New regulations on surveying and mapping license dossiers from January 25, 2026

The Government promulgated Decree No. 39/2026/ND-CP, which takes effect from January 25, 2026, amending Decree No. 27/2019/ND-CP (as amended and supplemented by Decree No. 136/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 22/2023/ND-CP).

Under Article 1 of Decree No. 39/2026/ND-CP, Article 32 of Decree No. 27/2019/ND-CP (as amended and supplemented by Decree No. 136/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 22/2023/ND-CP) on dossiers for application for licenses for surveying and mapping activities is amended and supplemented, specifically as follows:

1. Dossier of domestic organizations

A dossier for application for a license for surveying and mapping activities of a domestic organization shall comprise:

- An application for grant of a license made according to the prescribed form;

- A decision prescribing functions and tasks (for organizations without a certificate of enterprise registration);

- A dossier of the technical manager, including a diploma in the surveying and mapping major or a Class I practice certificate, a labor contract, an appointment decision, and a declaration of working experience;

- Dossiers of technical personnel in surveying and mapping, including at least one (01) person having actual working experience of at least five (05) years suitable to the contents of the application for licensing;

- Documents evidencing ownership of or the right to use measuring instruments, equipment, software, and surveying and mapping technologies, enclosed with valid inspection and calibration certificates.

- Dossiers shall be submitted in the form of copies or electronic copy files.
Where diplomas and certificates have been stored and connected and shared in education databases, organizations are not required to submit copies of such diplomas and certificates.

2. Dossier of foreign contractors

For foreign contractors, a dossier for application for a license shall comprise:

- An application for grant of a license made according to the prescribed form;

- A decision on winning the bid or being selected by the investor, which contains surveying and mapping contents subject to licensing;

- Dossiers of technical personnel, including:

• For foreign employees: diplomas and professional certificates in surveying and mapping and work permits;
• For Vietnamese employees: diplomas and professional certificates and labor contracts suitable to the bidding dossier;

- Documents evidencing ownership of or the right to use measuring instruments, equipment, software, and surveying and mapping technologies suitable to the bidding dossier.

Similarly, where diplomas and certificates have been stored and connected and shared in databases, copies of such diplomas and certificates are not required to be submitted.

Compared with the provisions of Decree No. 27/2019/ND-CP (and its previous amendments), Decree No. 39/2026/ND-CP does not change the nature of dossier components but introduces several adjustments, including:

Unifying the designation and form of dossiers from “copies or scanned files of originals” to copies or electronic copy files, in conformity with electronic administrative procedures;

Supplementing the mechanism for exemption from submission of copies of diplomas and certificates where data have been connected and shared in education databases;