Obtain a
Certificate
Food Safety & Hygiene
A Certificate of eligibility for food safety and hygiene is a mandatory requirement before commencing business operations. Identify the correct business category — file with the competent authority — receive the result on schedule.
Serious legal consequences
Establishments that directly create food products: production, processing, preliminary processing of agricultural, aquatic, and forestry products; packaged, frozen, and ready-to-eat foods.
Locations selling food directly to consumers: fresh food stores, processed food stores, specialty food stores, clean food shops, and general supermarkets.
Establishments preparing and serving food on site: restaurants, eateries, cafés and milk-tea shops with preparation activities, collective kitchens, canteens, and mobile catering services.
Establishments producing or processing food for export; packaging and preserving agricultural products for export; establishments required by importing countries to obtain food safety certification issued by Vietnam.
Cold storage or ordinary warehouses for fresh and frozen food; facilities for packaging and classifying agricultural food products.
and technical conditions
Food Safety Certificate
Cafés and milk-tea shops with preparation activities
Collective kitchens (schools, hospitals, companies)
Canteens, industrial kitchens
Mobile catering services
Mini supermarkets, general supermarkets
Clean food and specialty food stores
Dried food and packaged food stores
Bottled drinking water and ready-to-use edible ice
Packaged, frozen, and ready-to-eat foods
Cold storage and export-related facilities
Analyze the business model, determine the correct establishment category and competent authority, and advise on all facility, personnel, and documentation requirements.
Prepare a complete dossier in accordance with regulations — application form, explanatory statement, floor plan, and processing workflow — ensuring every document is accurate and valid.
File the dossier on behalf of the client with the Department of Health, Department of Industry and Trade, or DARD; monitor the on-site appraisal schedule and promptly update the client.
Coordinate preparation of facilities before the on-site appraisal; provide explanations and supplement documents upon request from state authorities — with no additional charge for complex cases.
Receive the Food Safety Certificate from the competent authority and hand it over directly, together with the complete dossier and a reminder of the 3-year renewal timeline.
Advise on post-licensing legal obligations; assist with renewal/re-issuance six months before expiry and amendments when the establishment changes its scale or operating model.
Yes. A milk-tea shop that prepares toppings, brews tea, and mixes beverages falls under the category of food and beverage services under Decree 15/2018/ND-CP. You must obtain a Certificate of eligibility for food safety from the Department of Health before commencing business operations. If you only sell bottled drinks without any preparation, the specific business model should be further assessed.
Under the regulations, a Food Safety Certificate is valid for 03 years from the date of issuance. Before the certificate expires, 06 months, the establishment may apply for re-issuance under a procedure similar to the initial application. If the certificate has expired but the establishment continues operating, penalties will apply under Decree 115/2018/ND-CP — administrative fines from VND 20–60 million depending on the severity of the violation.
Where an establishment carries out multiple activities, licensing authority is determined based on the principal activity. If production is the principal activity, file with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for agricultural or aquatic products, or the Department of Health for functional foods and other foods. If retail is the principal activity, file with the Department of Industry and Trade. VLIC will analyze the specific model to determine the correct authority before drafting the dossier.
All persons directly processing or serving food must have: (1) a valid health certificate issued by an authorized medical facility; (2) a food safety knowledge certificate — issued after attending a training course organized by the Department of Health / DARD / an authorized body. VLIC supports training schedule arrangements and completes all personnel documents under the service package.
The completion timeline ranges from 03 to 25 working days depending on the business type and locality. Typically, after a valid dossier is received, the state authority has 10–15 days to appraise the dossier and schedule an on-site appraisal. After a satisfactory appraisal, the certificate is issued within the following 5–7 days VLIC provides a timeline commitment in writing and proactively monitors and facilitates the handling process.