Payments Regulatory Deadlines to Watch in May 2026

Each month, we leverage data from our Horizon Scanning Regulatory Deadlines Calendar to bring you a glimpse of the key response deadlines and legislation effective dates coming up, so you can plan and take action around some of the most important regulatory developments unfolding right now.

In May, there are 59 regulatory deadlines on the horizon — with 33 key consultation periods coming to an end and requiring a response, and 20 actionable deadlines to be aware of coming into effect.

What are the regulatory deadlines to watch in May?

Belarus

On November 13, 2025, the President of the Republic of Belarus issued Decree No. 394, amending Decree No. 269 (August 29, 2023) on measures to combat unauthorised payment transactions. The amendments significantly expand the scope of the national framework to include payment transactions connected to the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues.

Key changes include:

• The decree now covers both unauthorised payment transactions and transactions linked to illegal drug trafficking, with corresponding amendments to the title, preamble and operative provisions.
• National Bank of the Republic of Belarus responsibilities:

• Organise information exchange between law enforcement agencies and payment service providers (PSPs) regarding both unauthorised transactions and those suspected to involve drug trafficking.
• Define which payment services must report such incidents.
• Set the form, content and timelines for PSPs to report to the National Bank, and for law enforcement bodies to provide information to the bank.
• Establish procedures for distributing information via the ASOI system to PSPs, the Investigative Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Conclude information-sharing agreements with relevant authorities.
• Data and secrecy provisions:
  
  • Information on incidents and drug-related payment transactions shared through ASOI does not constitute a breach of banking secrecy.
  • Personal data may be processed without the customer’s consent when linked to such incidents.

The National Bank and Council of Ministers must, within six months, align all relevant legislation and take measures necessary for implementation. The decree will come into force in parts: paragraph 1 of the decree enters into force six months after publication (14 May, 2026) while all other provisions apply immediately upon publication.

Tanzania

On April 28, 2026, the Bank of Tanzania designated eight financial institutions as Market Makers for the Electronic Matching System (EMS) in the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market.

The designation follows the issuance of the Guidelines on the Electronic Matching System (EMS), 2026. The Bank of Tanzania established this framework to support liquidity, orderly market conduct, and efficient price discovery in the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market. Market Makers are required to continuously post two-way quotes and associated volumes throughout trading hours to fulfil their designated role. All Electronic Matching System participants, including commercial banks and non-bank institutions, have been notified of these appointments and are advised to take the designation into account in their market operations. The EMS is officially effective from 18 May, 2026. 

Vietnam

On April 2, 2026, the Government of Vietnam issued a decree introducing several key changes to competition enforcement penalties. It increases monetary fines for administrative violations, particularly where an enterprise has zero revenue on the relevant market in the preceding financial year, expanding to cover economic concentration cases where participating enterprises operate on different markets or at different stages of production, distribution or supply chains. 

The decree clarifies how to calculate total revenue for enterprises participating in economic concentration arrangements. The decree establishes new penalty frameworks for failure to notify economic concentration, with fines ranging from 500 million Vietnamese dong to 2 billion Vietnamese dong depending on enterprise size and market turnover.The decree takes effect on May 20, 2026.

Ukraine

On December 24, 2025, the National Bank of Ukraine adopted the Resolution on the Approval of Amendments to the Regulation on Requirements for the Management System of Financial Payment Service Providers, applicable to payment institutions (PI) and electronic money institutions (EMI). 

Key amendments include: 

• The internal auditor, chief risk manager and chief compliance manager shall not be entitled to hold any other positions or perform any other duties at the PI, EMI or any other legal entities. 
• The PI or EMI shall be obliged to ensure conditions for the continuous professional development of the chief internal auditor, internal auditors of the PI/EMI and their training. 
• The PI or EMI shall have internal documents on internal audits which shall define: 
  
  • The internal audit strategy. 
  • The order and procedures for conducting internal audits. 
  • The methodology of conducting internal audits.

Amongst other requirements, PIs and EMIs are required to develop or amend internal policies on internal audits and bring activities into compliance by May 31, 2026. 

European Union

On May 11, 2026, the European Union published Directive (EU) 2026/1021 in the Official Journal of the European Union. The directive prescribes various measures on combating corruption. In doing so, it replaces Council Framework Decision 2003/568/JHA and the Convention on the fight against corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of member states. 

Specifically the directive, which is relevant to all EU institutions, establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and criminal and non-criminal penalties in the area of corruption, as well as measures to better prevent and fight corruption. It provides provisions on: 

• Bribery in the public sector.
• Bribery in the private sector.
• Trading in influence.
• Enrichment from corruption offences.
• Penalties, measures and liability.
• Prevention, reporting and investigation. 

The directive enters into force on May 31, 2026, 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Vixio’s Horizon Scanning tool shows you real-time updates on regulatory deadlines and trends across 140+ global jurisdictions, including all US states, at the click of a button. Its Regulatory Deadlines Calendar feature sets out effective dates for published legislation, closing dates for consultation periods on proposed regulatory developments, and deadlines for specific requests for information by regulatory authorities. 

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