Tiếng Việt
中文Short answer: No. Enterprises are free to do business in lines and sectors not prohibited by law (Article 7 of the Law on Enterprises 2020). Only conditional business lines/sectors listed in Appendix IV of the Law on Enterprises 2020 must satisfy conditions and obtain licenses/certificates of eligibility before conducting business. When registering an enterprise, the enterprise declares its intended business lines under the Vietnam Standard Industrial Classification system.
Legal basis
- Articles 7 and 8 of the Law on Enterprises 2020 (amended and supplemented by Law No. 76/2025/QH15) — rights and obligations of enterprises;
- Appendix IV of the Law on Enterprises 2020 — list of conditional business lines/sectors;
- Decree 168/2025/ND-CP on enterprise registration (effective from 01/7/2025).
Three groups of business lines/sectors to distinguish
- Prohibited business lines/sectors: absolutely not allowed to be conducted (e.g., drugs, prostitution, human trafficking…);
- Conditional business lines/sectors: may be conducted when conditions on capital, practicing certificates, licenses… are met and maintained throughout operations;
- Free business lines/sectors: enterprises may conduct them immediately after registration, without a separate license.
Declaring business lines when registering an enterprise
- Enterprises declare their intended business lines in the enterprise registration dossier under the Vietnam Standard Industrial Classification system;
- For conditional business lines: enterprises may only conduct business after satisfying all conditions and being licensed (if required by law);
- When adding new business lines, enterprises complete the notification procedure for changes to enterprise registration contents under Decree 168/2025/ND-CP.
Common violations
- Conducting conditional business lines without satisfying conditions — subject to administrative sanctions, possibly suspension of operations;
- Failing to notify the addition of new business lines — sanctioned in the enterprise registration sector;
- Confusing “business line registration” with “business license”: the Enterprise Registration Certificate is not a sub-license for conditional business lines.
If you need to determine the option best suited to your enterprise’s specific situation, you should discuss it with a lawyer in advance for dossier review and advice on the handling plan.
Related services
Business Licenses and Conditional Business Sectors
If your business is preparing an application, amendment, business line registration or licensing review, ANT Legal can help check the file and execution path.
For quick advice, you may contact a lawyer at 0966.475.966.
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- When do the details on the Enterprise Registration Certificate have legal effect?
