Conditions to Become a .vn Domain Name Registrar in Vietnam

What conditions must be met to do business in .vn domain names in accordance with the law?

Current legal basis: Decree 147/2024/ND-CP on the management, provision and use of Internet services and online information (issued on November 9, 2024, effective from December 25, 2024; replacing Decrees 72/2013/ND-CP and 27/2018/ND-CP). Contents previously citing Decree 72/2013/ND-CP (Clauses 1, 2, 3 of Article 14) now apply under the corresponding provisions of Decree 147/2024/ND-CP.

1. What does doing business in .vn domain names mean under the law?

Under the law, to do business in .vn domain names, one must become a .vn domain name registrar. Under Article 13 of Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, a “.vn” country-code domain name registrar of Vietnam is defined as follows:

“A ‘.vn’ country-code domain name registrar of Vietnam is an organization or enterprise providing services for registering and maintaining Vietnam’s ‘.vn’ country-code domain names, including:

– A ‘.vn’ country-code domain name registrar of Vietnam that is a Vietnamese organization or enterprise: may provide services for registering and maintaining Vietnam’s ‘.vn’ country-code domain names for entities in Vietnam and abroad;

– A ‘.vn’ country-code domain name registrar of Vietnam that is a foreign organization or enterprise: may provide services for registering and maintaining Vietnam’s ‘.vn’ country-code domain names for entities abroad.”

2. What are the necessary conditions to become a .vn domain name registrar?

Under Clause 2 of Article 13 of Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, a ‘.vn’ country-code domain name registrar of Vietnam may provide services when satisfying all of the following conditions:

a) Being a Vietnamese organization or enterprise, or a foreign organization or enterprise that has signed a contract with ICANN or with an ICANN Accredited Registrar;

b) Having sufficient technical capacity appropriate to the scale of operations to deploy the provision of domain name registration and maintenance services;

c) Signing a contract with the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center to become a ‘.vn’ country-code domain name registrar of Vietnam.”

The application dossier for providing services for registering and maintaining Vietnam’s ‘.vn’ country-code domain names (Clause 3 of Article 13 of Decree 147/2024/ND-CP) includes:

– The application for providing services for registering and maintaining Vietnam’s ‘.vn’ country-code domain names in Form No. 03 of the Appendix issued together with Decree 147/2024/ND-CP;

– A valid copy of the enterprise registration certificate (or other valid equivalent certificate or license);

– A notarized translation of the contract between the foreign organization or enterprise and ICANN or an ICANN Accredited Registrar (applicable to foreign organizations);

– The technical deployment plan ensuring sufficient capacity appropriate to the scale of operations in Form No. 04 issued together with Decree 147/2024/ND-CP.

The dossier is submitted in person, by post or online to the Ministry of Science and Technology (Vietnam Internet Network Information Center – VNNIC). Within 30 days from the date of receipt of the dossier, the competent authority issues a written response to the organization or enterprise on the result of the review of the application dossier.

Thus, if you wish to do business in .vn domain names, you need to become a .vn domain name registrar as well as satisfy the conditions and complete the procedures in accordance with current law.

3. What are the rights and obligations when doing business in .vn domain names?

In doing business in .vn domain names, a domain name registrar incurs rights and obligations under the current provisions of Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, basically including:

– Organizing the registration and maintenance of domain names in accordance with the law;

– Fully and accurately storing information on organizations and individuals registering domain names in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

– Establishing a domain name server (DNS) system, technical service provision systems, and implementing measures to ensure the safety of domain names and domain name data of organizations and individuals;

– Being guided, provided with information on domain name registration, and subject to inspection and examination by the Ministry of Science and Technology;

– Refusing to provide services when organizations or individuals do not meet domain name registration requirements;

– Suspending operations and revoking domain names at the request of a competent state management authority (previously guided in detail by Articles 11 and 12 of Circular 24/2015/TT-BTTTT — the validity of this Circular after Decree 147/2024/ND-CP takes effect needs further verification);

– A domestic ‘.vn’ domain name registrar must use a primary domain name server (Primary DNS) using Vietnam’s ‘.vn’ country-code domain name when providing services;

– Developing and publicly announcing domain name registration forms, processes and procedures in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

– Reporting, providing information and coordinating with competent state management authorities as prescribed.

Note: From February 2025, the Ministry of Information and Communications ceased operations, and state management functions in this field were transferred to the Ministry of Science and Technology (the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center – VNNIC under the new structure).