Legal Procedure Consulting
for Websites &
E-Commerce
Each type of website has its own distinct regulatory framework and legal procedure. Correctly identifying the type from the outset helps businesses save implementation time and minimize legal risks during operation.
In Vietnam, the most common website types that businesses typically operate fall into 04 categories: (1) E-commerce selling websites; (2) E-commerce trading platforms; (3) General online information portals; (4) Social networks.
Categories (1) and (2) fall under e-commerce regulations, while (3) and (4) are types of online information services governed by laws on information and communications. Each type has different operating conditions, registration or licensing procedures, and competent regulatory authorities.
Accurate classification at the outset is the most critical step in establishing an appropriate legal roadmap, avoiding errors in the dossier or incorrect procedures under the regulations. VLIC Consulting accompanies businesses from the consultation and classification stage through to the completion of procedures and receipt of results.
The applicable legal basis includes Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, Decree 85/2021/ND-CP, and Decree 147/2024/ND-CP — the primary legal instruments governing website operations in Vietnam.
A website established by a trader, organization, or individual to promote trade, sell goods, or provide services of their own. This is the most common type for online retail businesses.
Key characteristic: the website owner is simultaneously the seller, using the online platform as an independent distribution channel for the business.
A website that allows traders, organizations, or individuals other than the website owner to conduct part or all of the buying and selling process for goods and services on the platform.
The platform owner acts as an intermediary: providing the infrastructure and establishing rules for others to conduct business — without directly selling on the platform themselves. This is the classic marketplace model.
An information system providing community users with services for storing, sharing, and exchanging information — including personal pages, forums, online chat, and audio/image sharing.
This type has the strictest legal requirements: the operator must be an organization/enterprise with registered business lines that have been published on the National Business Registration Portal, appropriate to the services and information content provided, and must have a ".vn" domain name and servers located in Vietnam.
A general online information portal is an electronic information page of an agency, organization, or enterprise that provides aggregated information — including content already published in Vietnamese press and content published on electronic pages of Party organizations and state agencies — in accordance with press and intellectual property law.
It requires written content-sharing agreements with at least 03 press agencies and must have appropriate registered business lines as required by law.
Social Network Services
a General Online Information Portal (ICP)
Analyze the business model and accurately determine the appropriate website type; advise on all legal matters related to the licensing procedure.
Prepare a complete dossier in full compliance with the requirements of the competent authority; ensure the accuracy and validity of every document.
Submit the dossier directly on behalf of the client to the competent authority's system; monitor the processing progress.
Coordinate in providing clarifications and supplementary documents upon request from the competent authority; proactively update the client on progress throughout the process.
Receive the license from the competent authority and deliver it directly to the client; together with a complete dossier set for the business's internal records.
Advise on post-licensing legal obligations; support amendments and renewals when there are changes in website content or operational scope.
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Comparison Criteria |
Package 01 E-Commerce Selling Website Contact for Pricing |
Package 02 E-Commerce Trading Platform Contact for Pricing |
Package 03 Social Network Contact for Pricing |
Package 04 General Online Information Portal (ICP) Contact for Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procedure Type & Competent Authority | ||||
| Procedure Type | Notification | Registration | Full License | ICP License |
| Processing Authority | Dept. of Industry & Trade | Ministry of Industry & Trade | Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism | Provincial / Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism |
| Processing Time* | 3–5 days | 7–10 days | 30–45 days | 15–20 days |
| Services Included in the Package | ||||
| Type Classification Advice | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dossier Drafting | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dossier Submission | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Monitoring & Clarification | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Business Code Amendment Advice | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Technical Adjustment Advice | — | ✔ | ✔ | — |
| Press Agency Liaison Support** | — | — | — | ✔ |
| Post-Licensing Support (6 months) | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Book Service → | Book Service → | Book Service → | Book Service → | |
If the personal blog only allows users to comment on the blog owner's posts, does not allow account creation, does not permit independent posting, and does not enable networking interactions among users, it is generally considered a personal electronic information page, not a social network.
Under Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, an internal forum dedicated to the exchange of information and Q&A directly related to the functions, duties, services, and business lines of the organization or enterprise itself falls outside the scope requiring a license. If your forum is limited to that scope — covering only electrical engineering, electricity trading, and electrical construction — then no license is required.
The following mandatory content and information management conditions apply: (a) A publicly posted service terms agreement on the homepage; (b) Staff on duty 24/7 to handle issues as they arise; (c) A content moderation solution for content posted on the social network; (d) Measures to protect user information; (e) Ensure users have the right to decide whether to allow collection of their information or its sharing with third parties; (f) Content posted by users must not be arranged into fixed editorial sections; the platform must not publish, nor allow users (including staff of the social network provider), to produce content in the form of press reportage, investigative journalism, or interviews and post it to the social network; (g) Classify and display warnings for content inappropriate for children; implement child protection solutions in the online environment as required by child protection law.
