FTSE Russell confirms Vietnam market reclassification

FTSE Russell on April 7 published the results of its March semi-annual country classification review for countries monitored by its global equity and fixed income indices. The March interim assessment considered progress in enabling access to global brokers, which is essential to support index replication and meet the needs of the international investment community.

It recognises the progress made by the Vietnamese market authorities in evolving market infrastructure, including the removal of the prefunding requirement for foreign institutional investors through the implementation of a non-prefunding model and the establishment of a formal process for handling failed trades.

Since the September 2025 annual review, Vietnam has continued to advance the development of the Global Broker model. Regulatory bodies, onshore and global brokers, custodians, and buy‑side firms have aligned on the key operational components needed for implementation, with the remaining work focused on finalising bilateral agreements between global and local brokers.

FTSE Russell notes that Vietnam has demonstrated sufficient progress ahead of the planned reclassification in September. It confirmed that Vietnam meets all criteria for secondary emerging market status under the FTSE Equity Country Classification Framework, and will continue to monitor developments closely ahead of the September date.

David Sol, global head of Policy at FTSE Russell, said, "We welcome the continued progress made by the Vietnamese market authorities in aligning with international standards. The March interim review confirms that the key enhancements required to support the planned reclassification in September 2026 remain on track.”

To support an orderly transition and accommodate local market capacity considerations, Vietnam’s inclusion in FTSE Russell’s global equity indices will be implemented in multiple tranches, beginning in September and concluding in 2027.

FTSE Russell clarifies Vietnam’s reclassification roadmap for 2026 FTSE Russell has released the plan to implement the reclassification of Vietnam from frontier to secondary emerging market status.

Vietnam steps up market reforms as FTSE Russell reviews upgrade progress On February 5 at the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Deputy Minister Nguyen Duc Chi received a working delegation from FTSE Russell, led by CEO Fiona Bassett.

SSC steps up engagement with FTSE Russell on market reforms The State Securities Commission of Vietnam is strengthening its engagement with FTSE Russell to advance market reforms and deepen Vietnam’s integration into global capital markets.