“Currently the conditional 267 sectors whose details are specifically listed in the 2014 Investment Law which has taken effect since July 1st 2015. However, concerning the sectors prohibited from business, PLF has noticed that the regulations applied to said sectors are located throughout different documents, making it difficult for investors to verify certain information. “
Therefore, PLF has put together the following table containing prohibited sectors to which foreign investors are subject to (please note: the sectors listed below might or might not be prohibited from domestic investors; these statistics do not include the bilateral, multilateral agreements to which Vietnam is a party and are for reference only):
No. | Sectors | Legal preference |
1 | Seal manufacturing business | Article 4 of Decree No. 72/2009/ND-CP |
2 | Support tools business (including repairing) | Article 4 of Decree No. 72/2009/ND-CP |
3 | Practicing judicial assessment in the fields of finance, banking, construction, antiques, relics and copyrights | Article 7 of the 2012 Law on Judicial Assessment |
4 | Practicing property auction | Article 3 of Decree No. 17/2010/ND-CP |
5 | Practicing as a bailiff | Article 10 of Decree No. 61/2009/ND-CP, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 135/2013/ND-CP |
6 | Practicing as a notary | Article 8 of the 2014 Notary Law |
7 | Lottery business | Article 23 of Decree No. 30/2007/ND-CP, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 78/2012/ND-CP |
8 | Producing and trading explosive materials
| Article 25 of the 2011 Order of managing and using weapons, explosives and support tools (amended and supplemented by Order No. 07/2013/UBTVQH13) |
9 | Business related to using industrial explosives and explosive precursors
| Article 19 of Decree No. 39/2009/ND-CP, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 54/2011/ND |
10 | Mine service business
| Article 26 of Decree No. 39/2009/ND-CP |
11 | Transmitting and dispatching the national electricity system, building and operating major power plants, which have socio economic, national defense and security significance.
| Article 4 of the Electricity Law No. 28/2004/QH11 (amended and supplemented in 2012) |
12 | Service of sending laborers to work overseas
| Article 4 of Decree No. 126/2007/ND-CP |
13 | Providing air traffic service | Article 97 of the 2006 Law of Civil Aviation Of Vietnam |
14 | Pipeline transport business | Article 6 of Decree No. 140/2007/ND-CP |
15 | Maritime security service business | Article 5 of Decree No. 130/2013/ND-CP |
16 | Publishing, printing and distributing publications | Article 8 and 13 of Decree No. 195/2013/ND-CP |
17 | Producing gold pieces, exporting and importing gold material
| Article 4 of Decree No. 24/2012/ND-CP |
18 | Currency printing and minting | Article 5 of Decree No. 130/2013/ND-CP |
19 | Petrol business | Article 2 of Decree No. 83/2014/ND-CP |
20 | Engaging in prostitution business, organizing prostitution , trafficking women and children | Appendix I of Decree No. 59/2006/ND-CP Article 3 of Decree No. 03/2000/ND-CP |
21 | Brokerage in taking in father, mother, children, raising adopted children involving foreign elements for the purpose of earning profits | Article 29 and 30 of Decree No. 24/2013/ND-CP |
22 | Trading and manufacturing military weapons, equipment, technique, ammunition and vehicles used exclusively by the military and police; ammunition (including badges, insignias, military badges of the army and the police), military equipment for armed forces; components, parts, accessories, materials, special equipment and specialized technology to create them | Article 4 of Decree No. 25/2012/ND-CP |
23 | Dangerous toys, toys harmful to the character education and health of children or the security, order and safety of society | Appendix I of Decree No. 59/2006/ND-CP |
24 | The trading of goods banned from import applied to foreign investors is prohibited according to Appendix I of Decree No. 187/2013/ND-CP
| Appendix I of Decree No. 187/2013/ND-CP |
PLF Law Firm