This is stated in the State Bank of Vietnam’s (SBV) Circular No 38/2014/TT-NHNN, which was issued on December 8, and takes effect on February 1, 2015. 

The circular requires foreign investors’ pledges to own stakes of 10 percent or more in the credit institutions, as well as their involvement in helping the institutions to apply modern technology, develop products and services, and enhance management capacity. 

The regulation related to technology, products and services, as well as management support will also be applied in case the foreigners acquire stakes in fragile credit institutions, which are defined or put under special supervision by the SBV. 

The circular also stipulates procedures for specific cases where foreigners buy shares to hold at least five percent or 10 percent of the credit institutions’ equity. 

Providing guidelines for Decree 01/2014/ND-CP, issued last March, on foreign investors buying stakes in Vietnamese lending institutions, the new document replaces Circular No 07/2007/TT-NHNN that the central bank issued seven years ago.