Current regulations on online video games • Government Decree 147/2024/ND-CP on the management, provision, and use of Internet services and cyber information (Decree 147);

Conditions for licensing the provision of game services/registration for the provision of game services

• Established in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law; foreign enterprises wishing to publish games in Vietnam must establish enterprises in Vietnam with charter capital not exceeding 49% in accordance with the Law on Foreign Investment (Per Vietnam’s WTO Commitment)
• Have business activity providing online video game services, which is listed on the National Business Registration Portal
• Has a head office with a clear and contactable address and phone number

Have Registered domain name used to provide services

Have adequate financial capacity, organization, and personnel for managing online video games in conformity with their operational scale

Have technical device systems for payment connections with payment service providers and payment intermediary service providers according to the law, ensuring accurate and adequate update and archive of information.

Permit players to look up detailed information on their payment accounts on game application systems (game accounts).

Have technical device systems to ensure the adequate archive and update the information of players in Vietnam, including (i) full name, (ii) date of birth, and (iii) phone number in Vietnam.

• Verify players’ accounts via phone numbers in Vietnam, ensuring that only verified accounts can participate in games;
• When players are under 16 years old, parents or legal guardians under the civil law shall register accounts using their information and supervise and manage the play time and content of accessed by players under 16 years old;
• Remove players’ information after the archive period expires as per regulation

Have technical device systems to ensure that the daily playtime (from 00:00 to 24:00) of players under 18 years old does not exceed:

• 60 minutes for each game, and
• 180 minutes per day for all games provided by enterprises

Have technical device systems to ensure the continuous display of the results of the classification of games by age for all games provided by enterprises during the introduction, advertising, and release;

Place recommendations that read “Chơi quá 180 phút một ngày sẽ ảnh hưởng xấu đến sức khỏe” (Playing more than 180 minutes a day will negatively affect health) at recognizable positions on (i) forums of games (if any) and on (ii) the screens of players’ devices every 30 minutes during the gaming process

Have technical device systems to ensure that the content exchanged and shared (i) in games and (ii) on the forums of games (if any) complies with the conditions for managing content and information for social networks

Adopting measures to manage the content and information of players’ accounts to ensure the adequate archive and continuous and accurate update of information on the service use process of players, including:

• account names
• service use time
• information relevant to ownership of virtual items, virtual points, and bonuses of players

Have schemes to ensure cyber information safety, information security, service quality, and legitimate rights and benefits of players

Have backup schemes for equipment and connection and schemes for data backup to ensure system safety upon incidents

Note: Both License to provide G1 game services and Certificates for G2, G3, G4 shall have an effective period based on requests of enterprises but shall be no more than 10 years.

Applications for licenses to provide online video game services

Form request for a license

Form request for a registration certificate for provision of video game services

Valid copies of the certificate of enterprise registration/certificate of investment registration/valid copies of equivalents

May be copies from originals, certified copies, certified e-copies, or copies compared to originals

Plans for service provision, financial capacity, organization, personal, and technical matters for service provision

General diagram of the system of service provision devices and the location of service provision devices

Information on the system of service provision devices, including:

• The main part and the backup part (names, functions, and expected configurations of devices) to ensure service quality, cyber information safety, and information security
• Plans to back up data and backup schemes
• Plans to ensure player's rights and data

Information on the system of service provision devices, including:

• The main part and the backup part (names, functions, and expected configurations of devices) to ensure service quality, cyber information safety, and information security
• Plans to back up data and backup schemes
• Plans to ensure player's rights and information confidentiality

Detailed information on:

• The method and scope of service provision (domain name, game distribution channel, and IP addresses)
• Enterprises connecting to Internet networks and telecommunications networks (names of enterprises, addresses, and connection channel capacity)

Information on the expected connection to providers of payment services and payment intermediary services

Submission Process

Submit an application for a license to provide online G1 video game services (i) in person, or (ii) through postal services to MOCST (ABEI) or (iii) through the online public service system of MOCST (application must have digital signatures)

An enterprise shall submit an application for a certificate of online G2, G3, and G4 video game service provision (i) in person, or (ii) through postal services to the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (DOCST) where its operational headquarters is registered, or (iii) on the online public service system of the provincial DOCST (application must have digital signatures). 

Within 20 days from the receipt of valid application, MOCST (ABEI) shall issue the license.

In case of refusal, the MOCST (ABEI) shall answer and explain in writing.

Within 15 days from the receipt of valid application, the provincial DOCST shall issue the certificate of online G2, G3, and G4 video game service provision.

In case of refusal, DOCST shall answer and explain in writing.

Note

Enterprises may release online G1 video games when they have

1. Licenses to provide G1 video game services online, and
2. Decisions to release online G1 video games

Enterprises may release online G2, G3, and G4 video games when they have

1. Certificates of online G2, G3, and G4 video game service provision, and
2. Written confirmations of notices of the release of online G2, G3, and G4 video games

Conditions to apply for a decisions to release online G1 video games/Written confirmations of notices of release of online G2, G3, and G4 video games

Have licenses to provide online G1 video game services that are still valid for at least 6 months

Have a certificate of online G2, G3, and G4 video game service provision

The content and script of video games do not violate:

• Article 8 of the Law on Cybersecurity and regulations on intellectual property
• Simulate games with influences in casino business facilities or games with the use of card images;
• Images, sounds, or languages that specifically describe acts of terrorism, murder, torture, mistreatment, abuse, or trafficking of women and children
• Incitement of suicide and violence;
• Erotism and vulgarity contrary to the moral traditions, culture, and fine customs of the nation;
• Distortion and sabotage of historical traditions
• Violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity
• Use of drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes;
• Gambling
• Other violations of the law

Online video games have results of the game classification by age confirmable with the content and script of games

Dossier of application for a decision to release online G1 video games/Written confirmation of notices of release of online G2, G3, and G4 video games

Written request for the issuance of the decision to release online G1 video games

Statement of the notice of the release of online G2, G3, and G4 video games 

• Documents, papers, and evidence proving intellectual property rights to games according to the Law on Intellectual Property;
• Written agreement for the enterprise to release games in Vietnam. Relevant documents must undergo consular legalization, and must be translated into Vietnamese and authenticated.

Not applicable

Scheme to release the online G1 video games confirmed by the legal representative/head of the enterprise, including:

• Names and origins of games
• Content and script of games, including
  • Character systems, task systems, maps (diagrams), virtual unit systems, virtual items, bonuses, sounds, images, interactions, implementation of tasks by characters, fighting activities among characters (including images of characters, weapons, features, etc.);
  • Release versions;
  • Results of the classification by players’ age; 
• Detailed information on the method and scope of service provision, including:
  • Domain names and IP addresses of websites introducing and providing games and game applications
  • Names of app stores distributing games; 
• Information on payment support services in online video games of the enterprise and forms of payments for games and collection of players’ payments.

Not applicable

Archive devices/electronic documents displaying:

• Specific images, activities, and sounds in games, such as account registration; maps and diagrams;
• Lines of characters, items, and equipment for characters;
• Specific fighting activities among characters during tasks;
• Management of content exchanged and shared by players in games and on forums of games (if any);
• Information on age classification and recommendations

Not applicable

Submission Process

The enterprise shall submit an application (i) in person, or (ii) through postal services to MOCST (ABEI), or (iii) on the online public service system of the MOCST (application must have digital signatures). 

The enterprise shall submit an application (i) in person, or (ii) through postal services to the provincial DOCST, where its operational headquarters is registered, or (iii) on the online public service system of the provincial DOCST (application must have digital signatures). 

Within 20 days from the receipt of valid application, MOCST (ABEI) shall appraise and issue the decision to release online G1 video games to the applicant and send a code (displaying the symbol of licensed release of G1 video games) to the applicant through email. 

In case of refusal, MOCST (ABEI) shall answer and explain in writing.

Within 10 days from the receipt of valid application, the provincial DOCST shall appraise and issue the written confirmation of the notice of the release of online G2, G3, and G4 video games to the applicant. 

In case of refusal, DOCST shall answer and explain in writing.

The enterprise must attach the issued code to the description of video games on app stores (if any) and the websites providing video games.

The code shall be linked to the licensing data section on the web portal of MOCST (ABEI)

Decisions to release online G1 video games shall have an effective period based on the written agreements for enterprises to release video games in Vietnam; the effective period shall be no more than 5 years

The written confirmation of the notice of the release of online G2, G3, and G4 video games shall have an effective period based on the written agreement for the enterprise to release video games in Vietnam; the effective period shall be no more than 5 years