What is Business Lines in Vietnam? Prohibited and Conditional Business Lines for Foreign Investors
Choose Right Business Lines
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Business lines are key details that investors must register with Vietnamese authorities before starting a company or investment project. Essentially, a company can only operate within its registered business lines. Not doing so can result in fines, penalties, and other legal consequences.
In this insight, we’ll help you understand what business lines are in Vietnam, the prohibited and conditional ones for foreign investors, and how to choose the right business lines to ensure a smooth operation for your company.
What is Business Lines in Vietnam?
Business Lines or Line of Business (LOB) refers to the range of products or services a company provides. For instance, a business that manufactures smartphones might describe its LOB as mobile technology.
Prohibited Business Lines for both Vietnamese Citizens and Non-Vietnamese Citizens
According to Article 6 of Law on Investment No. 143/2025/QH15, the following business investment activities are prohibited with both Vietnamese Citizens and Foreigners:
a) Trading in narcotic substances specified in Appendix I promulgated together with this Law;
b) Trading in chemicals and minerals specified in Appendix II promulgated together with this Law;
c) Trading in specimens of wild plant and animal species originating from natural exploitation and specified in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); and specimens of endangered, precious and rare forest plants, forest animals and aquatic species in Group I, originating from natural exploitation and specified in Appendix III promulgated together with this Law;
d) Trading in prostitution;
dd) Trading in humans, human tissues, corpses, human body parts, or human fetuses;
e) Business activities involving human cloning;
g) Trading in firecrackers and other explosive fireworks;
h) Debt collection services;
i) Trading in national treasures;
k) Exporting relics and antiques for commercial purposes;
l) Trading in electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Conditional Business Lines for both Vietnamese Citizens and Non-Vietnamese Citizens
Sectors and trades with conditional business investments are those where business activities must meet certain requirements due to factors like national defense, public order, social ethics, or community welfare.
To carry out these business activities, investors must obtain approriate suitable licenses, certificates (“Giấy chứng nhận”), certificate of eligibility (“Chứng chỉ”), written certification and approval.
List of Conditional Business Lines for both Vietnamese and Non-Vietnamese Citizens includes (According to the Investment Law No. 143/2025/QH15 and revised by Resolution No. 66.17/2026/NQ-CP):
Manufacture of seals
Trading in support tools and equipment (including repair services)
Trading in fireworks, excluding explosive firecrackers
Trading in disguised recording, video recording and positioning devices and software, as well as equipment for jamming or disrupting mobile communications
Trading in uniforms and equipment for the armed forces, military weapons, specialized military and police equipment, technical equipment, military hardware and vehicles, as well as components, parts, spare parts, materials, specialized equipment and technologies used to manufacture them
Pawnshop services
Massage services
Security services
Legal practice
Notarial practice
Forensic assessment services
Auditing services
Operation of bonded warehouses and less-than-container-load (LCL) cargo collection points
Operation of customs clearance locations and locations for customs cargo consolidation, inspection and supervision
Securities business
Provision of securities registration, depository, clearing and settlement services, and services supporting transactions on the domestic carbon exchange
Insurance business activities (excluding insurance auxiliary services)
Valuation services
Lottery business
Gaming and betting business (including prize-winning electronic games for foreigners, casinos and betting)
Credit rating services
Voluntary pension fund management services
Petroleum and fuel trading
Trading in industrial explosives (including destruction and disposal)
Trading in explosive precursors
Conducting business activities involving the use of industrial explosives and explosive precursors
Blasting services
Chemical manufacturing and trading, excluding chemicals listed as prohibited chemicals and minerals in Appendix II to the Law on Investment No. 143/2025/QH15; chemical storage services; and specialized chemical consultancy services
Trading in tobacco products, tobacco materials, and machinery and equipment for the tobacco industry, excluding electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products
Trading in food products subject to the specialized management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the Ministry of Health
Commodity exchange operations
Electricity generation, transmission, distribution, wholesale and retail
Rice export
Trading in industrial chemical precursors
Goods trading and activities directly related to goods trading by foreign service providers in Vietnam
Multi-level marketing
E-commerce activities, including the management and operation of intermediary e-commerce platforms, social networks conducting e-commerce activities, integrated e-commerce platforms, and authentication of electronic contracts in commercial transactions
Oil and gas activities
Vocational education activities
Occupational skills assessment services
Occupational safety technical inspection services
Services for sending Vietnamese workers abroad for employment
Voluntary drug rehabilitation services
Road transport services
Automobile manufacturing, assembly and import
Motor vehicle inspection services
Automobile driving instruction services
Driving test and examination services
Road traffic safety assessment services
Training services for crew members and operators of inland waterway vessels
Training and instruction of seafarers, and recruitment and supply of seafarers
Air transport services
Provision of aircraft, aircraft engine, aircraft propeller and aircraft equipment design, manufacturing, maintenance and testing services in Vietnam
Import, temporary import for re-export, and temporary export for re-import of unmanned aircraft, other flying vehicles, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and components of unmanned aircraft and other flying vehicles
Research, development, testing, repair and maintenance of unmanned aircraft, other flying vehicles, aircraft engines, aircraft propellers, and equipment and components of unmanned aircraft and other flying vehicles
Airport business
Provision of aviation services at airports
Training and professional instruction services for aviation personnel
Railway transport services
Railway infrastructure business
Dangerous goods transportation services
Real estate business
Practice as a construction investment project manager or construction site commander
Construction surveying practice
Construction design and design appraisal practice
Construction supervision consultancy practice
Specialized construction testing services
Urban and rural planning consultancy practice
Postal services
Telecommunications services
Trust services
Publishing house operations
Printing services, excluding the printing of packaging that does not contain product labels
Social networking services
Gaming services over telecommunications networks and the Internet
Pay radio and television services
Services for establishing general information websites
Processing and repair services for foreign traders, involving goods on the list of used information technology products prohibited from import, for sale outside Vietnam
Electronic authentication services
Trading in cybersecurity products and services, excluding civil cryptographic products and services
Distribution services for imported press publications
Trading in civil cryptographic products and services
Preschool education activities
General education activities
Higher education activities
Operations of foreign educational institutions and their branch campuses
Continuing education activities
Fisheries exploitation
Fisheries business
Manufacturing aquatic animal feed and products for treating aquaculture environments; manufacturing animal feed and livestock waste treatment products
Fishing vessel registration and inspection
Trading in plant protection products
Treatment services for objects subject to plant quarantine
Testing services for plant protection products
Trading in veterinary drugs, vaccines, biological products, microorganisms and chemicals used in veterinary medicine
Animal testing and surgical services
Animal vaccination, disease diagnosis, prescription, treatment and healthcare services
Testing and trial services for veterinary drugs, including veterinary drugs for terrestrial and aquatic animals, vaccines, biological products, microorganisms and chemicals used in veterinary and aquatic animal health
Commercial farm-based livestock production
Commercial slaughtering of livestock and poultry
Fertilizer manufacturing
Fertilizer testing services
Trading in animal breeds and production of plant varieties
Production and nursery rearing of aquatic breeds
Trading in genetically modified products
Medical examination and treatment services
Pharmaceutical business
Cosmetics manufacturing
Medical device business
Services involving the conduct of radiation work
Support services for the application of atomic energy
Conformity assessment services
Technology assessment, valuation and appraisal services
Intellectual property representation services, including representation services for copyright and related rights, industrial property rights, and rights to plant varieties
Film distribution services
Appraisal services for relics and antiques
Services for planning, project preparation, design, construction organization and construction supervision consultancy for projects involving the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historical and cultural sites
Karaoke and nightclub services
Travel agency and tour operator services
Sports activities conducted by sports enterprises and professional sports clubs
Accommodation services
Trading in relics and antiques, excluding their export; provision of preservation, restoration, digitization and database development services for relics and antiques
Import of cultural goods subject to the specialized management of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Surveying and mapping services
Hydrometeorological forecasting and warning services
Groundwater drilling and exploration services
Water resource exploitation services
Mineral exploration services
Mineral extraction
Hazardous waste transportation and treatment services
Scrap import
Environmental monitoring services
Business activities of commercial banks
Business activities of non-bank credit institutions
Business activities of cooperative banks, people’s credit funds and microfinance institutions
Provision of payment intermediary services, payment services without customers’ payment accounts, and mobile money services
Provision of credit information services
Gold trading, excluding jewelry and fine-art gold products
Trading in data intermediary, analytics and aggregation products and services
Data exchange services
Provision of services related to crypto-assets
Personal data processing services
Prohibited Business Lines in Vietnam for Foreign Investors
Based on Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), Bilateral Trade Treaties (BTTs), and Multilateral Agreements that Vietnam has signed with other countries, the government publishes a list of sectors and trades where foreign investors face market access restrictions. This includes sectors and trades where market access is prohibited for foreign investors (Prohibited Business Lines) and those where access is allowed but under certain conditions (Conditional Business Lines).
>> Read more: Center for WTO and International Trade – Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The list of Prohibited Business Lines in Vietnam for foreign investors includes (according to Decree No. 96/2026/ND-CP)
Trading in goods and services included in the list of goods and services subject to state monopolies in the commercial sector.
Press activities and news-gathering activities in any form.
Fishing or harvesting marine products.
Investigation and security services.
Judicial administrative services, including forensic assessment services, bailiff services, property auction services, notarial services, and services provided by insolvency practitioners.
Services for sending workers abroad for employment under contracts.
Investment in the construction of cemetery infrastructure for the transfer of land use rights together with such infrastructure.
Waste collection services directly from households.
Public opinion polling services.
Blasting services.
Import and dismantling of used seagoing vessels.
Public postal services.
Entrepot trading in goods.
Temporary import for re-export business.
Exercise of export rights, import rights and distribution rights in respect of goods included in the list of goods for which foreign investors and foreign-invested economic organizations are not permitted to exercise export rights, import rights or distribution rights.
Collection, acquisition and disposal of public assets at units belonging to the armed forces.
Industrial property representation services and intellectual property assessment services.
Services for establishing, operating, maintaining and servicing maritime aids to navigation in port waters, navigable waters, public maritime channels and maritime routes; surveying port waters, navigable waters, public maritime channels and maritime routes for the publication of Notices to Mariners; surveying, preparing and publishing nautical charts of navigable waters, seaports, maritime channels and maritime routes; and preparing and publishing maritime safety documents and publications.
Maritime traffic regulation services to ensure navigational safety in port waters, navigable waters and public maritime channels; maritime electronic information services.
Inspection (examination and testing) and certification services for means of transport, including their systems, assemblies, equipment and components; inspection and certification of technical safety and environmental protection for specialized vehicles and equipment, containers and packaging used for dangerous goods in transport; inspection and certification of technical safety and environmental protection for vehicles and equipment used in offshore oil and gas exploration, exploitation and transportation; occupational safety technical inspection services for machinery and equipment subject to strict occupational safety requirements installed on means of transport and on vehicles and equipment used in offshore oil and gas exploration, exploitation and transportation; and fishing vessel registration and inspection services.
Investigation, assessment and exploitation of natural forests, including timber harvesting, hunting and trapping of rare and precious wild animals, and management of genetic resources of plant varieties, animal breeds and microorganisms used in agriculture.
Research into or use of animal breed genetic resources, or the production and trading of new animal lines or breeds, before appraisal, assessment, approval or recognition by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Travel and tour operator services, excluding international travel services for international tourists visiting Vietnam.
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Conditional Business Lines
To carry out these business activities, foreign investors must obtain approriate suitable licenses, certificates (“Giấy chứng nhận”), certificate of eligibility (“Chứng chỉ”), written certification and approval.
The list of Conditional Business Lines in Vietnam for foreign investors includes:
Production and distribution of cultural products, including video recordings.
Production, distribution and screening of television programs and musical, dance, theatrical and cinematographic works.
Provision of radio and television services.
Insurance; banking; securities business and other services related to insurance, banking and securities business.
Postal and telecommunications services.
Advertising services.
Printing services (excluding the printing of packaging that does not bear product labels) and publication distribution services.
Surveying and mapping services.
Aerial photography services.
Education services.
Exploration, extraction and processing of natural resources, minerals, oil and gas.
Hydropower, offshore wind power and nuclear energy.
Freight and passenger transportation by rail, air, road, inland waterway, sea and pipeline.
Aquaculture.
Forestry and hunting.
Betting and casino business.
Security services.
Construction, operation and management of inland waterway ports, seaports and airports.
Real estate business.
Construction activities of foreign contractors.
Legal services.
Veterinary services.
Trading activities and activities directly related to trading activities of foreign service providers in Vietnam.
Technical testing and analysis services.
Tourism services.
Health and social services.
Sports and entertainment services.
Paper manufacturing.
Manufacturing of transport vehicles with a capacity of more than 29 passengers.
Development and operation of traditional markets.
Operation of commodity exchanges.
Domestic groupage services.
Auditing, accounting, bookkeeping and tax services.
Consultancy services for determining enterprise value for equitization.
Services related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Aircraft manufacturing.
Manufacturing of railway locomotives and rolling stock.
Production and trading of tobacco products, tobacco materials, and machinery and equipment used in the tobacco industry.
Publishing activities.
Shipbuilding and ship repair.
Waste collection services and environmental monitoring services.
Commercial arbitration and arbitration mediation services.
Logistics services.
Coastal maritime transportation.
Cultivation, production or processing of rare plant species; breeding of rare wild animals; and processing or treatment of such animals or plants, including live specimens and products derived from them.
Construction materials manufacturing.
Construction and related engineering services.
Motorcycle assembly.
Services related to sports, fine arts, performing arts, fashion shows, beauty pageants and modeling competitions, and other recreational and entertainment activities.
Air transport support services; ground handling technical services at airports and aerodromes; in-flight catering services; air navigation and surveillance information services; and aeronautical meteorological services.
Ship agency services and ship towing services.
Services related to cultural heritage, copyright and related rights, photography, video recording, sound recording, art exhibitions, festivals, libraries and museums.
Services related to tourism promotion and advertising.
Representation, recruitment agency, booking and management services for artists and athletes.
Family-related services.
Management and operation of intermediary e-commerce platforms, social networks operating as e-commerce platforms, and integrated e-commerce platforms.
Cemetery business, cemetery services and funeral services.
Aerial seeding and chemical spraying services.
Maritime pilotage services.
Investment sectors and business lines subject to pilot mechanisms established by the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the Government or the Prime Minister.
Production and trading of weapons, explosives and supporting tools.
Manufacturing of military materials or equipment; trading in uniforms and supplies for the armed forces, military weapons, military and police equipment, technical equipment, military hardware, specialized military and police vehicles, components, parts, spare parts, materials and specialized equipment, and technologies specifically used to manufacture them.
References
1. Business Information Portal of Ho Chi Minh City DPI (in Vietnamese):
Website: https://doanhnghiep.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/ThuTucHanhChinh
2. National Business Registration Portal (in English):
Website: https://dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn/en/Pages/default.aspx
3. National Investment Information Portal (in Vietnamese):
Website: https://vietnaminvest.gov.vn/SitePages/home.aspx
4. Legal documents (laws, decrees, circulars, decisions) on business registration:
Website: https://dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn/en/Pages/LegalDocument.aspx
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and may not apply to all situations. For assistance related to your specific issues, please contact us for support from our team of legal experts.
This article was first published on August 16, 2024, and last updated on August 23, 2024.
Author: Tony Nguyễn
Category: Business Law
