According to the Statistics Department under the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam’s outbound investment in 2025 exceeded US$1.36 billion, up 88.7 percent year-on-year. A total of 173 new overseas projects were licensed with US$1 billion in registered capital, while 32 projects increased their investment by US$360.8 million, more than triple the previous year’s level.
After a year dominated by small exploratory projects in 2024, outbound investment rebounded sharply in 2025, with additional capital rising 8.2 times, led by VinFast, Vinamilk and Viet Phuong Group in Indonesia, Laos, and the Philippines.
2025 marked a standout year for the group’s overseas investments, generating an estimated US$450–500 million in repatriated profits as operations in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos moved into a full profit phase, lifting Viettel Global’s cumulative capital returned to Vietnam to nearly US$4 billion.
Based on profits repatriated, overseas revenue scale and control of technology and branding, Viettel (via Viettel Global) continues to hold the leading position.
A major highlight of 2025 was VinFast’s December 15 inauguration of its electric vehicle plant in Subang, West Java. Built in just 17 months, the 171-hectare facility has a designed capacity of 50,000 vehicles annually.
With over US$1.2 billion committed, more than US$300 million has already been disbursed, and localization in Indonesia is set to reach 40 percent in 2026, positioning itself to compete with Chinese and Japanese automakers.
In 2025, Vietnamese technology enterprises expanded into advanced markets through mergers and acquisitions in Japan and Europe, aiming to acquire know-how, client networks, and core technologies.
Looking ahead, analysts forecast outbound investment to reach US$1.5 billion in 2026, driven by clean energy and semiconductors. Regulatory reforms under the amended Investment Law, shifting from pre-approval to post-review, are expected to further accelerate overseas expansion, cutting costs and timelines for businesses seeking to “go global.”
The removal of investment policy approval requirements for most outbound investment projects, except for those of special importance affecting national security, politics, or involving exceptionally large public funds, could save businesses at least six months in opportunity costs.
Regulations governing capital transfers and profit utilization have also been relaxed, granting enterprises greater autonomy to determine the form, scale, and timing of overseas capital transfers based on their financial commitments and foreign currency balancing capacity.
Companies are now allowed to reinvest profits from existing projects into new ones without undergoing the complex approval procedures previously required. At the same time, lists of prohibited and conditional business sectors have been clarified and made more transparent, helping businesses avoid unintended legal risks.
Since March 2025, the integration of the General Statistics Office into the Ministry of Finance has strengthened unified oversight of capital movements; however, additional measures are required to support enterprises’ overseas expansion.
The EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) has not yet fully taken effect, with six European countries still in the review process.
Amid global uncertainties, businesses require enhanced risk-mitigation mechanisms, including overseas investment support funds and political risk insurance instruments.
State authorities are encouraged to implement targeted policies to guide investment flows toward projects with strong potential to generate technological gains and profit repatriation.
