Investment Policy Monitor
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The Investment Policy Monitor provides the international investment community with up-to-date, country-specific information on recent policy developments affecting foreign direct investment (FDI).
Through its ongoing monitoring of investment policy changes, UNCTAD delivers cutting-edge and forward-looking contributions to investment policy discourse. The Monitor also supports evidence-based policymaking aimed at ensuring that foreign investment contributes to sustainable development. The Monitor also informs the analysis of global and regional investment policy trends featured in the World Investment Report, the Investment Policy Monitor publications and the joint UNCTAD-OECD Reports on G20 Investment Measures.
UNCTAD has tracked changes in national policies affecting FDI on an annual basis since 1992. Over time, the methodology has been revised to enhance the quality and consistency of reporting. The most recent revision, completed in 2024, further refined the monitoring framework and applied the updated classification to policy measures dating back to 2012.
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UNCTAD Investment Policy Monitor The UNCTAD Investment Policy Monitor database compiles official measures affecting FDI adopted by United Nations Member States. These encompass measures explicitly targeting foreign investment (FDI-specific), as well as general investment measures that have a clear impact on such investment (FDI-related).
The measures are either reported directly to UNCTAD by Member States through annual surveys or identified by UNCTAD researchers through publicly accessible sources (such as government websites and specialized policy databases).
The classification of measures as more or less favourable to investors is based solely on their potential impact on investors. The type of measures included in each category are described below. This classification does not reflect any value judgement by UNCTAD on the merit or suitability of the measure.
Classification of the nature of measures
More favourable to investors
Liberalization: includes privatization; lifting of entry restrictions (e.g. opening of sectors to FDI) and entry conditions (e.g. minimum capital requirement); removal (total or partial) of FDI screening or approval mechanisms; lifting of foreign exchange restrictions; liberalization of land access.
Facilitation: includes streamlining of investment procedures (e.g. one-stop shops); greater transparency of investment-related laws and procedures (e.g. information portals); introduction by IPAs and other entities of new services to assist investors (e.g. linkages programmes, investor visa facilitation or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms).
Promotion: includes establishment of IPAs or other institutions with a remit as investment promoters and expansion of their mandate; adoption of investment promotion strategy and plans; introduction of PPPs, auctions, and concessions initiatives or framework; introduction of OFDI promotion initiatives.
Incentives: includes adoption of new tax and financial incentives schemes for investment; introduction of other incentives (e.g. citizenship by investment programmes); adoption of new SEZ-related incentives.
Other regulatory changes: includes enhancement of investor treatment and protection guarantees; easing of labour or migration regulations concerning foreign hires and key personnel; removal of operational restrictions on investment (e.g. local content requirements).
Less favourable to investors
Entry: includes introduction or tightening of entry restrictions (e.g. total or partial ban on FDI in specific sectors); introduction or tightening of entry conditions (e.g. minimum investment threshold, joint venture requirements or State participation in strategic sectors); introduction or expansion of screening mechanisms for national security.
Treatment and operation: includes introduction or expansion of foreign exchange restrictions; introduction or expansion of restrictions on foreign hires and key personnel; removal or reduction of investment incentives; introduction or expansion of post-establishment requirements for local content; reduction of guarantees for investment treatment and protection; introduction or expansion of restrictions on OFDI.
Note: Measures are verified, to the fullest extent possible, by referencing government sources. The compilation of measures is not exhaustive.
Disclaimer: the boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
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Investment Policy Measures
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Nepal
30 Dec 2025Liberalizes foreign exchange on inward and outward investment
On 30 December 2025, Nepal Rastra Bank issued the Fifth Amendment to the Foreign Loan and Investment Management Bylaws, 2078 (2021), easing rules on foreign investment inflows, repatriation of investment proceeds, and outward [...]
India
21 Dec 2025Allows 100 per cent foreign ownership in insurance sector
On 21 December 2025, India adopted an amendment to its insurance legislation—Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha—to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the insurance sector. The amendment removed the previous foreign [...]
New Zealand
19 Dec 2025Streamlines FDI approval of low-risk investment
On 19 December 2025, New Zealand enacted the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2025. The Act reforms New Zealand’s overseas investment screening regime by: Replacing parts of [...]
Bahrain
18 Dec 2025Allows full foreign ownership in several sectors
On 27 November 2025, Bahrain adopted Decision No. 71 of 2025, amending Decision No. 40 of 2021, to further liberalize foreign ownership rules. The amendment allows 100 per cent foreign ownership in several activities by removing foreign [...]
United States of America
18 Dec 2025Expands outbound investment screening to additional countries of concern and critical technologies
On 18 December 2025, the United States enacted S.1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The Act includes the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act of 2025 (COINS Act), which codifies and [...]
China
15 Dec 2025Expands the list of industries eligible for foreign investment incentives
On 15 December 2025, China issued the Catalogue of Industries for Encouraged Foreign Investment (Catalogue 2025), replacing the 2022 version. Compared with the 2022 catalogue, the revised edition further expands the scope [...]
Zimbabwe
11 Dec 2025Restricts foreign ownership in several sectors
On 11 December 2025, Zimbabwe adopted Statutory Instrument 215 of 2025, which expanded the list of reserved sectors and required existing investors to divest majority ownership to Zimbabwean nationals. The Instrument prohibits or strictly [...]
Austria
01 Dec 2025Issues guidance on FDI screening obligations
In December 2025, the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism of Austria (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie und Tourismus, BMWET) issued guidance clarifying the assessment of filling obligations under Austria’s [...]
United Arab Emirates
19 Nov 2025Launches 'National Investment Fund' to drive foreign investment
On 19 November 2025, the United Arab Emirates launched the National Investment Fund (NIF) to encourage incoming foreign direct investment through incentive-based financial packages to support the implementation of the UAE National [...]
Croatia
13 Nov 2025Establishes national FDI screening regime to safeguard national security and public order
On 5 November 2025, Croatia established its national foreign investment screening mechanism to protect security and public order, bringing its framework into alignment with the European Union FDI Screening Regulation. The Act [...]
Greece
11 Nov 2025Activates its FDI screening regime
On 11 November 2025, the Government of Greece adopted Joint Ministerial Decision No. 64260/2025, which sets out the procedural framework for implementing Greece’s foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regime under Law 5202/2025. [...]
Czechia
01 Nov 2025Broadens the range of transactions subject to prior approval under the national security screening framework
On 1 November 2025, the new Cybersecurity Act entered into force, significantly expanding the scope of transactions subject to mandatory foreign direct investment (FDI) screening in Czechia. The reform introduces a new category of [...]
Maldives
08 Oct 2025Opens selected sectors to foreign investors
On 8 October 2025, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Maldives issued the revised Foreign Investment Entry Requirements, updating the conditions under which foreign investors may participate in the domestic market. Under the revised [...]
Maldives
08 Oct 2025Closes new sectors to foreign investment
On 8 October 2025, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Maldives issued the revised Foreign Investment Entry Requirements. The regulation sets out foreign investment entry conditions in a sector- and activity-specific format, reflecting [...]
Indonesia
02 Oct 2025Lowers paid-up capital requirement for foreign-owned limited liability companies
On 2 October 2025, Indonesia issued Minister of Investment Regulation No. 5 of 2025, reducing the minimum paid-up capital requirement for foreign-owned limited liability companies from IDR 10 billion (approximately $640,000) to IDR [...]
Oman
01 Oct 2025Establishes specialised Court of Investment and Commerce
On 23 March 2025, Oman issued a Sultani Decree establishing the Law of the Court of Investment and Commerce, which was published in the Official Gazette on 6 April 2025 and entered into force on 1 October 2025. The law creates [...]
Botswana
01 Oct 2025Enforces new 24 per cent local ownership rule for mines
On 8 October 2024, Botswana adopted the Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Act No. 14 of 2024, introducing significant reforms aimed at promoting beneficiation, strengthening sector governance, and increasing citizen participation in the [...]
United States of America
21 Sep 2025Increase in fees and stricter adjudication for foreign worker visas
On 21 September 2025, the United States issued an Executive Order introducing increased fees and new restrictions on certain foreign worker visas, including H-1B petitions filed by large employers. The measure imposes a $100,000 supplemental [...]
Sri Lanka
20 Sep 2025Reduces tax incentives for strategic projects in the Colombo Port City
On 20 September 2025, the Government of Sri Lanka published Regulations No. 1 of 2025 in Gazette No. 2454/62 under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, No. 11 of 2021. The regulation is effective for five years [...]
China
15 Sep 2025Liberalizes and facilitates reinvestment of foreign-exchange profits by foreign investors
On 15 September 2025, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) issued a circular (SAFE [2025] No. 43) introducing a package of measures to deepen reform of foreign exchange administration for cross-border investment and [...]
Korea, Republic of
09 Sep 2025Establishes $102 billion policy fund to support strategic industries
On 9 September 2025, the Republic of Korea adopted the establishment of a ₩150 trillion fund (approximately $102 billion), the National Growth Fund, which had first been announced on 5 March 2025. The Fund is intended to support national [...]
Brazil
08 Sep 2025Establishes an online single-window to facilitate and expand foreign investment
On 8 September 2025, the Government of Brazil issued a federal decree establishing a digital single window aimed at facilitating and expanding foreign investment. The platform will centralise investor services and documentation. Designed [...]
Philippines
03 Sep 2025Extends private land lease period for foreign investors to 99 years
On 3 September 2025, the Philippines issued Republic Act No. 12252, amending Republic Act No. 7652 (the Investors' Lease Act) to extend the maximum lease term of private land available to foreign investors. The amendment replaces the [...]
Oman
31 Aug 2025Launches Golden Residency programme for foreign investors
On 31 August 2025, Oman launched its Golden Residency programme, offering renewable 5 or 10 year residency permits to foreign investors. Under the programme, a ten-year residency permit is available to investors who: Invest a minimum [...]
United States of America
26 Aug 2025Removes the Syrian Sanctions Regulations
On 26 August 2025, the Department of the Treasury of the United States issued a final rule removing the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR part 542) from the Code of Federal Regulations, with the rule taking effect on the same date. [...]
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The Investment Policy Monitor provides the international investment community with up-to-date, country-specific information on recent policy developments affecting foreign direct investment (FDI).
Through its ongoing monitoring of investment policy changes, UNCTAD delivers cutting-edge and forward-looking contributions to investment policy discourse. The Monitor also supports evidence-based policymaking aimed at ensuring that foreign investment contributes to sustainable development. The Monitor also informs the analysis of global and regional investment policy trends featured in the World Investment Report, the Investment Policy Monitor publications and the joint UNCTAD-OECD Reports on G20 Investment Measures.
UNCTAD has tracked changes in national policies affecting FDI on an annual basis since 1992. Over time, the methodology has been revised to enhance the quality and consistency of reporting. The most recent revision, completed in 2024, further refined the monitoring framework and applied the updated classification to policy measures dating back to 2012.
-
UNCTAD Investment Policy Monitor The UNCTAD Investment Policy Monitor database compiles official measures affecting FDI adopted by United Nations Member States. These encompass measures explicitly targeting foreign investment (FDI-specific), as well as general investment measures that have a clear impact on such investment (FDI-related).
The measures are either reported directly to UNCTAD by Member States through annual surveys or identified by UNCTAD researchers through publicly accessible sources (such as government websites and specialized policy databases).
The classification of measures as more or less favourable to investors is based solely on their potential impact on investors. The type of measures included in each category are described below. This classification does not reflect any value judgement by UNCTAD on the merit or suitability of the measure.
Classification of the nature of measures
More favourable to investors
Liberalization: includes privatization; lifting of entry restrictions (e.g. opening of sectors to FDI) and entry conditions (e.g. minimum capital requirement); removal (total or partial) of FDI screening or approval mechanisms; lifting of foreign exchange restrictions; liberalization of land access.
Facilitation: includes streamlining of investment procedures (e.g. one-stop shops); greater transparency of investment-related laws and procedures (e.g. information portals); introduction by IPAs and other entities of new services to assist investors (e.g. linkages programmes, investor visa facilitation or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms).
Promotion: includes establishment of IPAs or other institutions with a remit as investment promoters and expansion of their mandate; adoption of investment promotion strategy and plans; introduction of PPPs, auctions, and concessions initiatives or framework; introduction of OFDI promotion initiatives.
Incentives: includes adoption of new tax and financial incentives schemes for investment; introduction of other incentives (e.g. citizenship by investment programmes); adoption of new SEZ-related incentives.
Other regulatory changes: includes enhancement of investor treatment and protection guarantees; easing of labour or migration regulations concerning foreign hires and key personnel; removal of operational restrictions on investment (e.g. local content requirements).
Less favourable to investors
Entry: includes introduction or tightening of entry restrictions (e.g. total or partial ban on FDI in specific sectors); introduction or tightening of entry conditions (e.g. minimum investment threshold, joint venture requirements or State participation in strategic sectors); introduction or expansion of screening mechanisms for national security.
Treatment and operation: includes introduction or expansion of foreign exchange restrictions; introduction or expansion of restrictions on foreign hires and key personnel; removal or reduction of investment incentives; introduction or expansion of post-establishment requirements for local content; reduction of guarantees for investment treatment and protection; introduction or expansion of restrictions on OFDI.
Note: Measures are verified, to the fullest extent possible, by referencing government sources. The compilation of measures is not exhaustive.
Disclaimer: the boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
Share
Latest publications
