Shipping agency/freight forwarding services
Dịch vụ đại lý, giao nhận vận chuyển
This activity covers services related to the organization and management of the shipment of goods, including acting as intermediaries between shippers and carriers.
Includes
- Arranging cargo transportation
- Customs clearance services
- Booking cargo space
- Freight forwarding services
Excludes
- Transporting goods by road, rail, air, or sea
- Warehousing and storage services
Foreign ownership
Foreign investment is permitted, often up to 100%, but this is a conditional business line: it requires a sector sub-licence or regulatory approval on top of the IRC and ERC. Some conditional lines require a Vietnamese joint-venture partner.
Legal basis: Negative list L5 · Decree 163/2017/ND-CP (logistics services); Decree 31/2021/ND-CP
Your exact activity may fall inside or outside this restriction. Confirm the classification with Emerhub before you rely on it.
Recommended route
Foreign-owned LLC or JSC
Often up to 100%, once the sector sub-licence is granted
Joint venture
Where the conditional line requires a Vietnamese partner
Registration path
- 1
IRC
Investment Registration Certificate from the DPI
- 2
ERC
Enterprise Registration Certificate (the company itself)
- 3
Post-licensing
Seal, corporate bank account, tax and e-invoicing
- 4
Sub-licence
Sector permit, if the activity is conditional
Emerhub files each step with the authorities; you provide the documents and information.
Charter capital
| Situation | VND | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Most business linesVietnam sets no statutory minimum charter capital for most sectors. The registered charter capital must be credible for the project and fully contributed within 90 days of the Enterprise Registration Certificate. Foreign-invested projects are assessed on capital adequacy at the Investment Registration Certificate stage.. Legal basis: Law on Enterprises 2020 (No. 59/2020/QH14), Art. 47, 75, 113; Law on Investment 2020. | No floor | No floor |
Bold is the figure the law sets; the other column is an approximate conversion at ₫25,400 to USD 1. Vietnam sets no general minimum for most sectors.
Licenses & permits
This is a conditional business line. Alongside the IRC and ERC, it needs the following sector sub-licence or regulatory approval before it can legally operate in Vietnam.
- Sector sub-licence
Logistics ancillary services (freight forwarding, customs clearance): sub-sector foreign-ownership caps generally 49-51%.
Sub-sector-dependent foreign-ownership caps generally in the 49%–51% range (varies by specific service: cargo handling, storage/warehouse, customs brokerage, other auxiliary services), most requiring a joint venture with a Vietnamese partner. Exact cap depends on the CPC sub-classification; verify against the specific WTO Schedule line and Decree 31/2021/ND-CP Appendix I Section B item before applying. Legal basis: Decree 31/2021/ND-CP Appendix I Section B.
Emerhub can obtain the sub-licence as part of your company setup.