New Guidance on the Authority for Issuing Construction Permits

On 8 September 2025, the Ministry of Construction issued Official Letter No. 9600/BXD-KTQLXD (“Official Letter”) to clarify the authority for issuing construction permits in the context of implementing the two-tier local government model.

According to the Official Letter, the authority to issue construction permits shall be determined based on the grade of the construction works. Specifically, Commune-level People’s Committees are authorized to issue construction permits for grade-III and grade-IV construction works, as well as detached houses within their respective jurisdictions. Provincial-level People’s Committees are authorized to issue construction permits for special-grade, grade-I, and grade-II construction works, and for other works that require construction permits, except those under the authority of commune-level People’s Committees as mentioned above.

In addition, depending on local circumstances, provincial-level People’s Committees may delegate authority to the Department of Construction, Management Boards of industrial zones, export processing zones, high-tech zones, or economic zones to issue construction permits within their scope of management.

Accordingly, under this new guidance from the Ministry of Construction, enterprises and individuals should determine the appropriate authority for construction permitting based on the grade classification of their projects.