Circular No. 22/2026/TT-BKHCN Amending and Supplementing Certain Circulars in the Field of Standardization, Metrology, and Quality Control to Implement Streamlining and Simplification of Administrative Procedures and to Comply with Investment and Business Laws

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  MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM INDEPENDENCE - LIBERTY - HAPPINESS
  No.: 22/2026/TT-BKHCN	HANOI, MAY 20, 2026

CIRCULAR

AMENDING AND ENHANCING CERTAIN CIRCULATIONS IN THE FIELD OF STANDARDIZATION, MEASUREMENTS, AND QUALITY CONTROL TO IMPLEMENT REDUCTION AND SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND COMPLY WITH BUSINESS INVESTMENT LEGISLATION

BASED ON THE LAW ON ISSUANCE OF REGULATORY DOCUMENTS NO. 64/2025/QH15, AS AMENDED BY LAW NO. 87/2025/QH15;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 55/2025/NĐ-CP OF THE GOVERNMENT REGULATING THE FUNCTION, MISSIONS, POWERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;

BASED ON DECISION NO. 66.7/2025/NQ-CP OF THE GOVERNMENT REGULATING THE REDUCTION AND SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES BASED ON DATA;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 20/2026/NQ-CP OF THE GOVERNMENT ON DELEGATION, REDUCTION, AND SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND BUSINESS LICENSES UNDER THE STATE MANAGEMENT SCOPE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDIZATION, MEASUREMENT, AND QUALITY CONTROL COMMITTEE;

THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISSUES THIS CIRCULAR TO AMEND AND ENHANCE CERTAIN CIRCULATIONS IN THE FIELD OF STANDARDIZATION, MEASUREMENTS, AND QUALITY CONTROL TO IMPLEMENT REDUCTION AND SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND COMPLY WITH BUSINESS INVESTMENT LEGISLATION.

Article 1. Amend and enhance certain provisions in Circular No. 22/2013/TT-BKHCN dated September 26, 2013, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, concerning the management of measurements in gold trading and the quality control of jewelry and handicrafts circulating on the market

"Replace the phrase 'in accordance with Article 9 of this Circular' at the beginning of Article 5 and Clause 3 of Article 8 with the phrase 'in accordance with the law'."

Article 2. Amend and enhance certain provisions in Circular No. 23/2013/TT-BKHCN dated September 26, 2013, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, concerning measurements for measuring instruments group 2 (amended and supplemented by Circular No. 58/2025/TT-BKHCN)

1. Amend Clause 3 of Article 13 as follows: "3. Term of validity a) The term of validity of the approval decision for a model and the decision adjusting the term of validity of the approval decision for a model is ten (10) years from the date of signing; b) The term of validity of the decision to adjust with respect to the contents specified in paragraph 2, clauses a, b, c, d of this Article is calculated based on the most recent approval decision for a model issued prior."

2. Amend and enhance Article 16 as follows: "Article 16. Adjustment of the content of the approval decision for a model 1. The application file for adjusting the content of the approval decision for a model includes: a) A request document for adjusting the content of the approval decision for a model, in which it specifies the request to adjust the term of validity of the approval decision for a model or the contents specified at clauses a, b, c, d of paragraph 2 of this Circular; b) Relevant documents related to the content for cases requesting adjustment of the contents specified at clauses a, b, c, d of paragraph 2 of this Circular. 2. Processing of the application file for adjusting the content of the approval decision for a model a) The entity requesting shall prepare one (01) set of the application file for adjustment and submit it on the National E-Government Portal, directly or through postal services to the National Standardization, Measurement, and Quality Control Committee (Committee); b) In cases where the application file is not in compliance with regulations or requires a new approval decision, within five (05) working days from the date of receipt of the application file, the Committee shall notify the entity of the contents that need to be supplemented, corrected, or provide guidance for issuing a new approval decision. c) In cases where the application file is in compliance with regulations, within five (05) working days from the date of receipt of the application file, the Committee shall issue an adjustment decision according to the provisions at paragraph 2 of this Circular for the adjusted content. 3. The adjustment decision and the application file for adjustment are kept in accordance with the provisions at Article 14 of this Circular."

Article 3. Amendment and Supplement to Certain Articles of Circular No. 26/2014/TT-BKHCN dated October 10, 2014, by the Minister of Science and Technology, Providing Detailed Implementation Rules for Decision No. 19/2014/QĐ-TTg dated March 5, 2014, of the Prime Minister on Applying the National Standard TCVN ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System into the Activities of State Administrative Organs and Organizations (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 26/2014/TT-BKHCN)

1. Amend and supplement Article 8 as follows: “Article 8. Capability of Consulting Organization 1. Established in accordance with the provisions of law, engaged in consulting activities related to Quality Management System. 2. Holds a Quality Management System certification that is compatible with the National Standard TCVN ISO 9001 for the scope of consultation and remains valid, issued by an accreditation body registered under the provisions of law. 3. Has experience in consulting on the establishment of Quality Management Systems (has consulted for at least ten organizations or enterprises establishing a Quality Management System and certified by an accreditation body registered under the provisions of law). 4. Regularly has at least five full-time consultants (civil servants or employees engaged in professional and technical work with a term of engagement from twelve months or more, or employees engaged in professional and technical work without a fixed term) who possess the capability as provided for in Article 9 of this Circular.”

2. Amend and supplement Article 9 as follows: “Article 9. Capability of Consultant 1. Holds a degree at the level of bachelor's degree or above. 2. Holds a certificate of training on administrative management equivalent to the rank of specialist or higher, or a program prescribed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, or holds a bachelor's degree in administrative science from the National Academy of Public Administration. 3. Holds a certificate of training on consulting for Quality Management System as provided for in Chapter IV of this Circular. 4. Has a total work experience of three years or more (from the date of obtaining a bachelor's degree) and has experience in consulting for the establishment of Quality Management Systems (has participated as the lead consultant for at least five organizations or enterprises establishing a Quality Management System and certified by an accreditation body registered under the provisions of law).”

3. Amend and supplement Article 10 as follows: “Article 10. Capability of Independent Consultant 1. An independent consultant is a consultant who does not belong to any consulting organization or certification organization, possessing the capability as provided for in Article 9 of this Circular. 2. Civil servants or public officials wishing to act as an independent consultant must obtain written consent from their workplace leader (if such leader is also the head of the organization, they must obtain written consent from the higher-level supervisory authority) and must comply with the general provisions of law on the management of civil servants, public officials, and civil servants.”

4. Amend and supplement Article 11 as follows: “Article 11. Capability of Certification Organization 1. Established in accordance with the provisions of law, engaged in certification activities. 2. Registered under the provisions of law for its field of activity. 3. Has experience in evaluating and certifying Quality Management Systems (has conducted evaluations and certifications of Quality Management Systems for at least twenty organizations or enterprises). 4. Regularly has at least five evaluators on full-time staff (civil servants or employees engaged in professional and technical work with a term of engagement from twelve months or more, or employees engaged in professional and technical work without a fixed term) who possess the capability as provided for in Article 12 of this Circular.”

5. Amend and supplement Article 12 as follows: “Article 12. Capability of Evaluator 1. Holds a degree at the level of bachelor's degree or above. 2. Holds a certificate of training on administrative management equivalent to the rank of specialist or higher, or a program prescribed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, or holds a bachelor's degree in administrative science from the National Academy of Public Administration. 3. Holds a certificate of training on evaluating Quality Management Systems as provided for in Chapter IV of this Circular. 4. Has a total work experience of five years or more (from the date of obtaining a bachelor's degree) and has experience in evaluating Quality Management Systems (has conducted evaluations of Quality Management Systems as the head evaluator for at least ten organizations or enterprises).”

6. Amend and supplement Article 13 as follows: “Article 13. Documentation for Declaration of Capability for Consulting Organization A consulting organization seeking to engage in activities related to the establishment of a Quality Management System with state administrative organs and organizations shall prepare one set of documentation for declaration of capability and submit it to the agency designated to receive such documents at the provincial or municipal level where the consulting organization is headquartered through any of the following methods: directly at the One-Stop Service Window or Public Administration Service Center, by post, or online via the National E-Government Portal. The documentation includes: 1. A declaration of capability for consultation in accordance with Form No. 01 attached to this Circular. 2. Copies of Quality Management System certification as provided for in paragraph 2 of Article 8 of this Circular.”

7. Amend and supplement Article 14 as follows: “Article 14. Documentation for Advisory Competence Declaration for Independent Consultants An individual desiring to participate in independent advisory activities shall submit one set of documentation for competence declaration to the agency designated to receive such documents at the province or city where the independent consultant is registered, through any of the following methods: in person at a One-Stop Service Window or Public Administration Service Center, by post, or online via the National E-Government Portal. The documentation shall include: 1. A competence declaration form as specified in Annex 01 attached to this Circular. 2. A document as prescribed in Clause 2 of Article 10 of this Circular.”

8. Amend and supplement Article 15 as follows: “Article 15. Documentation for Evaluation Competence Declaration for Accreditation Bodies An accreditation body desiring to participate in evaluation activities related to the quality management system for state organs or organizations within the national administrative system shall submit one set of documentation for competence declaration to the agency designated to receive such documents at the province or city where the accreditation body is located, through any of the following methods: in person at a One-Stop Service Window or Public Administration Service Center, by post, or online via the National E-Government Portal. The documentation shall include: 1. An evaluation competence declaration form as specified in Annex 01 attached to this Circular. 2. A copy of the registration certificate for the scope of activities as prescribed in Clause 2 of Article 11 of this Circular.”

9. Amend and supplement Article 16 as follows: “Article 16. Processing of Competence Declaration Documentation Within five working days from receipt of a valid competence declaration, the agency designated to receive such documents shall record the receipt of the competence declaration on the competence declaration form for the organization or individual; in cases where the submission, receipt, and processing are conducted electronically, the recording shall be done electronically through the system for receiving and processing documentation or an electronic version of the competence declaration form. In case of non-recording, the organization or individual shall be notified in writing of the reason.”

10. Amend and supplement Article 21 as follows: “Article 21. Adjustment of Competence Declaration Documentation The adjustment of content in the competence declaration documentation applies to cases where an organization or individual changes their name, contact address, or adds or modifies consultants or evaluators. Such adjustments shall be made as follows: 1. An organization or individual shall submit a new competence declaration form as specified in Annex 01 attached to this Circular through any of the following methods: in person at a One-Stop Service Window or Public Administration Service Center, by post, or online via the National E-Government Portal. 2. Within three working days from receipt of a valid competence declaration form, the agency designated to receive such documents shall record the receipt of the competence declaration on the competence declaration form for the organization or individual; in cases where the submission, receipt, and processing are conducted electronically, the recording shall be done electronically through the system for receiving and processing documentation or an electronic version of the competence declaration form. In case of non-recording, the organization or individual shall be notified in writing of the reason.”

11. The following amendments and additions shall be made to Article 22: “Article 22. Rights and Obligations of Organizations and Experts Receiving Documentation for Capability Declaration 1. Rights and obligations of independent consulting organizations and experts: a) To provide consultation in the development of Quality Management Systems (QMS) upon request from agencies; b) To charge and receive fees for consulting activities according to agreements and general provisions of the Ministry of Finance; c) Consulting organizations shall only dispatch experts with recognized capabilities as per regulations to develop QMS for agencies; d) To fully perform consulting activities in developing QMS for agencies in accordance with professional and technical guidelines provided by the National Committee on Standardization, Metrology, and Quality based on: - Provisions at Article 3 of Decision No. 19/2014/QĐ-TTg and this Circular; - Framework models of QMS systems as announced by the Ministry of Science and Technology for each type of agency in localities and framework models of QMS systems as announced by various Ministries and sectors for agencies organized under vertical sectoral systems; e) To conduct consulting activities at agencies according to agreed timelines and schedules, with a joint confirmation from both parties after each session. In the event that an agency fails to comply with the agreed schedule without justifiable reasons, the consulting organization and independent expert shall submit a written report to the lead unit for handling; f) To maintain and enhance their consulting capabilities in accordance with regulations applicable to organizations that have declared their capabilities and been recognized; g) Where experts who have declared their capabilities no longer work at the consulting organization, within five working days, the consulting organization is responsible for adjusting the declaration of capability according to regulations; h) To be subject to supervision by the lead unit when conducting QMS development consultations at agencies, departments, or localities as required; i) To submit an annual report on consulting activities in November each year using Form No. 03 attached hereto through the national database for standards, metrology, and quality, and to provide urgent reports upon request.”.

12. The following amendments and additions shall be made to Article 23: “Article 23. Cancellation of Capability Declaration 1. Organizations and individuals whose capability declaration is canceled when they fall under any of the following circumstances: a) Dissolution, bankruptcy, or serious violation of current laws; b) Failure to maintain organizational structure and capabilities as declared according to regulations; c) Repeated violations that significantly impact compliance with this Circular, related legal documents, requirements for consulting and certifying organizations, and established consultation and evaluation procedures; d) Use of false information in declaring capability; e) Forgery of consultation or evaluation documentation; f) Failure to comply with inspection and supervision requirements by competent state management agencies; g) Upon request from an organization or individual. 2. Organizations and individuals whose capability declaration is canceled under circumstances specified at points a, b, c, d, and e in paragraph 1 shall only be able to re-declare their consulting and evaluation capabilities after fully rectifying the violations, meeting the provisions of this Circular, and assuming responsibility for compensating losses and returning fees as required by law.”.

Article 24. Capacity of Training Institution 1. Established in accordance with the provisions of law, has training functions; 2. Has a training plan; the training curriculum has been approved by the head of the institution and is in compliance with the provisions at Point 29 and Point 30 of Circular No. 26/2014/TT-BKHCN; 3. Applies the Quality Management System according to National Standard TCVN ISO 9001 for the scope of training; 4. Has sufficient number of instructors as per the approved training plan, with the following capabilities: a) Holds a university degree or above; b) Holds a certificate in administrative management training equivalent to at least Specialist level or a program prescribed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, or has graduated from a specialized administrative studies program at the National Academy of Public Administration; c) In addition to the capabilities specified in sub-paragraph (a) and (b) of this paragraph, instructors providing quality management system consulting have a total work experience of five years or more (from the date of graduation), and have experience in developing the Quality Management System (having provided primary consultation for at least 10 agencies, organizations, or enterprises in establishing the Quality Management System and having been certified and published); instructors providing quality management system evaluation have a total work experience of seven years or more and have experience in evaluating the Quality Management System (having conducted evaluations as head evaluator for at least 20 agencies, organizations, or enterprises).

Article 25. Documentation for Declaration of Training Capacity The training institution seeking to train consultants and evaluators in quality management systems shall prepare one set of documentation and submit it to the competent authority designated to receive such applications in the province or city where the main office of the training institution is located through any of the following methods: directly at a One-Stop Service Window or Administrative Service Center, by post, or online via the National E-Government Portal. The documentation shall include: 1. A declaration of training capacity according to Form No. 02 attached hereto in the Circular; 2. Documentation on the application of the Quality Management System according to National Standard TCVN ISO 9001 for the scope of training; 3. Training plan and one set of training materials prepared in compliance with the provisions at Point 29 or Point 30 of this Circular, approved by the head of the institution.

Article 27. Processing of Declaration of Training Capacity Within five working days from the date of receipt of a valid declaration, the competent authority designated to receive such applications shall record the receipt of the declaration on the training institution's capacity declaration form; in case of submission and processing through an electronic environment, recording is done electronically within the system for receiving and processing applications or on the electronic version of the declaration. In case of non-recording, the training institution shall be notified in writing of the reason.

Article 28. Adjustment of Training Capacity Declaration The adjustment of content in the training capacity declaration applies to cases where a training institution changes its name or contact address and is carried out as follows: 1. The training institution prepares a declaration of training capacity according to Form No. 02 attached hereto in the Circular, submits it to the competent authority designated to receive such applications at the province or city level through any of the following methods: directly at a One-Stop Service Window or Administrative Service Center, by post, or online via the National E-Government Portal. 2. Within three working days from the date of receipt of a valid declaration, the competent authority designated to receive such applications shall record the receipt of the declaration on the training institution's capacity declaration form; in case of submission and processing through an electronic environment, recording is done electronically within the system for receiving and processing applications or on the electronic version of the declaration. In case of non-recording, the training institution shall be notified in writing of the reason.

Article 31. Rights and Obligations of Training Institution 1. Organizes courses in consulting and evaluating quality management systems, issues training certificates according to the declared training capacity that has been recorded; 2. Charges for training fees; 3. Adheres to the training program and content as publicly announced and relevant training regulations under the law; 4. Uses instructors as per the submitted documentation correctly; 5. Keeps complete training records in accordance with legal provisions; 6. Reports the results of each course on the National Database for Standards, Metrology, and Quality. In case of changes in organizational structure or instructors within five working days, the training institution shall notify the authority receiving capacity declaration applications to monitor and manage.

18. Amend and supplement Article 32 as follows: “Article 32. Revocation of Training Capacity Declaration. A training institution shall have its Training Capacity Declaration revoked in any of the following cases: a) Dissolution, bankruptcy, or serious violation of current laws; b) Failure to maintain the organizational structure and capacity declared in accordance with regulations; c) Repeated violations that significantly impact compliance with this Circular, related legal documents, requirements for training institutions, and established procedures; d) Use of false or misleading information in declaring training capacity; e) Forgery of records or training materials; f) Failure to comply with the requirements and regulations on inspection and supervision by competent state management agencies; g) At the request of the training institution. 2. A training institution whose Training Capacity Declaration is revoked under paragraph 1, points a, b, c, d, e shall only be able to re-declare its capacity after fully rectifying violations, complying with this Circular and related legal documents, and assuming responsibility for compensation and refunding costs as prescribed by law.”

19. Amend and supplement paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 41 as follows: “2. Decide whether to engage or not to engage a consultant to guide the development of the Quality Management System according to the contents specified in paragraph 1, Article 7 of this Circular. In cases where engagement is deemed necessary, the agency must select an independent consulting organization and individual consultants who have declared their capacity and are recognized; 4. Continuously monitor the effectiveness of the consultants' and independent experts' Capacity Declarations on the National Database for Standards, Metrology, and Quality throughout the consultation process at the agency.”

20. Amend and supplement paragraph 2 of Article 42 as follows: “2. Continuously monitor the effectiveness of the training institutions' Capacity Declarations in the National Database for Standards, Metrology, and Quality when a ministry, sector, or provincial people's committee engages a certification body to cooperate in inspecting, implementing, maintaining, and improving the Quality Management System at agencies within their respective sectors or regions.”

21. Amend and supplement Article 43 as follows: “Article 43. Duties of the National Standards, Metrology, and Quality Committee and Provincial People's Committees 1. The National Standards, Metrology, and Quality Committee is the lead agency for implementing this Circular. Its duties include detailing implementation procedures within state administrative agencies during the consultation process. 2. Provincial People's Committees shall delegate specialized agencies under their jurisdiction to perform the following tasks: a) Manage, guide, and handle receipt of applications, registration, revocation of consultants' and independent experts' Capacity Declarations, certification bodies, training institutions' Capacity Declarations as prescribed by this Circular; b) Publicly disclose and update information on recognized consultants, independent experts, certification bodies, and training institutions with their Capacity Declarations revoked in the National Database for Standards, Metrology, and Quality; c) Coordinate with relevant agencies to inspect the activities of consulting and evaluation of quality management systems by independent consultants, certification bodies, and training institutions. Also, conduct training for expert consultants and evaluators from training institutions on consultation and evaluation of quality management systems. Handle violations according to this Circular and related legal provisions.”

Article 4. Abolition of Certain Articles, Clauses, Points, Appendices, Forms, and Normative Legal Documents

1. Abolish Article 9, Article 10, Article 14, and Forms 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in Appendix I, Form 7 in Appendix II of Circular No. 22/2013/TT-BKHCN dated September 26, 2013, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on the management of measurement in gold trading and the quality management of jewelry and handicrafts circulating in the market.

2. Abolish Article 15 and Form 5.DNGHPDM in Appendix to Circular No. 23/2013/TT-BKHCN dated September 26, 2013, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on measurement for measuring instruments in group 2.

3. Abolish Article 17, Article 18, Article 19, Article 20, Article 26, and Forms 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 in Appendix I of Circular No. 26/2014/TT-BKHCN.

4. Abolish point c of clause 2 of Article 16 of Circular No. 15/2015/TT-BKHCN dated August 25, 2015, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on measurement, quality in fuel oil trading.

5. Abolish Article 20, Article 25, and Article 26 of Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BKHCN dated October 8, 2024, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology amending and supplementing certain articles in normative legal documents under the authority of the Minister of Science and Technology related to the National Committee for Quality Control.

6. Abolish Article 2 and Article 3 of Circular No. 58/2025/TT-BKHCN dated December 31, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology amending and supplementing certain circulars to reduce and simplify administrative procedures related to production and business activities under the management scope of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

7. Abolish Article 11, Article 12, Part B of Sections II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, and Forms No. 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 in the Appendix of Circular No. 07/2025/TT-BKHCN dated June 20, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on the delegation and definition of authority when organizing a two-tier local government in the field of standards, measurement, quality under the scope of state management of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

8. Abolish Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BKHCN dated November 15, 2013, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on requirements, procedures, and process for recognizing foreign organizations conducting conformity assessment of products and goods according to national technical standards promulgated by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

9. Abolish Circular No. 36/2014/TT-BKHCN dated December 12, 2014, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on training activities for conformity assessment experts and system management experts at certification bodies.

Article 5. Transitional Provisions

1. Organizations providing consulting services, consulting experts, independent consulting experts, certification bodies, assessment experts, and training institutions that have received confirmation from the National Committee for Quality Control or provincial people's committees of being qualified to provide consulting, assessment, and training activities prior to the effective date of this Circular may continue to engage in such activities until the expiration of the validity period of their confirmation letters and expert cards.

2. Training institutions providing training for conformity assessment experts and system management experts that have received approval from competent authorities before the effective date of this Circular may continue to conduct training within the scope and duration specified in the approval letter.

3. Decisions approving models that were extended according to Article 15 of Circular No. 23/2013/TT-BKHCN, as amended by Article 2 of Circular No. 58/2025/TT-BKHCN, shall be adjusted in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article based on the requests from production and import entities of measuring instruments.

4. In cases where organizations or individuals have submitted valid applications before the effective date of this Circular, they may choose to continue processing according to the regulations at the time of submission or transition to the new capability declaration mechanism; receiving authorities shall provide guidance and succession of information and documents without requiring resubmission of previously submitted application components to ensure smooth implementation and avoid unnecessary compliance costs.

Article 6. Enforcement

This Circular shall come into force on the date of issuance.

Article 7. Implementation Responsibility

The Deputy Director of the Office, the Chairman of the National Standards and Quality Committee, the Heads of agencies and units under the Ministry of Science and Technology, and relevant organizations and individuals shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.