Register and notify website to the Ministry of Industry and Trade
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Updated October 2023
Understanding and complying with regulations is essential for businesses looking to establish a digital presence in Vietnam. Organizations and individuals need to thoroughly understand the regulations before registering websites. This helps businesses avoid unnecessary penalties, especially for foreign-invested enterprises conducting business activities in Vietnam.
To gain a better understanding of the regulations regarding the registration and notification of e-commerce websites, please refer to the following contents:
1. What is an e-commerce website?
An e-commerce website is an electronic information page that is set up to serve part or the whole process of buying and selling goods or providing services, including:
- Displaying and introducing goods and services;
- Signing contracts;
- Providing service;
- Processing payment;
- Providing after-sales service.
2. When do you need to register a website?
If traders, organizations, and individuals sell goods or provide services to users through sales e-commerce websites, they must carry out the online notification procedure to the Ministry of Industry and Trade through the Management Portal of E-commerce Activity before officially providing goods and services.
For example: Websites thegioididong.com, cgv.vn, vivavivu.com are used (by the owner of the website) to sell their goods.
3. When do you need to register a website?
Register websites providing e-commerce services engaged in one of the following three activities will need to register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade:
- E-commerce trading platforms allow other traders, organizations, and individuals to conduct part or the whole process of buying and selling goods and services;
- Online promotional website for goods and services of other traders, organizations, and individuals;
- Online auction website allows other traders, organizations, and individuals to organize auctions for their goods on the website;
- Other types of websites prescribed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
For example: Websites tiki.vn, sendo.vn, and hotdeal.vn are e-commerce trading platforms that allow traders, organizations, and individuals who are not website owners to sell goods and provide services on the websites.
Note: Traders and organizations that own e-commerce websites that have both sales and provide e-commerce services only need to carry out the registration procedures with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
4. Are overseas websites required to be registered and notified?
Foreign traders, organizations engaged in e-commerce activities in Vietnam, falling under the following cases, are required to register websites with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam even if the domain and hosting of the website are located offshore:
- E-commerce website under a Vietnamese domain name;
- E-commerce website whose display language is Vietnamese;
- E-commerce website has over 100,000 transactions from Vietnam in a year.
Note: Foreign traders and organizations that have websites providing e-commerce services in Vietnam shall register for e-commerce activities and must set up representative offices in Vietnam or appoint an authorized representative of the company in Vietnam.
5. Note when performing notification and registration procedures
In fact, many organizations and individuals have registered and notified themselves but failed because:
- They could not identify e-commerce websites for sales or websites providing e-commerce services (trading platforms, online promotional services, or online auction services);
- Incorrect dossiers, delayed or lack of response in the application process may result from a lack of experience in working with authorities.
6. Fines for violations of not registering and notifying e-commerce websites
- A fine ranging from USD 425 to USD 850 shall be imposed if a sales e-commerce website or sales application is established without notifying the Ministry of Industry and Trade before selling goods or providing services to consumers.
- A fine ranging from USD 850 to USD 1275 shall be imposed for setting up a website providing an e-commerce service or e-commerce application without registering with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Note: The above fine level is for individual violators; for violations committed by organizations, the fine is twice the level prescribed for individuals.
