From 1 July 2025, Fire Safety Law 55/2024 came into full effect, shifting the compliance model from pre-approval to post-inspection. Project owners, contractors and facility operators now bear direct legal responsibility for fire safety compliance — no prior submission or approval is required before construction or operation begins. The fire authority will inspect after the fact. This article sets out how to prepare a self-certification fire safety dossier that meets the new requirements.
1. The fundamental shift — from pre-approval to post-inspection
Before 1 July 2025, the vast majority of projects were required to go through a "fire safety design review" and a formal "fire safety acceptance" conducted by the Police Fire Service. From 1 July 2025:
| Aspect | Before 1 July 2025 | From 1 July 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Pre-approval — submit dossier, wait for approval | Post-inspection — self-certify, authority inspects afterwards |
| Responsibility | Fire authority confirms each step | Project owner / contractor bears direct legal responsibility |
| Terminology | "Fire safety design review" | Term no longer used — replaced by "technical assessment" only when required |
| Dossier submission | Mandatory before construction / commissioning | Not required to be submitted in advance — but must be available for inspection at all times |
Post-inspection does not mean "nothing needs to be done." The project owner must still ensure full compliance — and if an incident occurs or the fire authority requests an inspection, an incomplete or inadequate dossier will result in more serious penalties than under the previous model.
2. What must the self-certification fire safety dossier contain?
Under Decree 105/2025, the self-certification dossier must include:
2.1 Fire safety design documentation
- Technical design drawings for all fire safety systems (alarm, suppression, smoke control, egress)
- Design specification with calculations based on applicable QCVN / standards
- Equipment catalogues and certificates of conformity
- Technical justification report if a foreign standard is applied
2.2 Construction and internal acceptance documentation
- Construction logs and partial acceptance certificates
- System commissioning test results (fire alarm commissioning, sprinkler flush test, smoke control functional test)
- Overall acceptance certificate signed by the project owner / main contractor
2.3 Operations and emergency response documentation
- Fire Emergency Response Plan — mandatory
- Scheduled inspection and maintenance procedures for all fire protection systems
- List of on-site fire safety personnel and their training certificates
3. When the authority requests a review
Under Law 55/2024, the fire authority may require the facility operator or project owner to defend the fire safety design dossier at any time, particularly:
- Scheduled periodic inspections (annual plan)
- Following a fire or explosion incident at the facility
- Upon complaint regarding fire safety
- At the request of the insurer or a foreign equity investor
The dossier should be maintained in a complete and well-organised form — ready to be presented to the competent authority on request.
4. The role of a fire safety consultant under the post-inspection model
In the view of many practitioners, the role of an independent fire safety consultant remains essential under post-inspection for the following reasons:
- The project owner's direct legal exposure may be greater than under the old pre-approval model
- The technical dossier must be robust enough to withstand scrutiny by the fire authority, a court, or an insurer — without any prior authority endorsement
- Where international standards (NFPA, EN) are applied, independent expertise is required to prepare a technically defensible equivalency report
- Post-inspection audits may come without notice; a well-organised, up-to-date dossier is the project owner's primary protection
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the post-inspection model apply to existing buildings?
Fire Safety Law 55/2024 and Decree 105/2025 apply to both new projects and existing facilities. Existing buildings that have already obtained fire safety acceptance under the previous model are not required to resubmit — however, any renovation, change of use, or system replacement triggers the obligation to prepare an updated self-certification dossier.
How long must the dossier be retained?
The dossier must be retained for the operational life of the building. Fire safety documentation — including original design drawings, commissioning records, and maintenance logs — must be available for presentation to the fire authority on demand at any time during the facility's operational life.
Need help preparing a self-certification fire safety dossier?
VIETSAFE E&C provides end-to-end dossier preparation — design, calculations, commissioning support, and bilingual documentation.
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