Following the issuance of Decree No. 127/2026/ND-CP by the Government, Vietnam now has, for the first time, a unified legal framework regulating the certification and development of Halal products and services at the national level. This article analyzes Vietnam’s new Halal governance structure through four pillars: the Ministry of Science and Technology acting as the focal point for state management; a certification system operating according to international technical standards (TCVN 13888); the inclusion of the Muslim community in a legally mandated consultative role instead of holding decision-making power as in some other countries; and a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) mechanism to pave the way for Vietnamese goods to access the international Halal market. Unlike models based on religious authority, Vietnam chooses a path where the secular State plays a central regulatory role. In contrast, religious legitimacy is ensured through the institutionalization of the consultation process. Based on this, the article proposes four main policy directions: strengthening religious consultation mechanisms, increasing the capacity of the national accreditation and certification system, developing scientific verification and risk management infrastructure, and promoting a transnational accreditation strategy.

Keywords: Halal governance, Vietnam, Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Halal certification, religious consultation, transnational accreditation.