What does VietnamLicenses.com cover?
VietnamLicenses.com explains the licences a foreign-invested business needs in Vietnam: investment registration, enterprise registration, trading licences for import, distribution and retail, sector approvals for conditional business lines, and renewal or amendment of existing licences. Personal permits for foreign employees are outside its focus.
Is the information on this site legal advice?
No. Articles are general information prepared from Vietnamese legislation and official guidance. Licensing outcomes depend on the business line, location, investor and current practice of the authority, so the content should not be relied on as advice for a specific application.
What is the difference between an IRC and an ERC?
The investment registration certificate (IRC) records the foreign investor's project: objectives, capital, location and duration. The enterprise registration certificate (ERC) establishes the company as a legal entity. A foreign investor usually obtains the IRC first and then the ERC, although some forms of investment, such as buying shares in an existing company, follow a different route.
Does every foreign-invested company need a trading licence?
No. A separate business licence is required only for certain trading activities of foreign-invested companies, most notably retail distribution and trading in specific goods listed in regulation, and each retail outlet generally needs its own outlet licence. Companies providing services that involve none of these activities usually do not need one, but sector rules should still be checked.
How is the site kept up to date?
Articles are revised when legislation or administrative arrangements change in a way that affects them, for example the 2025 transfer of investment registration functions to provincial Departments of Finance. Readers who notice outdated information can report it through the contact page.
Is there a fee to use VietnamLicenses.com?
Reading the site and sending questions or corrections is free. If you ask for a licensing matter to be handled and it is referred to a partner lawyer, any fee is agreed directly with that lawyer before work starts, and you remain free to decide not to proceed.
How can I report an error in an article?
Use the contact page to send the article address, the passage concerned and, if possible, the regulation that supports the correction. The editorial team reviews every report and updates the article when the correction is justified, so other readers see the corrected version.
General information only — not legal advice for a specific case.