Why you must register your website with Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade

Many business owners finish their website, start selling and running ads, and never hear a word about their obligations to the regulator. Only when an invitation to a hearing arrives do they get a shock. So why you must register your website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which websites are required, and how far do the consequences go if you don't comply. MONA Media lays it out plainly, part by part, so you understand and do it correctly.

Why register your website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Registering or notifying your website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade is not a formality. It is both a legal obligation and something that protects you.

It is a mandatory legal requirement

E-commerce activity in Vietnam is governed by Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, later amended by Decree 85/2021/ND-CP. Under it, a sales website with online ordering must notify, and a website providing e-commerce services must register.

Complying is how you stay out of the risk zone from the start. Not complying puts you at risk of being fined at any time.

Builds credibility and trust with customers

A website that has notified or registered gets a red logo with a link to the Ministry of Industry and Trade portal in the footer. When customers see that mark, they see a serious business with a clear legal entity.

In an online market full of fakes and knock-offs, a small verification mark in the footer is a big plus when a customer is hesitating over an order. That trust turns into real revenue.

Protects your business from legal risk

Registering with the Ministry of Industry and Trade means you openly disclose your business information. When there is a dispute or complaint, it is the basis for proving you operate legally.

On the other hand, an unregistered website is both easy to fine and hard for the law to protect when something goes wrong. A double loss.

Which websites must register and which must notify

Many guides online still use old rules, leading site owners to do the wrong thing or do too much. We restate it under the law currently in force.

Websites that must notify the Ministry of Industry and Trade

These are e-commerce sales websites you set up yourself to sell your own products or services, with an online ordering function. If customers can place an order right on the site, it falls under notification.

Since January 1, 2022, a website that only displays and introduces products, with no online ordering, is no longer required to notify. Many people have not caught up with this change.

Websites that must register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

These are websites that provide e-commerce services, where you create a marketplace for others to trade. They include trading platforms, online auction websites and online promotion websites.

The registration group has a much more complex file, needing a service plan and operating regulations as well. To tell the two groups apart clearly, read the difference between notifying and registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

What is the fine for not registering your website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

This is the part many business owners take too lightly, until the fine becomes a real number.

Theo Under Decree 98/2020/ND-CP, typical fines include:

• Failing to notify an e-commerce sales website: a fine of 10 to 20 million VND.
• Failing to register a website that provides e-commerce services: a fine of 20 to 30 million VND.
• For organizations and businesses, the fine is double the amount for individuals.

The fine is not the end of it. For repeat offenses, the website can also have its e-commerce activity suspended for 6 to 12 months and be forced to give up its ".vn" domain.

Some businesses have paid dearly. One company was fined as much as 70 million VND for delays and multiple violations tied to an unregistered website. That figure is enough to wipe out the profit of an entire sales campaign.

To see every penalty bracket and its legal basis, read fines for unregistered websites.

How long does website registration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade take

Review usually takes 1 to 3 weeks, depending on how complete the file is. For the service registration group, it can take longer because the file is heavier.

Most delayed cases come down to the same few errors: choosing the wrong type, submitting incomplete documents, or a website missing the mandatory policy pages and getting sent back. Every return means starting a round over.

To understand the process in detail and how to shorten it, see how long Ministry of Industry and Trade registration takes.

Documents to prepare when registering your website

For a sales website under the notification group, the file is quite light: business information, the business license and the policy pages on the website.

For a service website under the registration group, the file is much heavier and includes:

• Application to set up a website providing e-commerce services.
• A certified copy of the establishment decision, business registration certificate or investment license.
• A service plan and operating regulations for the website.
• Domain information and sample service contracts with participating parties.

We walk you through the full file and how to submit it on the online.gov.vn portal step by step in the procedure for registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Do it yourself or let MONA handle everything

You can register entirely on your own, and the state charges no fee. But the trade-off is hours spent reading regulations, tracking down forms, and the risk of your file being returned several times.

A business owner should not spend their evenings fumbling through a government registration portal. That job has a dedicated team.

MONA Media has built websites since 2016 and worked with over 14,000 customers, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade registration step is work we handle for customers regularly. You hand over the website link and a few documents, and MONA takes care of the rest, from the file to placing the verification logo on your site.

We do it ourselves from start to finish, with no middleman. You do not have to touch a single form or watch the progress on the portal. Sit back, and we do it all and let you know when there is a result.

If you are weighing the two options, read registering yourself or hiring a Ministry of Industry and Trade registration service to choose correctly.

Don't let one unfinished procedure bring down a business that is already running. See your Ministry of Industry and Trade website registration end to end from MONA, or call the hotline 1900 636 648 and we will advise you and handle everything for you.