Vietnam / MST

Vietnam replaced its mobile EMC standard; old certificates expire 1st January 2027.

Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) issued Circular No. 52/2025/TT-BKHCN on 31st December 2025, bringing in QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN — the new national technical regulation on electromagnetic compatibility for terminal and ancillary equipment in mobile communication systems. It took effect 15th February 2026, replacing QCVN 86:2019/BTTTT (mobile phones and terrestrial mobile terminal equipment) and QCVN 18:2022/BTTTT (5G terminal equipment). A transition period runs to 31st December 2026; from 1st January 2027, compliance with the new standard is mandatory.

Last updated 28th August 2026 · By Vas Parshin and Anabel Amar

Vietnam QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN — Mandatory for Mobile Terminals from 1st January 2027

15th Feb 2026QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN takes effect

31st Dec 2026Transition period ends — either standard accepted until then

1st Jan 2027New standard becomes mandatory

What actually changed

QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN consolidates and updates the EMC requirements that used to sit across two separate regulations: QCVN 86:2019/BTTTT for mobile phones and terrestrial mobile terminal equipment, and QCVN 18:2022/BTTTT for 5G terminal equipment. Rather than a hard cutover, MST built in a transition window — from 16th February 2026 to 31st December 2026, manufacturers can certify a covered device under either the new standard or the regulation it replaces. From 1st January 2027, only QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN applies to new certifications.

A smartphone inside a shielded test enclosure — Illustration: a phone under electromagnetic compatibility testing.

The part worth planning around now

As of the standard's publication, no testing laboratory had yet been designated or recognised to test against QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN specifically — a gap that matters more than the headline dates, because a transition window is only useful if a lab that can actually run the new test method exists before it closes. Manufacturers relying on the transition period to keep shipping under the old standard should treat lab-designation status as a live thing to check, not something to assume is settled by the time 2027 arrives.

Who this actually lands on

Any manufacturer or importer placing a mobile phone, terrestrial mobile terminal, or 5G terminal device on the Vietnamese market. A device already certified under QCVN 86:2019/BTTTT or QCVN 18:2022/BTTTT keeps that certification's validity for as long as the transition period allows a new filing under the old standard, but every certification submitted from 1st January 2027 needs to go through QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN instead — there is no grandfathering of the old regulation past that date for new filings.

Where we fit

Shipping a mobile-connected device into Vietnam alongside other APAC markets means tracking a different EMC/RF regime on a different clock for each one — Vietnam's QCVN 86 transition sits alongside South Korea's USB-C mandate, Singapore's IMDA cellular rules, and China's RoHS phase-in on our own tracker. We fold the QCVN 86 transition-window check into the same market-access review we run for the rest of APAC, so it's one process per product, not a separate one per country.

Questions

What is QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN?

It is Vietnam's national technical regulation on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for terminal and ancillary equipment in mobile information systems, issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) under Circular No. 52/2025/TT-BKHCN (31st December 2025) and taking effect 15th February 2026. It replaces QCVN 86:2019/BTTTT for mobile phones and terrestrial mobile terminal equipment, and QCVN 18:2022/BTTTT for 5G terminal equipment.

When does compliance with the new standard become mandatory?

QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN is in effect from 15th February 2026, but a transition period runs to 31st December 2026 during which manufacturers may certify a device under either the new standard or the prior applicable regulation. From 1st January 2027, all covered mobile terminal devices must comply with QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN.

Which devices does the standard cover?

Terminal and ancillary equipment in mobile communication systems, including mobile phones and terrestrial mobile terminal equipment previously covered by QCVN 86:2019/BTTTT, and 5G terminal equipment previously covered by QCVN 18:2022/BTTTT.

Do existing QCVN 86:2019/BTTTT or QCVN 18:2022/BTTTT certificates still work?

During the transition period (16th February 2026 to 31st December 2026), a device may still be certified under the old standard. From 1st January 2027 that route closes for new certifications — new devices reaching the Vietnamese market from that date need to be certified against QCVN 86:2025/BKHCN.