Decree 306/2026/ND-CP defining functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

DECREE

Defining the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs^[1]

Pursuant to Law No. 63/2025/QH15 on Organisation of the Government;

At the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs;

The Government promulgates the Decree defining the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Article 1. Position and functions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an agency of the Government, performing the unified state management of external relations within the political system, including: state diplomatic affairs, national borders and territory, affairs concerning the overseas Vietnamese community, consular affairs, citizen protection, treaties, international agreements, management of overseas representative missions of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (below referred to as Vietnamese overseas missions) and operation of foreign representative missions in Viet Nam; and performing the state management of public services in the fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management in accordance with the law.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the functions of advising on strategic orientations and directly and regularly assisting the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the Political Bureau and the Secretariat in performing the unified management of external relations within the political system; organising the implementation of guidelines, policies and external activities of the Party, the National Assembly and the State; and assisting the Political Bureau and the Secretariat in leading and directing people-to-people external relations and local-level external relations in accordance with regulations.

Article 2. Tasks and powers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall perform the tasks and exercise the powers defined in the Law on Organisation of the Government and the Government’s regulations on the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structures of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, and has the following specific tasks and powers:

1. To submit to the Government draft laws and draft resolutions of the National Assembly, draft ordinances and draft resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, draft decrees and draft resolutions of the Government according to the Government’s annual law-making programmes and plans, and resolutions, projects and schemes as assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister; to submit to competent authorities other draft documents within the ambit of its functions and tasks in accordance with regulations.

2. To submit to the Government and the Prime Minister long-term, medium-term and annual development strategies, master plans and plans, important projects and works, and national target programmes on the sectors and fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management.

3. To submit to the Prime Minister drafts of decisions, directives and other documents concerning sectors and fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management or as assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

4. To promulgate circulars and other documents concerning state management of the sectors and fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management.

5. To direct, guide, examine and organise the implementation of legal documents, strategies, master plans, plans and national target programmes falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management after they are approved; to organise public communication, law dissemination and education, and guide and monitor the enforcement of law in the sectors and fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management.

6. Regarding the unified management of external activities:

a/ To summarise and formulate annual and whole-tenure plans on external activities of leaders of the Party, the State, the Government and the National Assembly (below collectively referred to as the Party and the State); to organise the implementation of external activities of leaders of the Party and the State in accordance with regulations;

b/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, formulating guidelines on elections at international organisations and multilateral mechanisms; and guidelines on organisation of international events of political and external significance and establishment of representative offices of international organisations in Viet Nam in accordance with law and report thereon to competent authorities for approval;

c/ To summarise plans on and submit them to competent authorities for approval, and urge the implementation of external activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, related agencies and organisations and localities; to guide the organisation of, and advise competent authorities on conducting, inspection and supervision, and request ministries, ministerial-level agencies, related agencies and organisations and localities to make periodical and unscheduled reports on the implementation of external activities of the Party and State; to monitor and urge the implementation of external work, the conclusion and implementation of treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is a contracting party, international commitments concluded within the framework of high-level external activities, and other agreements of the Party;

d/ To formulate plans on, and organise, training and further training activities and provide professional guidance on external activities and international integration in accordance with law;

dd/ To advise, standardise and uniformly manage the use of common foreign languages in high-level political and diplomatic activities of the Party and the State;

e/ To appraise, or participate in the appraisal of, schemes on external relations to be submitted to competent authorities in accordance with regulations;

g/ To advise on guidelines and policies on people-to-people external relations; to direct, guide, coordinate and support agencies and organisations in carrying out people-to-people external relations;

h/ To perform the state management of sectors and fields regarding associations and social funds falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ management in accordance with law.

7. To perform the state management of international conferences and seminars in Viet Nam in accordance with law; to send annual reports to the Prime Minister on the organisation of international conferences and seminars in Viet Nam.

8. Regarding research, forecasting and strategic advisory work:

a/ To synthesise and process information and give prompt advices to leaders of the Party and the State on issues related to the situation in the world, the region and countries, international organisations and forums, and Viet Nam’s international relations;

b/ To study, forecast and advise on Viet Nam’s strategic orientations, guidelines, measures and policies regarding the world situation, international relations, international economics, science, technology, international law, traditional and non-traditional security challenges, international issues, political, economic and cultural relations of Viet Nam, overseas Vietnamese, the situation of political parties and popular movements around the world, the situation of parliaments of countries, world and regional inter-parliamentary organisations, Viet Nam’s relations with foreign partners, and other fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management and in accordance with regulations.

9. Regarding representation in external activities of the Party and the State:

a/ To represent the Party and the State in external and diplomatic relations with other countries, intergovernmental international organisations, multilateral party-political mechanisms and other partners in accordance with regulations and assignment of competent authorities; to carry out external and diplomatic activities of the Party and the State in accordance with regulations;

b/ To submit to competent authorities for decision the establishment, change of level, or suspension of diplomatic and consular relations with countries and intergovernmental international organisations; the establishment, suspension or termination of operation of Vietnamese overseas missions and the policy on the establishment of foreign representative missions and international organisations in Viet Nam in accordance with regulations;

c/ To propose the Prime Minister to submit to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for approval the proposal for appointment and relief from duty of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary; to propose the Prime Minister to submit to the President for decision the appointment and recall of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary and representatives of the President at international organisations;

d/ To appoint and recall Viet Nam’s permanent representatives at international organisations, except the case specified in Point c of this Clause; and heads of Vietnamese consulates in foreign countries; to decide on the appointment and relief from duty of Viet Nam’s honorary consuls in foreign countries;

dd/ To implement other forms of the Party’s external representation and state diplomacy in accordance with regulations.  

10. Regarding state protocol work:

a/ To perform the state management of external protocols and diplomatic privileges and immunities in accordance with law; to guide and manage the exercise of diplomatic privileges and immunities and diplomatic protocols for foreign representative missions in Viet Nam and Vietnamese overseas missions in accordance with Viet Nam’s law and international law and practices;

b/ To organise the approval of diplomatic representatives of other countries, international organisations in Viet Nam and Vietnamese diplomatic missions in foreign countries;

c/ To prepare and serve high-ranking delegations of the Party and the State visiting other countries or attending international conferences; to organise the reception of high-ranking delegations from other countries and international organisations to Viet Nam in accordance with regulations;

d/ To issue identity cards to members of foreign diplomatic missions, consulates and honorary consults, representative offices of international organisations in Viet Nam, and their family members in accordance with regulations.

11. Regarding multilateral external relations and international issues:

a/ To study, forecast, and advise on the formulation and implementation of, guidelines, policies, strategies, programmes and plans on multilateral external relations and handle external political issues relating to inter-sectoral international matters; to synthesise information and coordinate the handling of arising inter-sectoral issues concerning multilateral mechanisms, institutions and forums;

b/ To act as the national focal point, assuming the prime responsibility for, coordinating and advising on contents, stance and options for Viet Nam’s participation in multilateral mechanisms, institutions and forums and in handling international issues through the Party’s external activities and state diplomacy and parliamentary diplomacy as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister and competent authorities;

c/ To study, advise and coordinate with related agencies in proposing initiatives and contributing to the formulation and formation of international institutions, laws and standards in the fields as suitable to the interests of the country and the nation; to enhance Viet Nam’s role, position and participation level and contributions in multilateral mechanisms, institutions and forums and in resolving international issues;

d/ To perform the duties of a standing agency or participate in mechanisms, institutions and forums related to fields falling under the Ministry’s management as assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

12. Regarding economic diplomacy work:

a/ To act as the national focal point, assuming the prime responsibility for, coordinating and advising on contents, stance and options for Viet Nam’s participation in mechanisms, institutions, forums and initiatives on economic cooperation and linkage through state diplomatic activities as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister and competent authorities; to participate in national committees, the Government’s negotiation delegations and inter-sectoral steering committees related to international economic integration as assigned;

b/ To study, forecast and provide information on world economic issues, international economic relations and their impacts on Viet Nam; to coordinate with related agencies in advising and formulating guidelines and policies in service of macroeconomic administration, socio-economic development and international economic integration, handling arising issues related to external economics and political and diplomatic mobilisation in support of external economic activities and international economic integration as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister and competent authorities;

c/ To advise on the formulation of guidelines, policies and plans on economic diplomacy, science-technology diplomacy and other specialised fields of diplomacy as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister and competent authorities in service of the development and consolidation of external political relations; to carry out economic diplomacy within the ambit of the functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and support ministries, ministerial-level agencies, localities, agencies, organisations and enterprises in formulating and implementing economic diplomacy and specialised diplomacy activities, and connecting, expanding, and improving the effectiveness of, international economic cooperation in accordance with regulations.

13. Regarding cultural diplomacy work:

a/ To formulate legal bases, policies and strategies on cultural diplomacy; to advise on, and handle, issues related to cultural diplomacy as assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister;

b/ To formulate and implement cultural diplomacy programmes and activities at home and abroad falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management;

c/ To perform the duties of the standing body of the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO.

14. Regarding local external relations work:

a/ To study, summarise, advise on and propose guidelines, policies, orientations, coordination mechanisms and overall solutions regarding localities’ external relations; to direct, guide and support localities in formulating and implementing external relations programmes and plans suitable to the Party’s guidelines on external relations and international integration and the State’s policies and laws;

b/ To connect and support localities in promoting international cooperation on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, and in promoting local images to foreign partners, international organisations and related agencies and organisations to serve local socio-economic development.

15. Regarding external information work:

a/ To plan and disseminate external activities of leaders of the Party and the State;

b/ To monitor, study, summarise reports and give advices recommendations on issues of concern to foreign press;

c/ To organise international press conferences, express Viet Nam’s official viewpoints and stance on international and external issues within the ambit of the functions and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in accordance with law;

d/ To prepare contents of interviews of leaders of the Party and the State concerning to international and external issues within the ambit of the functions and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

dd/ To manage and license information and press activities of foreign press in Viet Nam and of foreign press accompanying foreign delegations to Viet Nam within the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in accordance with regulations;

e/ To implement external information work on the Portal and information channels of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and external information activities abroad;

g/ To guide information and press activities of Vietnamese correspondents covering external activities of leaders of the Party and the State in accordance with regulations.

16. Regarding consular affairs and citizen protection work:

a/ To study, summarise and propose issues related to the protection of the interests of the State and the lawful rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens and legal persons in foreign countries in accordance with Viet Nam’s law and international law and as assigned by the Prime Minister;

b/ To carry out consular legalisation, consular certification, civil status, nationality, adoption, exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens and foreigners subject to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ management in accordance with regulations;

c/ To manage and direct the consular work of Vietnamese overseas missions, Viet Nam’s honorary consuls in foreign countries and foreign affairs agencies of provinces and centrally-governed cities in accordance with regulations;

d/ To perform certain tasks regarding extradition, transfer of sentenced persons, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and mutual legal assistance in civil matters in accordance with Viet Nam’s law and treaties to which Viet Nam is a contracting party;

dd/ To perform the duties of the standing agency implementing the Hague Convention of 5 October, 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents in Viet Nam;

e/ To perform other consular tasks as prescribed by law, assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister and provided in treaties to which Viet Nam is a contracting party.

17. Regarding affairs concerning the migration of Vietnamese citizens abroad:

a/ To formulate guidelines and policies on international migration issues and measures to promote legal, safe and orderly migration in conformity with Viet Nam’s conditions and international practices;

b/ To guide and inspect affairs related to the migration of Vietnamese citizens abroad.

18. Regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs:

a/ To study and synthesise the situation, and propose and implement guidelines, policies and laws concerning overseas Vietnamese;

b/ To carry out the work of great national unity concerning overseas Vietnamese, look after, and facilitate the attraction of, resources from overseas Vietnamese; to organise, support, advise and guide Vietnamese organisations and individuals in foreign countries in the relations with the country and vice versa, thus contributing to national development;

c/ To support overseas Vietnamese in stabilising their lives, integrating into the social life of the host countries, preserving and promoting cultural identity, Vietnamese language and fine traditions of the Vietnamese nation.

19. Regarding national borders and territory: To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, related agencies and localities in, performing the following tasks accordance with regulations:

a/ To propose guidelines, policies, strategies and measures and carry out research, synthesis and evaluation of the situation of national borders and territory on the mainland, islands, airspace and maritime zones of Viet Nam; to settle legal disputes over borders and territory; to struggle to protect the borders, territorial integrity, sovereignty, sovereign rights and national jurisdiction of Viet Nam on the mainland, islands, airspace and maritime zones of Viet Nam;

b/ To advise on and propose the determination the national borders and the scope of sovereignty, sovereign rights and national jurisdiction on the mainland, islands, airspace and maritime zones of Viet Nam;

c/ To advise, propose and organise negotiations on demarcation of national borders and territory; to demarcate and plant border markers on land; to determine the scope and delimit the boundaries of Viet Nam’s airspace and maritime zones with related neighbouring countries; to conclude, cooperate, and organise the implementation of, treaties related to national borders and territory with related countries; to request ministries, ministerial-level agencies and related agencies and localities to make periodical or unscheduled reports on border management and protection;

d/ To advise on and propose the formulation and implementation of guidelines, policies, strategies and master plans on development of the system of land border gates nationwide; to advise the Government on the policy and measures to be taken to protect the stability and clarity of the border lines and national border markers; to promote cooperation in border areas; to build a database on border and territory.

20. Regarding the management of Vietnamese overseas missions:

a/ To take responsibility before the Government for performing the state management of Vietnamese overseas missions; to direct, guide and inspect the implementation of external affairs guidelines and policies of the Party and the State and the performance of functions and tasks of Vietnamese overseas missions and members of Vietnamese overseas missions in accordance with regulations;

b/ To organise the implementation of provisions on organisation and payroll of Vietnamese overseas missions;

c/ To appoint, extend the term of office of, and recall, members of Vietnamese overseas missions in accordance with law, except the members of the representative missions specified in Point c, Clause 9 of this Article;

d/ To manage and organise the implementation of regulations on finances, state assets, physical and technical foundations and capital construction investment of Vietnamese overseas missions in accordance with regulations.

21. Regarding the management of external activities of representatives of agencies and organisations of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in foreign countries (below collectively referred to as Vietnamese agencies and organisations in foreign countries):

a/ To guide and inspect the implementation of the State’s guidelines and policies towards Vietnamese agencies and organisations in foreign countries in accordance with regulations;

b/ To support and create conditions for Vietnamese agencies and organisations in foreign countries to perform their functions and tasks and exercise their powers in accordance with regulations.

22. To manage the operation of foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices and honorary consulates and representative offices of intergovernmental international organisations based in Viet Nam in accordance with regulations.

23. To formulate, promulgate, and organise the enforcement of, laws on the registration and management of operation of foreign non-governmental organisations and representative offices of foreign research cooperation organisations in Viet Nam in accordance with regulations.

24. Regarding affairs related to treaties and international agreements:

a/ To perform the state management of affairs related to treaties and international agreements in accordance with law;

b/ To examine proposals for signing of and accession to treaties of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and related agencies before submitting them to the Government; to give opinions on international agreements of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and related agencies according to regulations;

c/ To advise, study and propose the negotiation of treaties relating to war, peace, national sovereignty and treaties and international agreements within the ambit of its functions and tasks in accordance with regulations;

d/ To review and collate the final texts of treaties and coordinate with foreign partners to organise the signing ceremonies of treaties during the visits of Vietnamese high-ranking delegations to foreign countries or of foreign high-ranking delegations to Viet Nam, unless otherwise agreed with the foreign signatories or otherwise decided by competent agencies;

dd/ To give comments on and evaluate, the compatibility of proposals of draft laws and legal documents with related treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is a contracting party in accordance with regulations;

e/ To build and operate the national database on international commitments based on the upgrading and expansion of the database on treaties in accordance with regulations.

25. Regarding international law work:

a/ To study, analyse, synthesise, forecast and advise on the development trends of international law in different fields under the management, and the application of international law in external relations and international integration;

b/ To formulate and implement guidelines and policies to guarantee Viet Nam’s stance and viewpoints at multilateral forums on the development of international law in accordance with regulations;

c/ To participate in formulating and developing international institutions and law at mechanisms and forums in charge;

d/ To perform the duties of the legal representative agency of the Government in settling disputes over public international law and settling disputes at international or foreign adjudicative bodies in accordance with regulations and as assigned by competent authorities;

dd/ To assume the prime responsibility for, or coordinate with related agencies in, training, further training and nominating legal expert teams to international legal bodies.

26. To manage the organisational apparatus, payroll and employment positions, implement the regimes on salary, training, further training, emulation, commendation and disciplining and other regimes and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers falling under the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ management in accordance with regulations.

27. To conduct inspection and specialised inspection of the implementation of law in the fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management; to organise citizen reception, settle complaints and denunciations; to prevent and combat corruption, waste and negative practices, and handle violations in the fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management in accordance with regulations.

28. To manage and organise the implementation of affairs concerning finances, accounting and administration; to organise the management of state assets and capital construction investment falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ management.

29. To manage and organise the implementation of tasks on administrative reform, digital transformation, application of technology to develop digital government, diplomatic cryptography work, and information confidentiality and security falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ management in accordance with resolutions, programmes and plans approved by the Government and the Prime Minister and in accordance with regulations.

30. To manage and provide public non-business services in the fields falling under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ state management in accordance with regulations.

31. To monitor and submit annual reports on scholar diplomacy activities.

32. To perform other tasks and exercise other powers as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister and competent authorities in accordance with regulations.

Article 3. Organisational structure

1. The Department of Europe.

2. The Department of the Americas.

3. The Department of Northeast Asia.

4. The Department of Southeast Asia-South Asia-South Pacific.

5. The Department of Middle East-Africa.

6. The Department of Foreign Policy.

7. The Department of Economic Diplomacy.

8. The Department of ASEAN.

9. The Department of Multilateral Diplomacy and International Affairs.

10. The Department of International Law and Treaties.

11. The Department of Press and Information.

12. The Department of Organisation and Personnel.

13. The Ministry Office.

14. The Department of Cryptography and Information Technology.

15. The Consular Department.

16. The Department of State Protocol and Foreign-Service Interpretation.

17. The Department of External Relations and Cultural Diplomacy.

18. The Department of Administration and Finance.

19. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs.

20. The National Boundary Commission.

21. The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.

22. The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

23. The World and Vietnam Report.

24. Vietnamese overseas missions.

The organisations specified in Clauses 1 thru 21 of this Article are administrative organisations assisting the Minister of Foreign Affairs in performing the state management functions; the organisations specified in Clauses 22 and 23 of this Article are public non-business units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The organisation specified in Clause 20 of this Article is a grade-1 department.

The organisations specified in Clause 24 of this Article are Vietnamese overseas missions established by the Government and directly managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Department of Organisation and Personnel, the Department of International Law and Treaties, the Department of Europe, the Department of the Americas, the Department of Northeast Asia and the Department of Southeast Asia-South Asia-South Pacific each may have 3 divisions, and the Department of Middle East-Africa, 2 divisions.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation the list of public non-business units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and define the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of the organisations specified in Clauses 1 thru 23 of this Article.

Article 4. Transitional provisions

The National Boundary Commission, the International Organisations Department and the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam shall continue performing their tasks and exercising their powers in accordance with current regulations until the effective date of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ decisions defining the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of the National Boundary Commission, the Department of Multilateral Diplomacy and International Affairs and the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Article 5. Effect and implementation responsibility

1. This Decree takes effect on August 3, 2026.

2. This Decree replaces the Government’s Decree No. 28/2025/ND-CP of February 24, 2025, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, other ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities and related agencies and organisations shall implement this Decree.-

On behalf of the Government
For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
PHAM GIA TUC