All foreign persons and organizations need Retail Outlet Establishment License when they want to retail in Vietnam. Vietnam’s retail market is considered to be the most potential in South East Asia specifically as well as Asia in general. According to General Statistics Office Of Vietnam’s numbers, goods retail revenue in 2019 was nearly 162 billion USD nationally, equal to 3.751 billion đồng, which was 75,9% summerized revenue, increases 12,7% compared to 2018.

Some international retail enterprises have been and or are coming to Vietnam e.g. Aeon, SevenEleven, Uniqlo, Big C,…. However, in accordance with Decree No. 09/2018/NĐ-CP of the Government, foreign direct investment companies need to be issued with Retail Store Establishment License before they can establish retail stores in Vietnam.

Thuy Duong Law summerized the procedure as below:

Retail store establishment requirements:

• Company’s financial plan for establishment of retail store;
• Company do not have any overdue tax debt if it has been established in Vietnam for at least 01 year;
• The intended location for establishing the retail store is in accordance with regional planning schemes.

Dossier includes:

• Retail Store Establishment License issuance request form;
• Explanatory document containing:
• Retail store establishment location: Address, general area, related areas and establishment areas description, an explanation on requirements satisfaction according to Article 22 (c) Decree No. 09/2018/NĐ-CP; enclosing the retail store location data;
• Business plan on trading of retail store: Business plan and market development presentation; labor requirement; socio-economic impact and efficiency evaluation;
• Retail outlet establishment financial plan: business operational results on the basis of the audited financial statement for the most recent year if the applicant has been established in Vietnam for at least 01 year; an explanation of capital, capital sources and method for mobilizing capital, enclosing financial documents;
• Documents of tax office proving that there are no overdue tax debts;
• Copy of Enterprise Registration Certificate, Investment Registration Certificate (if any) for the project on establishing the retail store, Business License;
• Document explaning satisfaction of the ENT criteria, if an ENT must be conducted.

Process duration: 20 – 25 work days or 55 – 60 work days  (if an ENT must be conducted).

Sequence of Thuy Duong Law for issuance of license for establishing the retail store:

Stage 1: Meeting and consulting client on procedure and file preparation;

Stage 2: Thuy Duong Law and clients negotiate and sign service contract;

Stage 3: Thuy Duong Law composes files, amend files base on provided data of client;

Stage 4: Thuy Duong Law represents clients to submit files, receive results and work with authorized governmental agency;

Stage 5: Thuy Duong Law delivers Retail Store Establishment License (if any) to client and the two parties liquidate contract.