Circular No. 18/2023/TT-NHNN amends and supplements certain provisions of Circular No. 17/2015/TT-NHNN dated October 21, 2015, issued by the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam on the banking code system used in banking operations and activities.

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing certain Articles of Circular No. 17/2015/TT-NHNN dated October 21, 2015 of the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam on the banking code system used in banking operations and activities

Pursuant to the Law on the State Bank of Vietnam dated June 16, 2010;

Pursuant to the Law on Credit Institutions dated June 16, 2010 and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Articles of the Law on Credit Institutions dated November 20, 2017;

Pursuant to Decree No. 102/2022/NĐ-CP dated December 12, 2022 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the State Bank of Vietnam;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Information Technology;

The Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam issues this Circular amending and supplementing certain Articles of Circular No. 17/2015/TT-NHNN dated October 21, 2015 of the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam on the banking code system used in banking operations and activities (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 17/2015/TT-NHNN).

"3. A banking code that has been assigned shall not be reused for another entity, except in cases provided for in Clause 6 of this Article."

1. Amending and supplementing Clause 1 of Article 1 as follows:

"1. Internal activities of the State Bank of Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as the State Bank)."

2. Amending and supplementing Clause 3 Article 1 as follows:

"3. Activities of reporting and exchanging electronic data with the State Bank."

3. Amending and supplementing Clause 5 of Article 3 as follows:

"5. Units under the State Bank are units within the organizational structure of the State Bank as prescribed by the Government's regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the State Bank of Vietnam."

4. Amending and supplementing Clause 7 of Article 3 as follows:

"7. Proposing to issue a banking code, proposing to cancel a banking code, and proposing to adjust information on the banking code through the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal is the process of creating and sending online proposals through the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal using digital signatures issued by the State Bank in accordance with the regulations on the management and use of digital signatures, certificates, and digital signature certification services of the State Bank."

5. Amend and supplement Article 9 as follows:

"Article 9. Procedures and formalities for issuing banking codes
1. For units under the State Bank, when there is a need to issue a banking code, the unit shall submit a proposal for issuing a banking code according to Appendix No. 01 attached to this Circular via the State Bank of Vietnam’s Document Management System.
2. For credit institutions (excluding people's credit funds), foreign bank branches, within ten working days from the date the credit institution is granted a license for establishment and operation (new establishment, merger, consolidation, division, separation); foreign bank branches are granted a business license, credit institutions, and foreign bank branches shall submit one set of application documents for issuing a banking code through postal service to the State Bank or directly submit at the One-Stop Service Unit of the State Bank, including:
a) Proposal for issuing a banking code according to Appendix No. 01 attached to this Circular;
b) Proposal for issuing an online public service account for the banking code according to Appendix No. 04 attached to this Circular.
3. For dependent units, wholly foreign-owned banks of credit institutions as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article, within ten working days from the date of receiving approval from the State Bank for establishing dependent units, wholly foreign-owned banks, credit institutions shall establish a proposal for issuing a banking code on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 01 attached to this Circular.
4. For people's credit funds, within ten working days from the date of being granted a license for establishment and operation, the provincial or centrally-administered city branch of the State Bank where the people's credit fund is located shall establish a proposal for issuing a banking code on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 01 attached to this Circular.
5. For Treasury Departments at all levels, when there is a need to issue a banking code, the Central Treasury Department shall establish a proposal for issuing a banking code on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 01 attached to this Circular.
6. For other organizations engaged in reporting and exchanging electronic data related to the State Bank, when there is a need to issue a banking code, the organization shall submit one set of application documents for issuing a banking code through postal service to the State Bank or directly submit at the One-Stop Service Unit of the State Bank. The documents include those specified in points a and b of Clause 2 of this Article.
7. Upon receipt of a proposal for issuing a banking code, the Information Technology Department shall examine the documents, coordinate with relevant units of the State Bank (for proposals for issuing banking codes of units under the State Bank, credit institutions, foreign bank branches, and other organizations with business licenses issued by the State Bank) or access the National Enterprise Registration Database (for proposals for issuing banking codes of other organizations) to verify the operational status and accuracy of the information in accordance with Clause 1 of Article 8 of this Circular. Within three working days from the date of receiving valid application documents, the Information Technology Department shall issue the banking code, send the result to the requesting unit, and electronically notify the issuance of the banking code on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 05 attached to this Circular;

In case of refusal to issue a banking code, the Information Technology Department shall notify the reasons for refusal to the requesting unit according to the method of submitting application documents for issuing a banking code."

6. Amending and supplementing Article 10 as follows:

"Article 10. Procedure for Revoking Bank Codes
1. For units under the State Bank, within ten working days from the date of cessation of operations, the Department of Organization and Cadres shall issue a document requesting the revocation of the bank code according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular, and send it to the Information Technology Department through the State Bank's Document Management and Operation System.
2. For credit organizations (excluding people's credit funds), foreign bank branches, within ten working days from the date the credit organization or foreign bank branch has a Decision on dissolution, bankruptcy, or cessation of operations, the Banking Inspection and Supervision Authority shall issue a document requesting the revocation of the bank code according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular, and send it to the Information Technology Department through the State Bank's Document Management and Operation System.
3. For credit organizations that are merged or consolidated, within ten working days from the date of the Merger or Consolidation Decision, the receiving credit organization or the newly established credit organization after consolidation shall prepare a request to revoke the bank code of the merged or consolidated credit organization according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular on the State Bank’s Public Service Portal.
4. For dependent units, wholly-owned foreign banks of credit organizations (excluding people's credit funds), within ten working days from the date of the decision to cease operations, or from the date the State Bank's approval document for establishing the dependent unit or wholly-owned foreign bank becomes ineffective, or when there is no longer any business activity or electronic data exchange with the State Bank, the credit organization shall prepare a request to revoke the bank code on the State Bank’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular.
5. For people's credit funds, within ten working days from the date of the Dissolution or Bankruptcy Decision, the State Bank branch at the location where the people's credit fund is headquartered shall prepare a request to revoke the bank code on the State Bank’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular.
6. For Treasury Departments at all levels, within ten working days from the date of the Decision to cease operations, or when there is no longer any business activity or electronic data exchange with the State Bank, the Central Treasury shall prepare a request to revoke the bank code on the State Bank’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular.
7. For other organizations engaged in reporting activities and electronic data exchange related to the State Bank, when there is a need to revoke the bank code, the organization shall prepare a request to revoke the bank code on the State Bank’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 02 issued together with this Circular.
8. Upon receipt of a request to revoke the bank code, the Information Technology Department shall conduct a file review, coordinate with relevant departments of the State Bank or access the National Register of Business Operations database to verify and cross-check the files. Within three working days from the date of receipt of a valid request file, the Information Technology Department shall revoke the bank code, send the result to the requesting unit, and electronically notify the revocation of the bank code on the State Bank’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 06 issued together with this Circular;

In case of refusal to revoke the bank code, the Information Technology Department shall notify the reasons for refusal to the requesting unit according to the method of sending the request file.

7. Amend and supplement Article 11 as follows:

"Article 11. Procedures and formalities for adjusting bank information
1. For units under the State Bank of Vietnam (excluding provincial and central city branches of the State Bank of Vietnam), when there is a change in bank information as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 8 of this Circular, within ten working days from the date of the change in bank information, the unit shall submit a written request to adjust bank information according to Appendix No. 03 issued together with this Circular to the Information Technology Department through the State Bank of Vietnam's Document Management and Operation System.
2. For credit organizations (excluding people's credit funds), foreign bank branches, when there is a change in bank information, including changes in information of affiliated units and wholly foreign-owned banks as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 8 of this Circular, within ten working days from the date of the change in bank information, credit organizations and foreign bank branches shall complete the request to adjust bank information on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 03 issued together with this Circular.
3. For provincial and central city branches of the State Bank of Vietnam, people's credit funds, when there is a change in bank information as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 8 of this Circular, within ten working days from the date of the change in bank information, the provincial and central city branches of the State Bank of Vietnam shall complete the request to adjust bank information on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal for their own unit or for people's credit funds in their jurisdiction according to Appendix No. 03 issued together with this Circular.
4. For Treasury Departments at all levels, when there is a change in bank information as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 8 of this Circular, within ten working days from the date of the change in bank information, the Central Treasury Department shall complete the request to adjust bank information on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 03 issued together with this Circular.
5. For other organizations engaged in reporting and electronic data exchange related to the State Bank of Vietnam, when there is a change in bank information as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 8 of this Circular, the organization shall complete the request to adjust bank information on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 03 issued together with this Circular.
6. Upon receipt of the request to adjust bank information, the Information Technology Department shall examine the file, coordinate with relevant units of the State Bank of Vietnam (for requests to adjust bank information from units under the State Bank of Vietnam, credit organizations, foreign bank branches, and other organizations holding operating licenses issued by the State Bank of Vietnam) or access the National Database on Business Registration (for requests to adjust bank information from other organizations) to verify the operational status and accuracy of the requested bank information adjustment. Within three working days from the date of receiving a valid request file, the Information Technology Department shall adjust the bank information, send the result to the requesting unit, and issue an electronic notification about the adjustment of bank information on the State Bank of Vietnam’s Public Service Portal according to Appendix No. 07 issued together with this Circular.

In case of refusal to adjust bank information, the Information Technology Department shall notify the reasons for refusal to the requesting unit in the manner in which the request file was submitted.

8. Add Article 11a following Article 11 as follows:

"Article 11a. Submission and receipt of request documents in case the State Bank of Vietnam Public Service Portal encounters technical issues

In the event that the State Bank of Vietnam Public Service Portal cannot operate due to technical issues, units shall submit the request documents stipulated in Articles 9, 10, and 11 of this Circular through postal services to the State Bank of Vietnam or directly submit them at the One-Stop Service Center of the State Bank of Vietnam. The process for receiving request documents shall be carried out in accordance with the One-Stop Service Regulations of the State Bank of Vietnam. The results of processing will be sent to the requesting unit and announced on the State Bank of Vietnam Public Service Portal."

9. Supplement Clause 1a and Clause 1b following Clause 1 of Article 12 as follows:

"1a. The Office of the State Bank of Vietnam shall be responsible for providing copies of the establishment and operation licenses of credit organizations, foreign bank branch operation licenses, and other organization operation licenses issued by the State Bank of Vietnam; copies of the approval documents of the State Bank of Vietnam upon request of the Department of Information Technology; cooperate with the Department of Information Technology in verifying the accuracy of the requested information as prescribed in Clause 7 of Article 9, Clause 8 of Article 10, and Clause 6 of Article 11 of this Circular.

1b. The State Bank of Vietnam branches in provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for:
a) Providing copies of the approval documents of the State Bank of Vietnam upon request of the Department of Information Technology; cooperating with the Department of Information Technology in verifying the accuracy of the requested information as prescribed in Clause 7 of Article 9, Clause 8 of Article 10, and Clause 6 of Article 11 of this Circular.
b) Implementing the issuance, cancellation, and adjustment of banking codes for people's credit funds according to the provisions of this Circular."

Article 2. Supplementing and replacing certain phrases and Appendices of Circular No. 17/2015/TT-NHNN

a) Replace the phrase "Department of Information Technology" with "Department of Information Technology" in Article 5, Clause 1 of Article 12.

b) Replace the phrase "Electronic Information Portal" with "Public Service Portal" in Article 6, Point d of Clause 1 of Article 12.

2. Replacing Appendix 01, Appendix 02, Appendix 03, and Appendix 04 with Appendix No. 01, Appendix No. 02, Appendix No. 03, and Appendix No. 04 promulgated together with this Circular.

3. Supplementing Appendix No. 05, Appendix No. 06, and Appendix No. 07 promulgated together with this Circular.

This Circular takes effect from December 25, 2025/.

The Director of the Office, the Head of the Department of Information Technology, the Heads of units under the State Bank of Vietnam, the Treasury, credit organizations, and other organizations involved in reporting and exchanging electronic data related to the State Bank of Vietnam are responsible for organizing the implementation of this Circular.

Article 4. Implementation provisions

1. This Circular takes effect from July 1, 2024.

2. Entities that have been assigned banking codes prior to the effective date of this Circular may continue to use their assigned banking codes and associated banking information. The cancellation of banking codes and adjustments to banking information for entities that have been assigned banking codes prior to the effective date of this Circular shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Circular.

3. Credit organizations with 100% foreign capital established before the effective date of this Circular and without assigned banking codes must complete the procedures for obtaining banking codes within thirty days from the effective date of this Circular in accordance with Clause 3 of Article 9 of this Circular./.