{"id":13739,"date":"2026-01-09T14:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T07:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/?p=13739"},"modified":"2026-01-09T14:39:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T07:39:07","slug":"decree-no-356-2025-nd-cp-which-enterprises-are-exempt-from-personal-data-procedures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/decree-no-356-2025-nd-cp-which-enterprises-are-exempt-from-personal-data-procedures\/","title":{"rendered":"Decree No. 356\/2025\/ND-CP: Which enterprises are exempt from personal data procedures?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>According to the latest regulations, micro-enterprises, household businesses, and startups are eligible for exemptions or deferrals regarding certain mandatory personal data protection procedures for a period of <strong>five years<\/strong>. However, these benefits do not apply to entities directly processing sensitive data, providing data processing services, or handling data <strong>from 100,000 or more data subjects<\/strong>. Correctly identifying a business&#8217;s status helps the business optimize operating costs while ensuring legal compliance during the digital transformation phase.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13722\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13722\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13722\" src=\"http:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-pixabay-265087-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-pixabay-265087-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-pixabay-265087-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-pixabay-265087-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-pixabay-265087-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-pixabay-265087-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13722\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: pexels-pixabay-265087<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #a32411;color:#a32411\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #a32411;color:#a32411\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/decree-no-356-2025-nd-cp-which-enterprises-are-exempt-from-personal-data-procedures\/#1_Small_Enterprises_Startups_and_Personal_Data_Compliance\" >1. Small Enterprises, Startups, and Personal Data Compliance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/decree-no-356-2025-nd-cp-which-enterprises-are-exempt-from-personal-data-procedures\/#2_Enterprises_are_exempted_from_personal_data_procedures\" >2. Enterprises are exempted from personal data procedures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/decree-no-356-2025-nd-cp-which-enterprises-are-exempt-from-personal-data-procedures\/#SEND_CONSULTATION_REQUEST\" >SEND CONSULTATION REQUEST<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Small_Enterprises_Startups_and_Personal_Data_Compliance\"><\/span>1. Small Enterprises, Startups, and Personal Data Compliance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As part of the policy to encourage and create favorable conditions for small enterprises, Decree 356\/2025\/ND-CP (providing guidance on the Law on Personal Data Protection) clearly stipulates that certain groups of enterprises are granted a specific roadmap for implementing personal data procedures over a designated period. Accordingly, small enterprises and startups have the right to choose whether or not to implement the following procedures:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Preparation of Personal Data Processing Impact Assessment dossiers: <\/strong>This includes Data Controllers and Data Controllers-cum-Processors, who are not required to establish, store, or submit Personal Data Processing Impact Assessment dossiers to the specialized data protection authority.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Updating Personal Data Processing Impact Assessment dossiers and Transfer Impact Assessment dossiers for cross-border data transfers<\/strong>: Normally, these dossiers must be updated every six months when changes occur, or updated immediately in cases prescribed by law.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Organizing a personal data protection force<\/strong>: This includes establishing departments or appointing personnel with sufficient capacity for personal data protection, or hiring organizations\/individuals to provide personal data protection services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The roadmap prescribed by law provides a 5-year grace period from the effective date of the Law on Personal Data Protection. This does not apply to small enterprises and startups that engage in personal data processing services, directly process sensitive personal data, or process personal data from the point they reach a scale of 100,000 data subjects or more, based on the cumulative total of processed personal data.<\/p>\n<p>From a risk management perspective, although Decree No. 336\/2025\/ND-CP grants small enterprises and startups the right to <strong>&#8216;defer&#8217;<\/strong> the implementation of impact assessment dossiers for 5 years, we always recommend that clients should not remain sidelined. Accordingly, there are three key reasons why businesses should consider implementing compliance from the very beginning:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The &#8220;Sensitive Data&#8221; Barrier:\u00a0<\/strong>The line between non-sensitive and sensitive data is extremely thin. A single instance of collecting geolocation data or payment information is enough to immediately invalidate your exemption status.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Advantage of Working with Major Partners: <\/strong>Multinational corporations and investment funds always prioritize data protection standards as a prerequisite during Due Diligence. Possessing a methodical Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) serves as a &#8220;passport,&#8221; allowing startups to prove their management capabilities and professionalism.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Pressure of Reaching the 100,000 Data Subject Threshold: <\/strong>Given the growth trajectory of startups, reaching 100,000 data subjects can happen very quickly. If a business waits until hitting this threshold to start building a compliance system, it will face operational disruptions and exorbitant transition costs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Therefore, consider these five years as a period for foundation-building rather than a reason for delay. Preparing the compliance dossiers now will enable businesses to proactively manage operational risks when they no longer qualify for exemptions or as they progress through the implementation roadmap.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Enterprises_are_exempted_from_personal_data_procedures\"><\/span>2. Enterprises are exempted from personal data procedures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For micro-enterprises, compliance is not required with respect to the following obligations: (i) conducting personal data protection impact assessments; (ii) updating personal data protection impact assessment dossiers and cross-border personal data transfer impact assessment dossiers; and (iii) establishing a specialized department or appointing personnel with adequate data protection expertise, or engaging external organizations or individuals to provide personal data protection services.<\/p>\n<p>However, this exemption <strong>shall not apply<\/strong> to micro-enterprises engaged in personal data processing services, directly processing sensitive personal data, or processing personal data from the point they reach a scale of 100,000 personal data subjects or more, based on the cumulative results of the total volume of personal data processed.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the <strong>Law on Support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises<\/strong> is under review for public comment to provide a basis for adjusting the criteria for small and micro-enterprises to align with new digital economy and cybersecurity standards. This means that the defining boundaries of a &#8216;micro-enterprise&#8217; may change, leading to either a narrowing or an expansion of the entities eligible for data procedure exemptions. Therefore, as with the above, from the perspective of a legal consulting firm, we recommend that businesses establish a plan to strictly control the storage and processing of both their own and their customers&#8217; personal data.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Advice from CDLAF: <\/strong>Many startups today in sectors such as finance, e-commerce, and healthcare may assume that being a small enterprise entitles them to an exemption. However, these businesses often overlook the fact that their products directly process financial or health data\u2014both of which are classified as <strong>sensitive personal data.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At CDLAF, our advice is that businesses must conduct <strong>\u201cData Classification\u201d<\/strong> before deciding whether or not to prepare a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) dossier. If a business fail to submit the dossier, believing you are exempt, but an inspection proves that you are processing sensitive data or have exceeded the threshold of 100,000 data subjects, the penalties will be severe due to the systematic nature of the violation. Therefore, an &#8216;administrative exemption&#8217; does not equate to an &#8216;exemption from the legal responsibility to protect personal data&#8217;.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Advisory email<\/strong> info@cdlaf.vn<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Hotline:<\/strong> (+84) 909 668 216<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Time<\/em><\/strong><strong><em> of writing<\/em><\/strong><em>: 02\/01\/2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The article contains general information which is of reference value, in case you want to receive legal opinions on issues you need clarification on, please get in touch with our Lawyer \u00a0at\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>info@cdlaf.vn<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-post-nd\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5519 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/CHUONG-TRINH-THANG.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/CHUONG-TRINH-THANG.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/CHUONG-TRINH-THANG-720x400.png 720w, https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/CHUONG-TRINH-THANG-768x427.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-post-nd\">\n<p><strong>Why choose CDLAF\u2019s service?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"li-content\">\n<li>We provide effective and comprehensive legal solutions that help you save money and maintain compliance in your business;<\/li>\n<li>We continue to monitor your legal matters even after the service is completed and update you when there are any changes in the Vietnamese legal system;<\/li>\n<li>Our system of forms and processes related to labor and personnel is continuously built and updated and will be provided as soon as the customer requests it;<\/li>\n<li>As a Vietnamese law firm, we have a thorough understanding of Vietnam&#8217;s legal regulations, and grasp the psychology of employees, employers, and working methods at competent authorities;<\/li>\n<li>CDLAF&#8217;s team of lawyers has many years of experience in the field of labor and enterprises, as well as human resources and financial advisory.<\/li>\n<li>Strict information security procedures throughout the service performance and even after the service is completed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong style=\"color: #a32411;\">You can refer for more information:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/2026-update-cross-border-data-transfer-under-decree-no-336-2025-nd-cp-regulations-and-compliance-procedures\/\">Cross-Border Personal Data Transfers \u2013 Procedural Steps to Be Implemented under Decree No. 3362025ND-CP<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/rights-of-personal-data-subjects-and-methods-of-obtaining-consent-under-decree-no-336-2025-nd-cp\/\">Rights of Personal Data Subjects and methods of obtaining consent under Decree No. 336\/2025\/ND-CP<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/differentiating-between-business-license-to-provide-cyber-information-security-services-and-product-and-business-license-for-civil-cryptography-products-and-services-confusions-to-eliminate\/\">Differentiating between Business License to provide cyber information security services and product and Business License for Civil Cryptography Products and Services: Confusions to Eliminate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/execution-of-electronic-labor-contracts-compliance-conditions-and-implementation-process\/\">Execution of Electronic Labor Contracts: Compliance Conditions and Implementation Process<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/impacts-of-decree-no-337-2025-nd-cp-on-electronic-labour-contracts\/\">Impacts of Decree No. 337\/2025\/N\u0110-CP on Electronic Labour Contracts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/essential-clauses-in-an-overseas-foreign-party-processing-contract\/\">Essential clauses in an overseas processing contracts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" id=\"wpcf7-f2681-o1\" lang=\"en-US\" dir=\"ltr\" data-wpcf7-id=\"2681\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\"><p role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\"><\/p> <ul><\/ul><\/div>\n<form action=\"\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13739#wpcf7-f2681-o1\" method=\"post\" class=\"wpcf7-form init\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" novalidate=\"novalidate\" data-status=\"init\">\n<fieldset class=\"hidden-fields-container\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7\" value=\"2681\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_version\" value=\"6.1.5\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" value=\"en_US\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" value=\"wpcf7-f2681-o1\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" value=\"0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" value=\"\" \/>\n<\/fieldset>\n<h2 class=\"tt-form\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEND_CONSULTATION_REQUEST\"><\/span>SEND CONSULTATION REQUEST\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><label>Full name<\/label><br \/>\n<span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"full-name\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"full-name\" \/><\/span><br \/>\n<label>Email<\/label><br \/>\n<span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"email\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-email wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-email\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" value=\"\" type=\"email\" name=\"email\" \/><\/span><br \/>\n<label>Phone Number<\/label><br \/>\n<span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"phone\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-tel wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-tel\" aria-invalid=\"false\" value=\"\" type=\"tel\" name=\"phone\" \/><\/span><br \/>\n<label>Message<\/label><br \/>\n<span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"coment\"><textarea cols=\"40\" rows=\"10\" maxlength=\"2000\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-textarea\" aria-invalid=\"false\" name=\"coment\"><\/textarea><\/span><br \/>\n<input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner btn-yellow\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Send\" \/>\n<\/p><div class=\"wpcf7-response-output\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the latest regulations, micro-enterprises, household businesses, and startups are eligible for exemptions or deferrals regarding certain mandatory personal data protection procedures for a period of five years. However, these benefits do not apply to entities directly processing sensitive data, providing data processing services, or handling data from 100,000 or more data subjects. Correctly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13722,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13739"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13741,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13739\/revisions\/13741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdlaf.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}