Viet Nam has drafted new national technical regulations to standardize safety, performance, and quality requirements for fire protection and rescue equipment.<\/p>\n
Viet Nam’s Ministry of Public Security has put a revised draft circular before its minister for signature that would bring in a new national technical regulation for fire protection and rescue equipment, QCVN 03:2026\/BCA, for goods made, assembled or imported in Viet Nam from a start date in 20271<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The new rule would replace QCVN 03:2023\/BCA, the regulation in force since 2023, and the circular that issued it, Circular No. 56\/2023\/TT-BCA of Oct. 30, 20231<\/a><\/sup>. The draft was written by the ministry’s Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department, which also notified it to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in April2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n In short, Viet Nam is updating the safety tests that fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinkler heads and similar goods must pass. It is also dropping the old rule that each product needed a permit before sale, and replacing it with testing, an online product declaration and checks after the goods are on the market.<\/p>\n The draft regulation sets technical requirements, test methods and the number of samples to test for fire protection and rescue equipment2<\/a><\/sup>. It also sets rules on testing and approval, sampling, labelling and tracing<\/strong> the goods back to their maker2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Under the draft circular, equipment made, assembled or imported from the start date must meet QCVN 03:2026\/BCA<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. The maker or importer must also complete testing and approval, declare that the product meets the regulation, file product information, label the goods and keep records to trace them1<\/a><\/sup>. The level of these duties depends on how risky the product is1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The regulation has four main parts and annexes: general rules, technical requirements for each product, management rules, and implementation3<\/a><\/sup>. The management part covers testing and approval, the information declaration, labelling and checks after sale3<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The department gives two main reasons in its submission to the minister. First, Viet Nam’s laws on fire safety, product quality and technical standards have changed a great deal since 20233<\/a><\/sup>. Second, new kinds of fire and rescue equipment are now made, imported and used in Viet Nam, but the current regulation does not cover them3<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Many of the standards the 2023 regulation refers to, including ISO, EN and NFPA standards, have also been revised or replaced3<\/a><\/sup>. The department says the rewrite will bring Vietnamese rules closer to international standards and cut the cost of following the rules for businesses3<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The ministry’s explanatory report stresses safety. Fire and rescue equipment only proves its worth in an emergency, and a small quality fault can mean a fire is not brought under control4<\/a><\/sup>. The report also points to fast urban growth, more industrial zones, warehouses and high-rise buildings, and more extreme weather4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The WTO notification gives the purpose as protection of human health or safety<\/strong> and quality requirements2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Viet Nam’s rules for these goods have changed twice in a short time. The National Assembly passed Law No. 55\/2024\/QH15 on fire prevention, firefighting and rescue on Nov. 29, 2024, and it took effect on July 1, 20254<\/a><\/sup>. Under that law, fire and rescue equipment made in Viet Nam must meet the declared standards and technical regulations before it is sold4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The government then issued Decree No. 105\/2025\/ND-CP on May 15, 20254<\/a><\/sup>. Its Article 23 set up a circulation permit<\/strong>, a licence each listed product needed before going on the market4<\/a><\/sup>. That permit replaced the earlier system, in which every shipment had to be inspected before sale4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Now the permit itself is going. On June 27, 2026, the Government Office told the ministry, in Official Letter No. 6135\/VPCP-CDS, to amend Decree 105 quickly and abolish the permit procedure4<\/a><\/sup>. The ministry has drafted that amending decree, which would replace the permit with an information declaration and quality checks during production, import and sale4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The draft moves from checks before sale to checks after sale. In the department’s words, management shifts from inspection and circulation permits to testing and approval, information declaration and post-market checks<\/strong>3<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\nWhat is Viet Nam changing for fire equipment?<\/h2>\n
Why is the Ministry of Public Security rewriting QCVN 03?<\/h2>\n
How did the fire equipment rules get here?<\/h2>\n
From permit to declaration<\/h4>\n
How will fire equipment reach the market without a permit?<\/h2>\n
Getting fire equipment on sale, old rule and new<\/h4>\n