Under the Vietnam Investment Law 2020 and Decree No. 31/2021/ND-CP, below is the List of business lines that restrict foreign investors from accessing the market ('Vietnam Restricted Business Lines'), includes a closed list and a restricted list.
CLOSED TO FOREIGNERS:
1. Trade in goods and services on the list of goods and services under state monopoly.
2. Press activities and collection of news in any shape or form.
3. Catching or harvesting marine life.
4. Investigation and security services.
5. Administrative and judicial services, including judicial assessment services, bailiff services, property auction services, notary services, official receiver’s services.
6. Guest worker services.
7. Investment in construction of cemeteries for transfer of land use right and infrastructure thereon.
8. Direct collection of garbage from households.
9. Public survey services.
10. Blasting services.
11. Manufacture, sale of weapons, explosive materials and combat gears.
12. Import, dismantlement of used seagoing ships.
13. Public postal services.
14. Merchanting trade of goods.
15. Temporary import for re-export of goods.
16. Exercise of rights to export, import distribute goods on the list of goods to which foreign investors and foreign-invested business organizations do not have the right to export, import or distribute.
17. Collection, purchase, handling of public property at armed force units.
18. Manufacture of military equipment or materials; trade in military equipment, military weapons, specialized equipment and vehicles exclusively for used by the military and the police, specialized equipment and parts thereof, manufacture technology thereof;
19. Industrial property representative services and intellectual property assessment services.
20. Services that involve establishment, operation, sustainment and maintenance of maritime signals, water zones, water areas, public navigable channels and maritime routes; survey of water zones, water areas, public navigable channels and maritime routes serving the maritime announcements; survey, development and publishing nautical charts for water bodies, seaports, navigable channels and maritime routes; development and publishing of marine safety publications.
21. Maritime safety services in water zones, water areas and public navigable channels; electronic maritime information services.
22. Services that involve inspection (inspection and testing) and issuance of certificates to vehicles (including systems, assembled parts, devices and parts of vehicles); inspection and issuance of certificates of technical safety and environmental safety to vehicles, specialized equipment, containers, equipment for packaging dangerous goods used in transport; inspection and issuance of certificates of technical safety and environmental safety to vehicles and equipment used for exploration, extraction and transport of petroleum at sea; occupational safety inspection of equipment subject to strict occupational safety requirements on vehicles and equipment used for exploration, extraction and transport of petroleum at sea; fishing vessel inspection and registration services.
23. Services that involve survey, assessment and harvest of natural forests (including logging, hunting, trapping wild and rare animals, management of gene pools of plants, domestic animals and microorganisms used in agriculture.
24. Research or use of genetic resources of new domestic animals before evaluation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
25. Travel services, except international travel services for inbound tourists.
RESTRICTED BUSINESS LINES FOR FOREIGNERS:
1. Manufacture and distribution of media products, including video recordings.
2. Manufacture, distribution, broadcasting of TV programs, stage performances and cinematic works.
3. Provision of audio and television broadcasting services.
4. Insurance; banking, securities trading and relevant services.
5. Postal and telecommunications services.
6. Advertising services.
7. Printing and publishing services.
8. Geodesy and cartography services.
9. Aerial photography services.
10. Education services.
11. Survey, extraction and processing of natural resources, minerals and petroleum.
12. Hydropower, offshore wind power and nuclear power.
13. Transport of goods and passengers by rail, air, road, river, sea, pipeline.
14. Fisheries.
15. Forestry and hunting.
16. Betting and casino business.
17. Security services.
18. Construction, operation and management of river ports, seaports and airports.
19. Real estate business.
20. Legal services.
21. Veterinary services.
22. Trade in goods and activities directly related to trade in goods of foreign service providers in Vietnam.
23. Technical analysis and inspection services.
24. Tourism services.
25. Health and social services.
26. Sports and entertainment services.
27. Paper production.
28. Manufacture of vehicles with more than 29 seats.
29. Development and operation of traditional markets.
30. Operation of Goods Exchanges
31. LCL consolidation services.
32. Audit, accounting and tax services.
33. Valuation services; valuation of enterprises serving equitization.
34. Services relevant to agriculture, forestry, aquaculture.
35. Manufacture of airplanes.
36. Manufacture of locomotives and railway carriages.
37. Manufacture, sale tobacco products, tobacco ingredients, equipment for tobacco industry.
38. Publisher’s activities.
39. Building and repair of seagoing ships.
40. Waste collection services, environmental monitoring services.
41. Commercial arbitration services, arbitration mediation services
42. Logistics services.
43. Coastal transport services.
44. Farming, manufacture or processing of rare and valuable plants, breeding of rare, valuable wild animals and processing thereof, including live animals and their products;
45. Manufacture of building materials.
46. Construction and relevant technical services.
47. Motorcycle assembly.
48. Services relevant to sports, fine art, performing art, fashion show, beauty pageant and other entertainment activities.
49. Auxiliary services for air transport; ground services at airports; catering services on aircraft; navigation information services, air navigation and control services, meteorological services.
50. Shipping agencies; towing services
51. Services relevant to cultural heritages, copyrights and related rights, photography, video recording, audio recording, art exhibitions, festivals, libraries, museums;
52. Services relevant to tourism promotion and advertising.
53. Representation, recruitment, scheduling, management services for artists and athletes.
54. Family-related services.
55. E-commerce activities.
56. Cemetery business, cemetery services and funeral services.
57. Aerial application.
58. Marine pilotages;
59. Business lines in which investment is under pilot mechanisms of the National Assembly, Standing committee of the National Assembly, the Government or the Prime Minister.
Market access conditions applied to foreign investors specified in the Restricted List include:
— Ratio of the foreign investor’s charter capital in a business entity;
— Investment method;
— Scope of investment;
— Capacity of the investor; partners participating in the investment activities;
— Other conditions specified in the Laws and Resolutions of the National Assembly, Ordinances and Resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Decrees of the Government and international agreements to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party.