On 6 April 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 127/2026/ND-CP on quality management and policies for the development of Halal products and services, which officially came into force on 1 June 2026. This marks the first time Vietnam has adopted a normative legal document at the decree level that comprehensively regulates the Halal ecosystem, covering quality requirements, labelling and traceability, as well as testing, certification and the handling of violations.
Under the Decree, Halal products placed on the Vietnamese market must comply with the declared applicable standards. Raw materials and additives must not contain Haram or Najis components, while animal-derived raw materials must come from Halal sources and be slaughtered in accordance with the prescribed procedures. The overarching management principle is to ensure transparency and traceability throughout the entire supply chain, with risk-based controls applied at stages that may affect Halal integrity.
The seafood processing chain is one of Vietnam’s key sectors for adopting Halal standards.
Notably, the Decree devotes an entire chapter to policies supporting the sector’s development. The Ministry of Science and Technology is tasked with leading efforts to promote mutual recognition agreements on Halal conformity assessment with international organizations and markets. Businesses participating in international Halal fairs and exhibitions will also be eligible for financial support under national trade promotion programmes. In parallel, the Ministry is developing 17 additional national Halal standards to harmonize Vietnam’s framework with international standards.
This policy was introduced immediately after the Vietnam Halal Tourism Conference 2026 in Khanh Hoa concluded on 8 July with several international cooperation memoranda of understanding signed. This shows that Vietnam is simultaneously strengthening its legal framework and partner network to participate more deeply in the global Halal economy, which is projected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2030.
Meanwhile, Malaysia continues to consolidate its leading position in the region. It has retained the top position in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2026 for the 11th consecutive year, with a score of 83. At the same time, the MATTA Muslim-Friendly Travel Fair 2026 has opened in Kuala Lumpur with its largest edition to date, while the Borneo International Halal Showcase (BIHAS) 2026 will take place in Kuching from 21 to 23 July, aiming to position Sarawak as a new regional Halal hub. These developments show that competition to attract the Halal market across ASEAN is intensifying, providing further impetus for Vietnam to accelerate the development of its own ecosystem.
Muslim-friendly travel is growing rapidly across the region.
Sources: Vietnam Government Electronic Information Portal, LuatVietnam, Industry and Trade Magazine, Culture Newspaper, VCCI WTO Center, Travel And Tour World, The Star, DayakDaily.
