Civil Judgment Enforcement from July 1, 2026: 5 Key Changes Every Winning Party Must Know

23-05-26 MTParners

On July 1, 2026, the Law on Civil Judgment Enforcement No. 106/2025/QH15 (the 2025 CJEL) officially takes effect, replacing the previous law after 17 years of implementation. Alongside it, Decree 152/2026/ND-CP — issued on May 13, 2026 — provides detailed implementing guidelines, creating a comprehensive new legal framework for enforcing civil court judgments. Whether you are involved in a contract dispute, a damages claim, or a property dispute, these changes directly affect your rights after winning a case.

1. NEW ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL: REGIONAL CIVIL JUDGMENT ENFORCEMENT OFFICES

One of the most structurally significant changes is the reorganization of the civil judgment enforcement (CJE) system into a single-tier model. Specifically, Regional Civil Judgment Enforcement Offices (Regional CJE Offices) are established in parallel with the Regional People’s Courts that have been operating since July 1, 2025.

The Head of the Regional CJE Office simultaneously holds the role of Chief Enforcement Officer — directly responsible for the timeliness and effectiveness of enforcement within their jurisdiction. This addresses the long-standing problem where many areas lacked a clearly accountable authority, causing judgments to remain unenforced for years.

For individuals and businesses: after July 1, 2026, when requesting enforcement of a judgment, you must file your application at the Regional CJE Office with jurisdiction over the debtor’s place of residence or registered office — no longer at the district-level CJE sub-department as before.

2. SUBMITTING ENFORCEMENT REQUESTS ONLINE VIA VNeID AND THE NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE PORTAL

This is the most significant milestone for ordinary citizens: from July 1, 2026, parties to a judgment may submit enforcement requests entirely online through:

The VNeID application (national digital identity)
The National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn)
The Ministry of Justice’s centralized administrative procedure system
The dedicated CJE digital platform

Notifications regarding the enforcement process — from asset verification results and enforcement schedules to fund distribution outcomes — will also be served via VNeID. The date the application confirms delivery is the legally valid date of service.

This digital channel does not replace in-person filing for those without access to digital devices. Both channels operate in parallel to ensure universal accessibility.

3. NEW RULES ON DEADLINES AND “RETURNING” ENFORCEMENT FILES

The 2025 CJEL introduces an important provision for cases where “no enforcement conditions exist”: if, after 02 years from the date the CJE Office issues a decision on lack of enforcement conditions and has conducted verification but found no new information about the debtor’s assets, the file is “returned” to the creditor.

When the debtor subsequently acquires assets (e.g., new income or property), the creditor may request enforcement to resume under Article 34 of the 2025 CJEL. Crucially, the enforcement statute of limitations is not counted during the period in which the creditor has not yet filed a request to resume enforcement — ensuring that winning parties do not lose their rights even over extended periods.

This is a significant improvement over the old law, under which many creditors either lost their rights or found themselves in an indefinite “suspended judgment” situation due to unawareness of their entitlements.

4. HANDLING TEMPORARILY SEIZED FUNDS AND MANAGEMENT OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

Two issues that have generated considerable controversy in court practice — management of physical evidence and temporarily seized funds — have been addressed more clearly by the 2025 CJEL.

Regarding physical evidence: all evidence in a case continues to be held in storage by the People’s Police or People’s Army until the court’s judgment becomes legally effective — preventing the “passing around” of evidence that previously led to loss or mishandling.

Regarding temporarily seized funds: if, after 05 years of temporary seizure, the CJE Office has not received a court judgment or ruling, the funds are remitted to the state budget. However, if a judgment is subsequently received, the CJE Office is required to recover those funds from the state budget for enforcement — protecting the rights of the judgment creditor.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The changes effective July 1, 2026 have clear implications across multiple groups:

Individual judgment creditors in property disputes, contract claims, or damages cases: faster access to the CJE Office through online filing; immediate notifications via VNeID instead of waiting days for paper service.
Businesses with multiple judgments pending enforcement simultaneously: significant advantage from the digital platform — track the progress of multiple files from a single interface, substantially reducing administrative costs.
Judgment debtors: should be aware that notifications via VNeID carry full legal validity — it will no longer be possible to invoke “non-receipt of notice” as grounds to delay fulfillment of obligations.
Lawyers and legal representatives: must update digital authorization procedures; pay particular attention to the mechanism for resuming enforcement requests and the statute of limitations under Article 34 of the 2025 CJEL.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES

Before July 1, 2026, parties involved in ongoing civil enforcement proceedings should take the following steps immediately:

Install and fully activate a Level-2 VNeID account (biometric authentication) to receive notifications and submit requests online from July 1, 2026.
Review existing enforcement files: identify any files with a “no enforcement conditions” status and calculate the 2-year deadline to proactively request resumption of enforcement when needed.
For businesses: review authorization procedures for enforcement matters and add digital power of attorney clauses to legal services agreements.
Consult a lawyer regarding the territorial jurisdiction of the new Regional CJE Office — to avoid filing with the wrong authority following the reorganization.

MT & Partners Law Firm, with a team of experienced lawyers specializing in civil litigation and judgment enforcement, is ready to accompany you at every stage — from filing a lawsuit and attending trial to enforcing a winning judgment. We stay fully updated on the new regulations under the 2025 CJEL to maximize the protection of our clients’ rights.

Hotline: 0987140772 | Email: info@mtpartners.vn | Website: www.mtpartners.vn

(*) This article is for general reference only and does not constitute specific legal advice.

Keywords: civil judgment enforcement 2026, Law on Civil Judgment Enforcement 106/2025/QH15, Decree 152/2026/ND-CP, enforcement request via VNeID, online enforcement filing, Regional CJE Office, civil judgment enforcement procedure, rights of winning party, civil disputes Vietnam court