A logistics license Vietnam application is rarely a single approval. Logistics is treated as seventeen distinct services in Vietnamese law, each with its own market access condition, and a foreign operator offering an integrated service will usually find that some lines are open, some are capped and at least one requires a Vietnamese partner.
This guide sets out the six rules that determine how a foreign logistics group should structure its Vietnamese platform.
Logistics License Vietnam: The Seventeen Service Categories
Vietnamese law classifies logistics into categories including container handling, warehousing, freight agency, customs brokerage, transport by road, rail, inland waterway, sea and air, freight forwarding, technical inspection and analysis, courier, wholesale and retail auxiliary services and other supporting services.
Each line is mapped to a business code and tested separately. A single logistics license Vietnam application covering an integrated offer will therefore be assessed line by line, and the most restricted line sets the timeline for the whole file.
Logistics License Vietnam: Ownership Caps by Line
Freight forwarding and warehousing are broadly open. Road transport of goods is subject to a joint venture requirement with a capped foreign holding, and drivers must be Vietnamese nationals. Sea transport, inland waterway and rail transport each carry their own equity conditions.
Customs brokerage is reserved in practice to entities meeting specific conditions including qualified customs declarants. Groups therefore commonly hold the open lines in a wholly owned company and access the capped lines through a joint venture or a contracted local provider. Our note on foreign ownership limits explains the framework.
Logistics License Vietnam: Treaty Instruments Matter
The WTO schedule is the baseline, but the CPTPP and the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement grant deeper access in several transport and logistics lines. Entitlement is tested at the level of the direct investor, and several agreements also require substantive business operations in the treaty partner.
Selecting the holding jurisdiction before filing rather than after a refusal is worth several months. See our analysis of WTO commitments and market access.
Logistics License Vietnam: Conditions Beyond Ownership
Ownership entitlement is necessary but not sufficient. Road transport operators need a transport business licence, vehicle badges and a transport management officer with prescribed qualifications. Warehouse operators need premises that comply with construction, fire safety and environmental requirements.
Bonded warehouse and container freight station operation require customs authority approval of the facility itself. These conditions shape the property strategy, because a leased warehouse that cannot obtain fire safety approval cannot be licensed regardless of the corporate structure. Our guide to fire safety approval covers the property side.
Logistics License Vietnam: Structuring the Platform
The pattern that works for most international operators is a wholly foreign owned company holding freight forwarding, warehousing and supply chain management, contracting with licensed Vietnamese carriers for road transport and with a licensed broker for customs clearance.
The alternative, a joint venture holding everything, concentrates regulatory capacity but dilutes control and complicates group reporting. Which is preferable depends on volume, on whether the group intends to own trucking assets, and on how important customs data control is to the offer.
Logistics License Vietnam: Acquiring an Existing Operator
Buying a licensed Vietnamese logistics company is often faster than licensing from scratch, but it converts the target into a foreign-invested company and triggers a re-test of every line it holds. Lines that a domestic company held freely may be capped once foreign ownership crosses the threshold.
Diligence must therefore cover not only the target’s licences but whether those licences survive the acquisition. Our guides to acquiring an FDI company and M&A approval set out the process.
15 Things to Prepare Before Setting Up an FDI Company in Vietnam
A four-page pre-filing checklist covering structure and market access, capital and the DICA account, licensing and legalisation, work permits, and tax. Current to July 2026, including Decree 96/2026/ND-CP, Decree 219/2025/ND-CP and Decree 236/2025/ND-CP.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign company own a trucking fleet in Vietnam?
Road freight transport is subject to a joint venture requirement with a capped foreign holding, and drivers must be Vietnamese nationals.
Is freight forwarding open to 100% foreign ownership?
Broadly yes, subject to the conditions attaching to related auxiliary services included in the same application.
Does e-commerce fulfilment need a separate licence?
Warehousing and delivery are logistics lines; selling goods online additionally requires a business licence under Decree 09/2018/ND-CP.
How long does licensing take?
Eight to sixteen weeks depending on the mix of lines, with transport and customs lines driving the outer end.
Structure Your Logistics Platform
IVLF Advisors maps logistics lines to the correct instruments, structures wholly owned and joint venture components, licenses facilities, and runs acquisitions of existing operators. See also our industrial zone guide and procedures published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Contact our team.
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice for any specific case. Regulations may change – please consult a qualified professional before acting. Should further analysis be required, please contact one of our lawyers below.
