations that fail to comply with penalty decisions; (2) sealing of premises, production sites or service locations; (3) suspension of electricity and water supply to non‑compliant facilities; and (4) suspension of vehicle registration, inspection and licence issuance for traffic‑related offences.

The draft also raises the maximum administrative fine to VND 1.5 billion for individuals and VND 3 billion for organisations, up from the current caps of VND 1 billion and VND 2 billion. It expands the use of non‑notice penalties, allowing fines of up to VND 1 million for individuals and VND 2 million for organisations without requiring a formal citation. The amendment extends liability to foreign individuals and entities operating in Vietnam’s territory, its maritime zones and continental shelf. Officials argue that existing penalties are too low compared with the profits gained from violations in sectors such as food safety, environmental protection, mining, fire safety and cybersecurity, leading to low deterrence and frequent non‑compliance.