Vietnam’s legal rules for registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Most registration problems come from following old instructions when the law changed long ago. Knowing the correct legal regulations on registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and knowing which documents are still in force and when they were issued, is the surest way to avoid mistakes. MONA Media is a complete roundup of the decrees and circulars that currently govern this area.

Why you need to know the right legal documents

E-commerce is a field where the law keeps changing. A decree issued in 2013 has since been amended, and a requirement that was once mandatory may have been dropped.

Many guides online still repeat outdated content. You follow them, prepare documents you don't need or file under the wrong category, and then your application is returned without any explanation.

Knowing exactly which documents apply helps you get it right the first time. We list them in chronological order so you can see the whole picture.

Legal documents on registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Decree 52/2013/ND-CP on e-commerce

Issued on May 16, 2013, this is the foundation document governing all e-commerce activity in Vietnam. It defines what an e-commerce website is, separates sales websites from service-providing websites, and sets out the duties to notify and register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Bộ Công Thương).

This is the root. Every later rule revolves around it or amends it: Decree 52/2013/ND-CP.

Circular 47/2014/TT-BCT

Issued on December 5, 2014, this circular gives detailed guidance on managing e-commerce websites. It covers the notification and registration process, the types of websites, and the responsibilities of website owners.

The circular turns the decree into practice, so website owners know what to actually do on the system.

Decree 98/2020/ND-CP on administrative penalties

Issued on August 26, 2020 and effective from October 15, 2020, this decree sets penalties for commercial activity, including e-commerce.

Article 62 of Under Decree 98/2020/ND-CP states it plainly: failing to notify a sales website draws a fine of 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 VND, failing to register a service website draws 20,000,000 to 30,000,000 VND, fines double for organizations, and repeat offenses bring suspension of operations and revocation of the domain name. For details, see our article on fines for not registering a website.

Decree 85/2021/ND-CP amending Decree 52/2013

Issued on September 25, 2021 and effective from January 1, 2022, this is the most important document for website owners today. It amends and supplements many points of Decree 52/2013.

The most notable point: Decree 85/2021/ND-CP it narrows who has to notify. From 2022, only sales websites with an online ordering function must notify. Websites that only present information and don't take orders are no longer required to.

This is where many people did unnecessary work because they followed guides based on the old law.

Key documents in chronological order

The rules that apply to you today

Putting it all together, here is what you need to remember this year.

Your own sales website, with an online ordering function, falls under notification. A website that provides a marketplace for others to buy and sell, such as a trading platform, auction or online promotion site, falls under registration.

The two categories have different paperwork and different penalties. To tell them apart clearly, read our article on the difference between notifying and registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. For the step-by-step procedure, see our article on the procedure for registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Keeping up with the law is our job, not yours

Business owners shouldn't have to track every amending decree. A dedicated team handles that.

MONA Media has been building websites since 2016, working with over 14,000 customers, and we keep up with the latest rules so your application is prepared under current law. We have done this procedure for a great many businesses, so we know exactly which documents apply and what the application needs.

You don't have to read a single line of law. Just sit back, and we handle everything, by the book, through to the result.

If you want to hand over the whole procedure, see your Ministry of Industry and Trade website registration end to end from MONA, or call the hotline 1900 636 648. To understand why this procedure matters, read our article on why you must register your website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.