The food and beverage sector has specific licensing requirements that trip up many first-time foreign operators. This guide covers the main approvals you'll need, from company registration to food safety, fire safety, alcohol and foreign staff.
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Last reviewed on 18 September 2026.
Vietnam's food and beverage sector is one of the most popular destinations for foreign entrepreneurs, but it carries a heavier licensing burden than most business lines.
Business Registration
Restaurants and bars are not on the list of sectors restricted for foreign investors under Decree 96/2026/ND-CP, so a foreign investor can own 100% of a restaurant company. Food businesses, including restaurants, remain a conditional business line for every operator, so food safety conditions still apply. A foreign-owned restaurant company goes through the same registration as any other foreign-invested company: since March 1, 2026 (Investment Law 143/2025/QH15), it can be registered first, with the Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) following within 12 months, or after the IRC. Either way, the restaurant project cannot start until the IRC is issued. The investment registration must specify food service (CPC 642) as a business line.
Food Safety Certificate
Before opening, a restaurant needs a certificate of food safety eligibility unless an exemption applies, and the premises are inspected before it is granted. Restaurant companies, including foreign-owned ones, apply to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, first set up on 1 January 2024 and re-established for the merged city on 1 July 2025. Since 1 August 2026, ward and commune People's Committees issue certificates to eateries registered as household businesses. The inspection covers kitchen layout, ventilation, refrigeration, water source documentation, and staff hygiene certificates.
Fire Safety
There is no general fire prevention certificate for restaurants. Restaurants with 100 m² or more of business space are under fire safety management under the Law on Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue (Law 55/2024/QH15) and Decree 105/2025/ND-CP. If the building is on the list that needs a fire safety design appraisal, as amended by Decree 347/2026/ND-CP from 15 September 2026, the design needs appraisal before works start and acceptance before the premises are used. Every restaurant must meet fire safety requirements and remains subject to police inspection, so make sure the fit-out complies from the start.
Selling Alcohol
Under Decree 105/2017/ND-CP as amended by Decree 17/2020/ND-CP, selling alcohol of 5.5% or more for on-premises consumption normally requires registration with the local authority rather than a licence from the Department of Industry and Trade. From 1 July 2026 to 28 February 2027, Resolution 66.18/2026/NQ-CP suspends those on-premises sales conditions and the alcohol retail licence procedure, so check the position again before March 2027. Resolution 66.17/2026/NQ-CP also took alcohol trading off the list of conditional business lines from 1 July 2026. The ban on selling alcohol to anyone under 18 still applies.
Hiring Foreign Staff
A foreign manager, chef or other specialist working at the restaurant needs a work permit unless an exemption applies. Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, the employer files the application between 60 and 10 days before the planned start date, and the authority decides within 10 working days of receiving a complete dossier. The permit is valid for up to two years. A foreign owner whose capital contribution is 3 billion VND or more is exempt from the permit, but the company must notify the provincial authority at least three working days before the owner starts work. Documents issued abroad must be legalised or apostilled and translated, which adds time. Our work permit guide covers the full requirements.
Timeline and Costs
Plan for several months from signing the lease to opening day. Registering the company typically takes one to four months depending on the route and business lines, the food safety certificate and other approvals add a few more weeks, and the fit-out runs alongside and often sets the pace. Published service fees for setting up a foreign-owned company range from about 12 to 130 million VND depending on the package, before the food safety, fire safety and fit-out work. Fit-out costs are separate and highly variable.
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