A Guide to Selling Online in Vietnam

Registering an Online Selling Business in Vietnam

Online business is a dramatically growing market in Vietnam due to the 1)shopping habit changes from offline to online 2) IT, high tech and internet penetration which make online shopping easier and more efficient 3) Big e-commerce platforms (such as Lazada, Tiki, Shopee, Sendo etc,.) heavily invest into the market and make online-business become the most dynamic and active ever → creating better playground (conditions) for so many businesses to go ONLINE.

In order to operate in this field as a company, need few steps:

Company registration (Investment license + Business registration license): (following standard procedure to register an LLC or any form of business – Ask our LLC services for more details.) – We will advise on which business codes/categories you should register in order to run your business online (such as retailing goods and products, online teaching/training etc.)
Trading license: if you sell your product to end customers.
Website Notification: if you want to own and sell the products through your own website.
Web Registration: if you want other companies use your website to sell their products,
Import/export license: If you need to source your product from somewhere out of Vietnam.
Product registration: If your products are not registered for free sale in Vietnam before (required when you import new products to the country or make new).
Intellectual property protection: in case you want to protect your intellectual property for your product or service.

Selling Online in Vietnam through a Marketplace

An online marketplace is a website where different merchants gather to sell their goods. You mediate advertisements and payments for the products that go through your site. The most well-known global online marketplace giants are Amazon and eBay. In Vietnam, the most popular marketplaces are known as Lazada, Tiki, Shopee, Sendo etc.

Steps to sell your products online through a Marketplace:

Register a shop with the platform
Upload information about the products
Set the prices
Set delivery/shipping methods
Manage orders/clients inquiries/financial status/promotion campaigns through the platforms (web, app, hotlines for sellers, etc.)

When you open a shop/store on a platform, you have to follow that platform’s rules which are quite similar to each other. Platforms like Lazada, Shopee, Sendo are open for both individual sellers and companies. Tiki is open for only companies (business registered).

Setting Up a Shopify Online Store

Step 1. Sign up for a seller account through the website for sellers.

Step 2. Input Product information (description + price + shipping options)

Step 3. Wait for platform’s approval on inputted information (may take a few hours or a day).

Step 4. Once the products are approved, it is available for sale.

Step 5. New order: Confirm order, prepare package, drop at order pick-up spots/location (or can book pick-up at store location for a big number of orders).

Step 6. Follow-up delivery process.

Step 7. Receive periodical payment (bank transfer) from the platform (after the deductions of all relevant fees).

What products can you sell online in Vietnam?

Products for sale have to be legally registered in Vietnam as free sale, and comply with regulations about quality, safety, origin etc. For online platforms, you can sell pretty many things as long as that doesn’t belong to any of following group:

Weapon: Hunting rifles, shotguns, even sport weapons or weapon support tools;
Cigarettes, cigars and anything that is a tobacco product;
Drinks that contain more than 15% of alcohol;
Endangered plants and wildlife, including living things and processed parts.
Other goods are restricted/forbidden in all areas as prescribed by law (We can advise on specific cases).

Hiring Local Staff for Your E-commerce Business in Vietnam

Vietnam is the hub for e-commerce and online business at the moment, the demand for a skilled labour force is correspondingly high especially in IT-related and Digital Marketing related positions. The good thing is Vietnam now has been known for a young and well-trained hiring market. Hiring professionals in this country is highly cost-effective compared to other countries in the area.

To have successful online/ e-commerce business in Vietnam you may need competent people in following areas:

Product import/registration: in case you source your product from other countries on a frequent basis. An in-house import/product reg team can be ideal. At our company, we provide one-stop service for IOR which can help you easily with importation/registration.
Digital Marketing team: run your campaigns on different social media platforms, generating leads and closing orders.
Website development team: If you want your online selling website function smoothly, a good web developer and creative UX/UI designer may be needed.

To run a business in Vietnam, don’t forget that the company has a number of duties regarding hiring and managing employees such as state insurance, PIT etc.

We offer a comprehensive service package for our clients regarding business operations in Vietnam, including recruitment, new hires on-boarding settlement, HR-related tax/accounting duties, and also the EOR service to save you significant time and expenses on running the team.